Lead Soil Scientist - Lands Conservation

Department: Working Lands Conservation

Location: Working Lands Conservation - Logan, UT

Compensation: $68,000 - $78,000 / year

Working Lands Conservation is a small, research‑based non‑profit located in Logan, UT. Our goal is to bring science to collaborative partnerships working to improve land management, while supporting communities and livelihoods. Through our work, we facilitate the creation of a resilient future for the communities that work, recreate, and value working lands of the western U.S. We are a team of field ecologists and communicators.

We draw on our extensive experience designing ecological studies, collecting data, and analyzing information to understand how land management contributes to landscape health and stakeholder stewardship objectives. As importantly, we realize that trust, learning, and change happen when science is shared in conversation and as stories. We thus spend as much time building relationships as we do collecting data. We are a partner‑oriented organization.

We strongly believe that partnerships of diverse stakeholders lead to innovative management ideas, and that producers are the foundational stewards of working landscapes. We work closely with producers, state agencies, federal agencies, non‑profit organizations, and university researchers to fulfill our mission, share ideas, and inspire innovative management.

We’re excited to welcome a Lead Soil Scientist to spearhead and expand our soil health work. The Soil Scientist will contribute to Working Land Conservation’s mission by developing and executing field‑based research and applied projects. They will also guide the ongoing development of our new Ecosystem Service Laboratory.

The Soil Scientist will lead Working Lands Conservation’s emerging soil program by combining cutting‑edge research with on‑the‑ground application. This position oversees statistical analyses and publication of existing datasets; designs and implements new soil health and soil carbon field studies; and shares results through reports, presentations, and outreach. The Soil Scientist will play a key role in developing new projects and grants;

building partnerships with agencies, universities, and land stewards; and shaping the long‑term vision for WLC’s soil work in the western U.S.

The Soil Scientist will spearhead the operation of WLC’s Ecosystem Service lab. Over the past year, WLC opened a non‑profit Ecosystem Services Lab that provides ranchers and other stakeholders with cost‑effective soil, water, and plant testing so that land stewards have information to adaptively manage their landscapes. The lab contains state‑of‑the‑art equipment including an elemental analyzer, mid‑infrared spectrometer, and plate reader.

Duties will include managing laboratory logistics and budgets, supervising lab staff, and delivering high‑quality science in service of working landscapes.

• Lead field work focused on soil health and soil organic carbon
• Spearhead statistical analyses and write scientific papers using existing datasets
• Strengthen existing partnerships and develop new soil‑focused networks
• Write project reports and present research
• Lead ongoing soil‑based work across projects, including travel for fieldwork, crew hiring and training, and managing logistics

• Develop and write grant proposals independently and with the WLC team
• Travel as needed to develop and initiate new projects

• Manage Research Assistant(s) and Field Technician(s) on projects related to the Soil Science Program
• Oversee project logistics
• Manage the Ecosystem Service Laboratory

• Collaboratively work with the WLC team to further WLC’s mission
• Dedicate time to professional development of organizational and management skills
• Contribute to a healthy and inclusive culture at WLC

You are, at‑heart, a field ecologist who loves developing and leading research across the diverse ecosystems in the US West. At this point in your career, you possess the vision and skill‑set to develop innovative research…