Faculty Research Assistant: Natural Resources

Oregon State University; United States; On-site; USD 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Oregon State University’s Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center – Union Station seeks a Faculty Research Assistant to support forest and rangeland ecology research. The role involves integrating monitoring and environmental data to inform restoration and multiple-use management across Meadow Creek and Starkey landscapes.

The incumbent will coordinate field data collection, maintain records, and collaborate with internal teams and external partners to advance watershed-scale recommendations

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in ecology, geography, natural resources, or related discipline.

Responsibilities

• Scientific data collection for forest and rangeland studies.

Skills

Field data collection

GPS data collection

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Scientific communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in ecology, geography, natural resources, or related discipline

Master's Degree in ecology, geography, natural resources, or related discipline

Tools

ArcGIS

R

Google Earth

Survey123

Job description

Department

College of Agricultural Sciences | Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center | Union Station

Job Summary

The Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center - Union Station invites applications for a full-time (1.00 FTE), 12-month, fixed-term Faculty Research Assistant position. Reappointment is at the discretion of the Department Head.

We are seeking a Faculty Research Assistant to support ongoing research on forest and rangeland ecology and management. This position integrates forest monitoring data and environmental condition data to understand likely impacts of fuels thinning across the Meadow Creek watershed and Starkey Experimental Forest and Range as it relates to restoration and multiple use management objectives. This position will leverage broad scale monitoring efforts currently being implemented to directly inform management recommendations for watershed-level restoration. In addition, this position will provide centralized support for integration of forest and riparian monitoring data and current environmental condition data into various Research, Monitoring and Evaluation efforts across the Meadow Creek Restoration and Research Collaborative.

Key Responsibilities

• Scientific data collection
• Maintain research records
• Effectively communicate with research team
• Collaborate with external research partners

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in ecology, geography, natural resources, or related discipline.
• At least two years of experience working on natural resources-related issues in the Blue Mountains.
• Experience measuring and collecting natural resource and/or ecological data (e.g. soil, slope, aspect, richness, diversity, composition, density, etc.) in field settings (forest, grassland, shrubland, wetlands, etc.).
• Experience using GPS units to navigate to locations and record spatial data in the field.
• Experience and commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Strong written and oral communication and interpersonal skills.
• Working knowledge of MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Google Docs.
• Ability to kneel/squat for extended periods of time for data and sample collection.
• Ability and willingness to work in difficult terrain in adverse weather conditions (heat, snow, rain, etc.).

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's Degree in ecology, geography, natural resources, or related discipline.
• Knowledge of Starkey Experimental Forest and Range and the Pacific Northwest Research Station and the area around it.
• Familiarity with key partners in the region including USDA Forest Service, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
• Experience working in multistakeholder projects with tribal, federal, state, and private stakeholders.
• Working knowledge of plant communities and plant species of the interior Pacific Northwest.
• Proficient in GIS and statistical applications (e.g. ArcGIS, R, Google Earth, Survey123, etc.).
• Experience writing reports and/or publications in addition to presenting and sharing findings to diverse audiences using a variety of formats.

Working Conditions/Schedule

Employee in this position may be required lift, carry, push, and pull objects weighing up to 50 pounds.

During field data collection, alternative work schedules may be required (e.g. 4 10-hour days).

During the field season, camping in rural/remote locations (during the work week) may be required.

Fieldwork occurs in the interior Pacific Northwest; terrain is mountainous and varies flat to steep and irregular (mountainous).

Temperatures may fluctuate throughout the season from cold (below freezing) to very hot in the summer.

Must work during inclement weather conditions.

Salary

Starting salary will be commensurate with skills, education, and experience.

Salary to commensurate with education, training and experience

Start and End Dates

Anticipated Start Date: 2026-10-16

Anticipated End Date: 2027-06-30

Equal Opportunity Statement

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability, protected veteran, and other protected status.

Contact Information

For additional information please contact:

Sandy DeBano

[e-mail]

Background Check

OSU will conduct a review of the National Sex Offender Public website prio