Natural Resource Technician 3 - Forest Inventory Crew Leader

State of Alaska; Fairbanks (AK); On-site; USD 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

The State of Alaska's Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry & Fire Protection, invites applications for a Forest Inventory Crew Leader in Fairbanks. You will lead field crews, oversee data quality, and manage challenging field operations in remote Interior Alaska, gaining leadership and technical experience within the Forest Inventory and Analysis program.

Join a team working across rugged terrain, bearing bear encounters and variable weather while maintaining safety and

Qualifications

• One year of journey level technical experience in natural resource management equivalent to a Natural Resource Technician 2 with the State of Alaska.
• Or any combination of journey level technical experience and college coursework totaling one year, where 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours equals one month of experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead field crews of 2-4 members in remote areas of Interior Alaska to collect forestry, botanical, and geographic data following established protocols.
• Oversee and ensure the quality of forestry, botanical, and geographic data collection, providing guidance on standardized protocols and procedures.
• Navigate challenging terrain, implement safe aviation and field operations, and troubleshoot field equipment under varying environmental conditions.
• Assist with logistical operations, including maintaining and organizing field gear, and contribute to the overall success of project scheduling and execution.
• Gain leadership and technical experience in the Forest Inventory and Analysis program.

Skills

Leadership

Teamwork

Physical strength

Forest management

Reading comprehension

Job description

The Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry & Fire Protection, is recruiting for a Forest Inventory Crew Leader in Fairbanks.

What You Will Be Doing:

• Lead field crews of 2-4 members in remote areas of Interior Alaska to collect forestry, botanical, and geographic data following established protocols.
• Oversee and ensure the quality of forestry, botanical, and geographic data collection, providing guidance on standardized protocols and procedures.
• Navigate challenging terrain, implement safe aviation and field operations, and troubleshoot field equipment under varying environmental conditions.
• Assist with logistical operations, including maintaining and organizing field gear, and contribute to the overall success of project scheduling and execution.
• This position offers the opportunity to gain valuable leadership and technical experience in the Forest Inventory and Analysis program.

Mission and Values/Culture:

The Division of Forestry and Fire Protection manages Alaska's forests sustainably while leading wildland fire management, forest practices, and cooperative forestry programs statewide. Its influence extends across ownership boundaries through incident management, federal timber resource oversight, and timber inventory efforts. FIA personnel support this mission by collaborating with the U.S. Forest Service to establish and inventory permanent research plots across Alaska using standardized national protocols.

Benefits of Joining Our Team:

This position is an integral part of a team comprised of state and federal professionals executing a large interagency forest inventory program across interior Alaska. The Interior Alaska Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program covers the largest area of any FIA program in the country and offers opportunities to work, monitor, and access some of the most remote areas in Alaska.

This position offers avenues to gain proficiency in aviation operations, backcountry navigation, and ecological field measurements. Training in wilderness medicine, as well as wildlife and firearms safety, is included. Additionally, this role provides valuable exposure to the diverse career opportunities available within the Division of Forestry and Fire Protection, offering a pathway for professional growth and advancement in natural resource management.

The Working Environment You Can Expect:

Fieldwork is conducted in remote and challenging conditions across Interior Alaska, with hazards including rugged terrain, aviation transport, bear encounters, and inclement weather. Employees must be physically fit, capable of carrying heavy packs, and prepared for off-trail hiking, as well as working in small aircraft, helicopters, boats, and tight quarters with constant background noise.

We are looking for a candidate who possesses the following position-specific competencies.

• Leadership: Influences, motivates, and challenges others; adapts leadership styles to a variety of situations.
• Teamwork: Encourages and facilitates cooperation, pride, trust, and group identity; fosters commitment and team spirit; works with others to achieve goals.
• Physical Strength and Agility: Ability to bend, lift, climb, stand, and walk for long periods of time; ability to perform moderately heavy laboring work.
• Forest Management: Knowledge of the concepts, principles, and theories of silviculture and forest ecology, forest use, management, harvesting, conducting inventories, regeneration, sustainability, and conservation; and the role of disturbances in timberland resources.
• Reading Comprehension: Understands and interprets written material, including technical material, rules, regulations, instructions, reports, charts, graphs, or tables; applies what is learned from written material to specific situations.

One year of journey level technical experience in natural resource management equivalent to a Natural Resource Technician 2 with the State of Alaska.

OR Any combination of journey level technical experience in natural resource management equivalent to a Natural Resource Technician 2 with the State of Alaska and college course work from an accredited institution totaling one year where 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours is equivalent to one month of experience.

Special Notices

• This position requires frequent travel within the state, 5-15 days at a time.
• This position requires the incumbent to carry and use firearms for wildlife protection.
• This position requires excellent physical conditioning.

Supplemental Questions

For your application to be evaluated, you must answer the Supplemental Questions. The State of Alaska (SOA) uses four proficiency levels to measure and describe an applicant’s competence in applying specific behaviors, knowledge, skills, and abilities to accomplish a specific task. The four proficiency levels are Mastery, Fluency, Literacy, and Discovery. You must rate your proficiency level for each competency listed in the supplemental questions.

Education

If post-secondary education is required to meet the minimum qualifications, you must fill out the Education section of the application. If you have not yet obtained a degree, please indicate the units you have completed. Copies of transcripts are required to verify educational credentials if used to meet the minimum qualifications for a position.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education

Education completed at foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the minimum qualifications listed above. If using this education to meet minimum qualification requirements, you must demonstrate that the credentials have been submitted to a private organization specializing in interpreting foreign educational credentials and that such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in standard U.S. education programs. Alternatively, an accredited U.S. post-secondary institution must report that the other institution's transcript is given full value or that full value is recognized in relevant subject areas aligned with the post-secondary institution's curricula. It is your responsibility to provide this evidence when applying.

Work Experience

If using work experience not already documented in your application, also provide the employer’s name, job title, employment dates, and whether full or part-time. Applications will be reviewed to determine whether the responses are supported and whether the minimum qualifications are met. If they are not, the applicant may not advance to the recruitment interview and selection phase.

Bargaining Unit

If you are a current state employee, please indicate the union to which you belong at the time of application. Do not complete this question if you are not a current state employee.

Driver’s License Requirement

Applicants must possess a valid driver's license. Proof of licensure will be required prior to reporting to duty.

Firearms

This position requires the use or possession of a firearm or ammunition. In accordance with the federal Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act of 1997 (PL 104-208), if you have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, you may not hold this position.

A "misdemeanor crime of domestic violence" is an offense that is (1) a misdemeanor under Federal or state law and (2) has, as an element, the use or attempted use of physical force or the threatened use of a deadly weapon, committed by a current or former spouse, parent, or guardian of the victim, by a person with whom the victim shares a child in common, by a person who is cohabiting with or has cohabited with the victim as a spouse, parent, or guardian, or by a person similarly situated to a spouse, parent, or guardian of the victim.

If you have ever been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, do NOT apply for this position.

EEO STATEMENT

The State of Alaska complies with Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Individuals with disabilities who require accommodation, auxiliary aids or services, or alternative communication formats should call 1-800-587-0430 or [phone] in Juneau or TTY: Alaska Relay 711 or 1-800-770-8973 or correspond with the Division of Personnel & Labor Relations at P.O. Box 110201, Juneau, AK 99811-0201. The State of Alaska is an equal opportunity employer.

For Specific Information About This Position

Chris Ferguson

FIA Assistant Coordinator (Forester 2)

Phone: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]