Vegetation Structure and Bee Crew Leader (Hourly Science Assistant)

Requisition Id: 3790 

Hourly Pay Rate: $19.45

Hourly Pay Grade: H6 

Expected Work Schedule:

Job Location:  Clinton Office (CLINT1) 

Closing Date: February 28, 2025

Our Culture: The Missouri Department of Conservation supports a culture of trusted professionals that is dedicated to our mission, responsible stewards, and believe in One MDC. 

To learn more about this exciting opportunity, please email the hiring supervisor, ​Thomas R Thompson , at Tom.Thompson@mdc.mo.gov or call 660 8858179x240 , Monday through Friday 8am - 5pm.

Summary/Objective

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is looking to hire a crew leader to assist in the collection of field data related to evaluating patch burn grazing with cattle on 5 native tallgrass prairie study areas in west-central Missouri.  This position start date is April 1, 2025 and runs until Augus t31, 2025 (both start and end dates can be flexible). Patch burn grazing with cattle is used as a management technique in Missouri to create spatial patchiness or heterogeneity in vegetation structure and related characteristics that are important to a wide variety of prairie species. The crew leader will work with the grassland ecologist in supervising a field crew (4 technicians) in the collection of spatially explicit estimates of vegetation structure and related characteristics, as well as species responses to this management (sampling of planthopper, grasshopper, and bee communities). Housing is available for the duration of this position.  

Essential Job Duties

• Lead and supervise the vegetation structure crew (4 technicians) in intensive field sampling of vegetation structure using a range of methods for measuring vegetation structure (e.g., vertical cover board, Daubenmire frame), as well as deploying temperature and relative humidity data loggers on areas during sampling. 
• Supervise the collection and sampling of planthopper, grasshopper, and bee communities with a variety of methods.
• Ability to work both independently and as a crew leader depending upon daily assignment.
• Ability to work and assist with GPS and GIS technology to map and locate monitoring points.
• Maintain and assist with data quality control, data entry and database management.
• Assist the grassland ecologist in gearing up for the field season and training crew members prior to the start of collecting data in mid-May.

• Identification of 25 tracked plant species, and documenting growth, development, and percent cover.
• Develop skills and become proficient in identification of 100+ prairie plants to species that are look-alikes to the 25 plant species of interest.
• Maintain crew adherence to protocols with limited supervision.
• Provide limited scientific technical support to researchers, students, managers, administrators, educators, and protection staff.
• Perform general maintenance on tools and equipment.
• Correspond with stakeholders via email, telephone, and in-person discussion.
• This position is field work focused, although there will be opportunities that are lab focused (e.g., working with herbarium samples, identification of collected/vouchered specimens). 

Ancillary Job Duties

• Other duties as assigned.

Education and Experience

• Must maintain a valid, current driver’s license.
• Must be working towards or have completed a bachelor’s degree in Biology, Ecology, or related field (e.g., Wildlife, Fisheries, Forestry, or Biological Sciences).

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Able to walk over 3 miles per day under varying habitat and weather conditions typical of western Missouri in summer.
• Capable of working cooperatively with others, as well as working independently with little daily supervision.
• Experience with some word processing (Microsoft Word, PowerPoint) and database software (Excel or Access).
• Hard-working, enthusiastic, and in good physical condition,
• Can communicate well with other co-workers, crews, local wildlife biologists, and landowners,
• Experience and/or knowledge of GIS (i.e., ARCMAP) and GPS technologies, can collect accurate field data with legible writing and attenti