NPS WNS Surveillance Technician

Bat Conservation International; Ashland (OR); On-site; USD 26,000 - 36,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Accrued sick time

Option for 401(k) retirement plan

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Discount program for professional gear

Job summary

Bat Conservation International seeks four National Park Service Technicians to support MOJN and KLMN in spring white-nose syndrome surveillance from March through May. Two teammates will later join LABE for cave monitoring in June and July.

Expect 40-hour weeks with evenings and some weekends, plus extensive field camping and travel between Ashland, Boulder City, Tulelake, and multiple sites. Fieldwork involves mist nets, H-nets, and traps; bat identification to species; skin swabs and guano

Qualifications

• At least one season of bat handling experience with biometric data collection.
• Experience implementing decontamination for WNS surveillance.
• Ability to carry up to 50 lbs and hike long distances.
• Experience conducting fieldwork in extreme conditions.
• Valid state driver’s license and DMV check.

Responsibilities

• Assist NPS MOJN and KLMN with spring WNS surveillance March–May.
• Travel to field sites and camping; some trips 2–8 days.
• Support lab and field data collection, roost checks, and emergence counts.

Skills

Bat handling

WNS surveillance procedures

Heavy carry / hiking

Fieldwork in extreme conditions

Valid driver’s license

Tools

Mist nets

H-nets

Funnel traps

Acoustic monitoring equipment

Job description

Bat Conservation International

NPS WNS Surveillance Technicians (4)

Status: Seasonal, hourly, non-exempt

Reports to: BCI Conservation Research Coordinator

Salary: Starting at $22.50/hour

Application Due Date: Midnight Pacific Time on Friday, October 23, 2026

Position Title: National Park Service Technician

Positions 1 & 2:

Start Date: March 1, 2027

End Date: May 31, 2027

Work Locations: Boulder City, NV (March 15 – early/mid April), Ashland, OR (early/mid April – May 31)

Positions 3 & 4:

Start Date: March 1, 2027

End Date: July 23, 2027 (with possibility to extend depending on funding)

Work Locations: Boulder City, NV (March 15 – early/mid April), Ashland, OR (early/mid April – May 31), Tulelake, CA (June 1 - July 23)

Position Description:

BCI is looking for four technicians who will assist the National Park Service (NPS) Mojave Desert (MOJN) and Klamath (KLMN) Inventory and Monitoring Networks with spring white-nose syndrome (WNS) surveillance from March thru May. Two of the four technicians will then travel to Lava Beds National Monument (LABE) to assist with bat roost and cave monitoring in June and July. Crew members typically work a 40-hour week with a varied work schedule that will often include evenings and periodic weekends. The days of the week worked and the number of hours per day will vary with the project, activity, field conditions, logistics, and bat behavior. Individual trips may range from 2 to 8 days.

During spring surveillance work, crew members will travel to and from the office to various field sites in project vehicles. Spring surveillance fieldwork involves extensive camping, ranging from primitive car camping to front country car camping with amenities (some camping supplies will be available for fieldwork). Spring fieldwork entails capturing bats using mist-nets, H-nets, funnel traps, and other methods; identifying bats to species; collecting skin swabs and guano samples, and conducting emergence counts and roost checks.

Summer fieldwork at LABE entails nighttime mobile and stationary acoustic surveys according to NA bat protocol, conducting in-cave presence/absence surveys, and performing emergence counts at cave entrances. A majority of the LABE field season will be spent caving, with occasional overnight backpacking trips into the backcountry for emergence counts at remote sites.

Required qualifications:

• At least one season of prior bat handling experience, including removing bats from mist-nets and collecting biometric data (age, sex, weight, etc)
• Experience implementing decontamination procedures for WNS surveillance
• Ability to move and/or carry heavy equipment (up to 50 lbs.) and hike long distances with a heavy backpack through varied terrain
• Experience conducting fieldwork in extreme conditions
• Possession of a valid state driver’s license and meet Bat Conservation International’s driving and safety standards (motor vehicle record check required)

Desired qualifications:

• Experience identifying western bat species
• Experience swabbing bats for WNS detection
• Experience using acoustic monitoring equipment and/or software
• Caving and/or climbing skills
• Experience driving 4WD or AWD vehicles on primitive roads
• Current rabies pre-exposure vaccination status (Titer check record within last 2 years)
• Wilderness travel and camping skills
• Wilderness first aid training

Work Competencies:

• Ability to work as part of a team
• Ability to communicate clearly in writing and orally
• Detail-oriented, self-motivated, and a self-starter
• Willingness to be flexible and adaptive
• Comfortable working outdoors

Details

• When traveling away from the base location, crews are entitled to up to $42/night for meals on a reimbursement basis.
• While conducting field work at MOJN, a campsite at Lake Mead National Recreation Area will be provided for use during days off.
• Travel costs associated with relocating between spring and summer work locations will be covered by the project.
• Costs associated with traveling to the first reporting location (Boulder City, NV) will not be covered by the project.

Resources & Benefits

• Accrued sick time
• Option for 401(k) retirement plan
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Discount program for professional equipment

Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (JEDI)

BCI is deeply committed to JEDI and embeds JEDI-centered practices in the conservation work and organizational culture. BCI is determined to be an employer of choice and believes that the best organizational performance will come from a safe, diverse, and inclusive work environment.