HCSU BOTANY/RESTORATION TECHNICIAN - ID# 224552

The HCSU Botany/Restoration Technician position at Rcuh in Hawaii is a full-time role focused on assisting with restoration field experiments. Responsibilities include implementing ecological experiments, plant propagation, and data management using ArcGIS. Candidates need a relevant Bachelor's degree and field experience in biological research. The position requires fieldwork in various settings, including driving to project sites, making it not suitable for remote work.
About the position

The HCSU Botany/Restoration Technician position is a regular, full-time role with the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii (RCUH), specifically within the Hawaii Cooperative Studies Unit (HCSU) at the University of Hawaii at Hilo (UHH). This position is in collaboration with the United States Geological Survey Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center (USGS PIERC) and is based in the USGS PIERC office located in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the island of Hawaii. The role is crucial for assisting with restoration field experiments that aim to enhance connections between managers and researchers, focusing on climate-smart restoration strategies. The technician will be involved in testing the efficacy of seed sourcing to improve the drought resiliency of native Hawaiian forest species. The technician will work closely with the Crew Lead to implement ecological experiments and sampling protocols, ensuring adherence to standard operating procedures (SOPs) and safety requirements in various settings including the field, office, and laboratory. Responsibilities include supporting the Crew Lead in plant propagation, outplanting, and experimental setup, which involves constructing drought shelters and deploying environmental sensor arrays. The technician will also monitor out-plants and coordinate plant trait characterization, driving to project sites as necessary. Fieldwork will involve collecting soil and plant materials, maintaining plant survey data, and ensuring proper data collection protocols are followed. The technician will utilize ArcGIS to create maps and transfer data between handheld GPS devices and databases, while also gathering and organizing ecological data. Additionally, the technician will assist with data management and database archiving, and support the Crew Lead in producing regular progress reports on fieldwork activities.

Responsibilities
• Assist with restoration field experiments aimed at enhancing manager-researcher connections and developing climate-smart restoration strategies.
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• Work with the Crew Lead to implement ecological experiments and sampling protocols, ensuring adherence to SOPs and safety requirements.
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• Support the Crew Lead in plant propagation, outplanting, and experimental setup, including constructing drought shelters and deploying environmental sensor arrays.
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• Monitor out-plants and coordinate plant trait characterization.
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• Drive to project sites as necessary to conduct fieldwork.
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• Collect soils and plant material in the field and maintain plant survey data, ensuring proper data collection protocols are followed.
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• Utilize ArcGIS to create maps and transfer data between handheld GPS devices and databases.
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• Gather and organize ecological data and assist with data management and database archiving.
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• Support the Crew Lead in producing regular progress reports on fieldwork.

Requirements
• Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university in Ecology, Biology, Botany, Zoology, Wildlife Science, or other biological field.
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• Six (6) months to one (1) year of field experience, including technical work conducting biological field research related to forest ecology and restoration.
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• Prior experience setting up and carrying out terrestrial field experiments and data management.
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• Knowledge of general methods for gathering and recording field data for research and management projects, including the use of computers to download data under field conditions.
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• Knowledge of techniques in vegetation ecology and field botany, including vegetation cover assessments using quadrats and transects with point-intercept methods.
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• Thorough familiarity with the operation of personal computers and spreadsheet, database, and graphics programs.

Nice-to-haves
• Experience with ecological data management software such as R.
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• Certification in First Aid/CPR.

Benefits
• Regular full-time employment with potential for continuation based on program needs and performance.
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• Opportunity to work in a unique ecological environment at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.