[Hiring] Lead Field Technician @Austin Peay State University

Role Description

Grassland loss is the single greatest conservation issue currently facing eastern North American biodiversity. Our precious Southeastern grasslands are nearly extinct, and the species that depend on them are fading fast. Many of our Southeastern grasslands that managed to persist through the past 200 years have disappeared in the past quarter-century. If we want to reverse the tide of grassland biodiversity loss, our response must be rapid and unparalleled in its magnitude.

Austin Peay State University’s (APSU) Southeastern Grasslands Institute (SGI) invites applications for a full-time Lead Field Technician position to study and restore native grasslands on National Parks across the Eastern United States as part of our Grasslands Restoration Team.

The Lead Field Technician will:

• Coordinate daily work duties for their team of field technicians.
• Communicate project updates and needs with SGI’s Central Appalachian Grasslands Coordinator.
• Collect baseline data from grassland remnants and identify grassland “reconstruction” sites.
• Carry out restoration and land management work from all sites.
• Travel extensively throughout the year, often working an alternative work schedule.
• Spend up to 90% of time in the field, with overnight stays and travel expenses covered by grant funds.

This position will be remotely based in the Blacksburg and/or Roanoke, Virginia areas and will directly report to SGI’s Central Appalachian Grasslands Coordinator.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of grassland community types of the Southeastern United States.
• Knowledge of plant, bird, and pollinator species of the Southeastern United States.
• Knowledge of grassland restoration and reconstruction practices.
• Knowledge of invasive species management.
• Ability to use a GPS device and GIS software.
• Ability to learn quickly and adapt to challenges.
• Ability to confidently lead and work as part of a team.

Requirements

• Ability to work a non-standard schedule, such as working 8 days on followed by 6 days off.
• Must have a valid driver’s license and experience driving a wide variety of vehicles and ATVs, including 4WD.
• Must be able to hike over rugged terrain in a variety of landscapes (grasslands, wetlands, rugged hills, slopes, etc.).
• Willingness and ability to work in harsh, ever-changing environmental conditions.
• Willingness to camp in remote, undeveloped sites for multiple days, if necessary.
• Must be able to lift 50 pounds.

Company Description

Austin Peay State University is a four-year public, doctoral-level university, with six colleges and four Chairs of Excellence. The University has an enrollment of over 11,000 students and is located in Clarksville, Tennessee, a community of an estimated 150,287 people located approximately 40 miles northwest of Nashville, TN.

Austin Peay State University is a proud supporter of hiring veterans. We hire veterans with equivalent experiences and pay grades from their military service, rather than requiring or preferring only college degrees.

Austin Peay State University (APSU) prohibits discrimination in all employment, programs, and activities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy), disability, age, veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status.