Description

The Monarch Joint Venture is hiring three pairs of field technicians to study monarch butterfly breeding and migratory habitat across California.
Description
Position Status: Seasonal, full-time

Location: California

Start Date: February 24, 2025

Compensation: $18/hour

Priority Application Deadline: January 12, 2025; will remain open until filled

Travel required: Yes, extensively throughout California 

Visit here for more details and to apply: https://jobs.gusto.com/postings/monarch-joint-venture-field-technician-monarch-butterfly-habitat-monitoring-in-california-6-positions-d64b60da-7fb3-4730-9560-cba32eaa39d4

Position Summary

Join the growing team of the Monarch Joint Venture, a nonprofit dedicated to conserving the monarch butterfly migration across North America. We are hiring three pairs of field technicians to study monarch butterfly breeding and migratory habitat across California. Technicians will survey Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or California Resource Conservation District (RCD) properties. Positions vary in duration and survey location. In your application, you will be asked to select the project(s) you are interested in:

Project 1: 4-6 months, Statewide
Project 2: 6 months, Statewide
Project 3: 9 months in the Cosumnes River Watershed

All positions are full time (seasonal), approximately 40 hours per week, with the possibility of paid overtime. Qualified candidates must be able to commit to the full term of the monitoring season, drive long distances with their partner, and live away from home during the project dates. Technicians will travel extensively, collecting biological data on monarch butterflies and their habitat, including milkweed, and other floral resources using an established monitoring protocol. Surveys will also include establishing and documenting permanent, long-term monitoring plots, mapping observations of milkweed, and collecting milkweed seed. Opportunities to support education and outreach events are also expected.

Field technicians will receive two weeks of paid training in February, prior to the start of the field season. This will include a week of virtual training and a week of in-person training. Technicians will be expected to arrive at an in-person training location in the San Francisco Bay Area. MJV will cover the cost of a Wilderness First Aid (WFA) training course before the start of the field season.  Necessary equipment, fuel, and lodging costs are covered by the project grants. Food and additional personal travel costs are the responsibility of the employee. Camping 5 days a week, on average, is expected for all positions. Statewide positions cover all lodging costs (7 days a week) - which will include a combination of camping, hotel, or rental accommodations - to be determined by the field crew each week, within a given budget. Ideal candidates for Cosumnes River Watershed positions will have a home base anywhere within the region and travel to survey locations as needed; all work-related travel & lodging costs are covered under the project grant.

Requirements

Qualifications

Essential Skills: 

Field technicians must have experience in the fields of biology, botany, wildlife, or another related field. 
Technicians must be able to work both independently and in close collaboration with a teammate. 
Work will entail long days of driving and collecting plant and insect data in direct sunlight, high temperatures, and buggy or other harsh field conditions.
 Technicians must be comfortable interacting with agency staff and the public, and be available to spend overnights in distant or remote locations. 
The positions require excellent verbal communication skills, attention to detail, and the ability to enter data accurately onto a mobile device and computer.
 A valid driver’s license is required.

Desired Skills: 

Experience collecting plant and insect data or implementing other field monitoring protocols. 
Knowledge of California milkweed species and other flora. 
Experience with GIS and navigating with a GPS or compass. 
Coursework or experience identifying plants and insects. 

Equal Opportunity Employment 

The Monarch Joint Venture (MJV) is an equal opportunity employer. As such, MJV offers equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, gender, religion, age, nationality, social or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, pregnancy, disability, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law. These opportunities include all terms, conditions, and privileges of employment, including but not limited to recruiting, hiring, job placement, training, compensation, benefits, discipline, advancement, and termination. All employees are expected to adhere to this policy. 

The Monarch Joint Venture is an at-will employer. All persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.