Soil scientist position Soils, geomorphology, and ecosystem resilience on the Colorado Plateau
A soil scientist position (GS07) is available at the USGS Canyonlands Research Station located in Moab, UT. The successful candidate will work on a collaborative project examining how soils, geomorphology, and vegetation states interact to effect ecosystem resilience on the Colorado Plateau. This position offers an exciting opportunity to elucidate how climate change predicted to be notably strong on the Colorado Plateau will affect the plants, soils, and ecosystem function of the region. Moab, UT is a small town offering a variety of outdoor adventures, and more information about Moab can be found at www.discovermoab.com. This project includes analysis of existing coupled soil-vegetation data sets, collection of new data, and GIS analysis. The incumbent will work closely with USGS scientists and post-doc in project planning, data collection and analysis, and reporting results. The incumbent will have four general classes of major duties: 1) lead field data collection, 2) analyze historical ground photos, 3) data preparation and analysis, and 4) assist with the preparation of reports & scientific papers. The primary field location is in Canyonlands National Park where the incumbent will spend much 6-7 month field season away from duty station (Moab, Utah) for 8 days on, 6 days off, with frequent overnight and multiday camping trips. Field work involves heavy exertion; withstanding both extreme heat and potential hypothermia conditions; climbing; walking over rough, rocky, or uneven terrain; lifting and carrying equipment and supplies; long hours; driving a 4WD vehicle on unimproved roads. Qualifications: Selective Factors and Specialized Experience apply, see usajobs posting for details. A Masters Degree and background in rangeland ecology or soil science is preferred. Prior experience with range monitoring and assessment techniques, advanced statistical analyses, GIS tools and techniques, and preparation of tables and graphs for publication is highly desired. Incumbent also be in excellent physical condition to withstand the rigors of the environmental conditions and must pass a physical fitness test and a background check. A valid US drivers license is required. Salary and start date: Salary is $39,179/year plus full benefits. A start date of Jan-Feb 2015 is preferred. Application: Applicants MUST be U.S. citizens. If you have questions send an email to crs_j...@usgs.gov. This job will be announced on www.usajobs.gov . Please refer to http://sbsc.wr.usgs.gov/news_info/jobs/ for details about this job announcement.
