Biological Field Technician Individual Placement-AmeriCorps

Entertimeonline; Fort Cavazos (TX); On-site; USD 45,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare coverage

Education Award (Segal)

Living Allowance

Job summary

Conservation Legacy seeks Biological Field Technician placements at Fort Hood, Texas, to monitor golden-cheeked warblers and support environmental management efforts. Positions are AmeriCorps placements with mentorship and structured career development.

The program emphasizes hands-on fieldwork, data collection, and collaboration with a supervising staff. Candidates should be US citizens, 18+ and able to meet background checks and transportation requirements.

Qualifications

• United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident.
• At least 18 years of age.
• Has a high school diploma or equivalent; or agrees to obtain one prior to using the education award.
• Valid U.S Driver’s License; drivers must be over 21 or have had a license for at least 3 years.
• Ages 18–30 at start (35 for veterans).
• Personal transportation to work; field trucks provided for project work.
• Previous passerine banding experience (preferred).
• ArcPro GIS (preferred).
• Off-road 4-wheel drive experience (preferred).

Responsibilities

• Conduct monitoring of the golden-cheeked warbler on Fort Hood study sites.
• Re-sight color-banded warblers, locate/monitor nests, map territories, band birds.
• Conduct point-transect distance sampling.
• Data collection and management using Trimble GPS, Field maps, ArcPro, and Excel.

Education

Bachelor of Science in wildlife biology, zoology, ecology, or closely related field

Tools

ArcPro GIS

Trimble GPS

Job description

• Job Category Conservation , AmeriCorps
• Industry Field Support, Ecology
• Employee Type AmeriCorps

Description

Position Title: Biological Field Technician Individual Placement – AmeriCorps (2 openings)
Conservation Legacy Program: Conservation Corps New Mexico
Site Location: Fort Hood Installation
1939 Rod & Gun Club Loop, Fort Hood, TX 76544

Purpose:
AmeriCorps is the federal agency for national service and volunteerism. AmeriCorps provides opportunities for Americans of all backgrounds to serve their country, address the nation’s most pressing challenges, and improve lives and communities. Environmental stewardship programs help conserve natural habitats, improve energy efficiency, and protect clean air and water among other environmental efforts.

Conservation Corps New Mexico (CCNM)
As part of Conservation Legacy and an AmeriCorps program, CCNM aims to continue the legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930's. CCNM is focused on connecting youth, young adults, and recent era military veterans with conservation service projects on public lands. CCNM operates programs across New Mexico and western Texas/Oklahoma that engage individuals and strengthen communities through service and conservation. The CCNM Las Cruces office manages the Individual Placement Program.

Mentorship
These Individual Placements are unique development AmeriCorps positions. Participants are paired with a local supervisor and gain technical, hands-on experience in the work of these organizations or agencies. Site supervisors commit to facilitate career development; introduce participants to numerous pathways within the conservation field; create meaningful learning opportunities; and provide technical, hands-on experience in the work of these organizations or agencies.

The Fort Hood Natural and Cultural Resources Management Branch protects, sustains and enhances the natural and cultural resources on Fort Hood Installation (Installation) to enable Soldiers to conduct mission training. The selected candidates will support staff with ongoing understanding of golden-cheeked warbler songbird populations distribution, nesting, and occurrence on the Installation. This project will provide critical information for compliance with Section 7 Consultation and Biological Opinion, making ecosystem and species level management decisions, and assessing resiliency in accordance with natural resource management plans and military training landscape plans. Participants will also have the opportunity to shadow cultural resources, bat acoustic monitoring, invertebrate sampling, and wild pig trapping depending on their individual interests.

Description of Duties:

• Conduct monitoring of the golden-cheeked warbler on various study sites of Fort Hood, Texas.
• Re-sight of color-banded warblers, locate/monitor nests, map territories, target mist net and band birds.
• Conduct point-transect distance sampling.
• Data collection, management, and manipulation to include but are not limited to Trimble GPS units, Field maps, ArcPro, and Excel.

Conditions: The workday starts an hour before sunrise and involves working in remote, hot, sunny environment with mosquitoes, chiggers, fire ants, cacti, snakes, and poison ivy.

Qualifications:

• United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien
• At least 18 years of age.
• Has received a high school diploma or equivalency certificate; or has not dropped out of elementary or secondary school to enroll as an AmeriCorps participant and agrees to obtain a high school diploma or its equivalent prior to using the education award.
• Agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete a National Service Criminal History Check.
• Valid U.S Driver’s License - Drivers must be over 21 or have had a license for at least 3 consecutive years.
• Per federal grant requirements, this position is for young adults between the ages of 18-30 (35 for veterans) at the time the individual begins term of service.
• A Bachelor of Science degree in wildlife biology, zoology, ecology, or closely related field is required.
• Reliable, good physical condition, excellent hearing, and ability to see the full spectrum of colors.
• Participants will be responsible for personal transportation to and from work; field trucks will be provided for project work only

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous passerine banding experience.
• Bird enthusiasts.
• ArcPro GIS.
• Off-road 4-wheel drive experience.

Participation and Expedition Behavior:

• Work effectively as a member of a team despite potentially stressful and difficult conditions. This may require problem solving on an interpersonal or group level as well as a willingness to accept differences.
• Contribute to a safe learning environment, no harassment of others for any reason.
• Willingness and ability to complete all aspects of the program including conservation projects, education, training, and national service.
• Effectively communicate ideas and concerns as they arise directly to supervisors, colleagues, and organization staff.
• Appropriately represent Conservation Corps New Mexico, Fort Hood Installation and AmeriCorps to the public and partners at all times.
• Flexibility, adaptability, and capacity to work in a fluid, changing work environment.

Safety and Judgment:

• Effectively communicate danger to others in the form of either a warning of danger others may be encountering or a notification of personal distress, injury or need for assistance. Must be able to do so at a distance of up to 50 meters and in conditions with limited visibility or loud background noise such as darkness or high winds.
• Effectively perceive and understand significant and apparent hazards and follow direction by others so that you will be able to successfully execute techniques to manage hazards. These directions may be given before the hazard is encountered or may need to be given during the exposure to the hazard. Ability to respond appropriately to stress or crises.
• Stay alert and focused for several hours at a time while traveling and working in varied weather conditions.
• If taking prescription medications, participants must be able to maintain proper dosage by self- medicating without assistance from others.

Substance Free:

• In accordance with a drug free workplace, alcohol and drugs are prohibited while participating in AmeriCorps and program activities and while on organization property.

Background Check:
A Department of Defense background clearance is required before the selected candidate reports for service. Fort Hood Installation will provide instructions for completion of the clearance after a candidate has been selected and will notify them when they have been cleared to start service. This process will determine the participant’s exact start date.

Participants will have access to government facilities and systems, and will be supplied with access to government vehicles, equipment, and materials needed to work on the projects and activities as outlined above. Participants must adhere to all government regulations and policies for operating equipment, vehicles, security awareness, and safety.

Time Requirements:

• Typically, this position is expected to serve 40 hours per week with the possibility of some weekend work so exact service schedules may vary. A half hour lunch break will not be counted towards AmeriCorps service
• Member may be required to participate in national, state, or local service projects or events as part of their service term.

Orientation and Training:

• Member will receive an orientation that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.
• Member will take four weeks of intensive training going over all the duties needed to successfully complete all project tasks.

Benefits:

• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $2,817.14
• Living Allowance of $640 per week.
• Additional Benefit of $250 per week.
• Professional development funds of $200.
• Healthcare coverage.
• Student loan forbearance and interest payments are available for qualifying loans.
• Members will have additional hours to take time off for personal, holiday, and sick leave and still complete their minimum AmeriCorps 675-hour term.
• Members are eligible for Public Lands Corps Hiring Authority upon completion of term (that allows for competitive hiring for USA jobs/government jobs).

Evaluation and Reporting:
As an AmeriCorps member, performance will be evaluated on whether the member has completed the required number of hours, the member has satisfactorily completed assignments, and if the member has met other performance criteria that were clearly communicated at the beginning of the term of service.
Reporting requirements include, but are not limited to, bi-weekly timesheets and accomplishment tracking.

Supervisor Name and Contact Information:
Program Contact information:
SamJean Simmons, [e-mail]

Our Commitment:

Conservation Legacy is committed to the full consideration of all qualified individuals and will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential job functions. Physical requirements may include periodic overnight travel, non-traditional work hours, ability to move across varied terrain, use program-specific tools and a range of technology on an infrequent or frequent basis. Exerting up to 25 pounds of force occasionally to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects. The ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle may also be required for some positions. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.

Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodations due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.