Research Technician

Special Information

• This is a 6 month position located in person in Northern California.
• This position is a remote position which allows the incumbent to complete their work at a location other than an NAU site, campus, or facility with or without accommodation. The incumbent may occasionally work in a shared site, but primarily will work elsewhere.
• This position is an out of state position which allows the incumbent to complete their work in a state other than Arizona with or without accommodation. The incumbent may work in a remote, in-person, or hybrid modality.
• This position is subject to the availability of funding. The incumbent is not eligible for Service Professional non-renewal notice, or Classified Staff layoff or recall status.
• Driving a vehicle on behalf of the university is anticipated to be a regular part of this position. Arizona Administrative Code Fleet Safety Policy requires all employees who drive on university business become authorized by submitting Driver’s license information for driving record monitoring, and completion of training appropriate to the level of driving performed. The law applies to all faculty, staff, and students who drive personal or university-owned motorized vehicles for any business purpose.
  
  More information on the NAU Authorized Driver Policy can be found on the NAU website.

NAU’s School of Forestry offers unmatched access to one of the most ecologically diverse regions in the country. With nearly 47,000 acres of research forest just outside Flagstaff and a strong faculty-to-student ratio, you’ll learn by doing: collecting data, managing ecosystems, and exploring solutions to the environmental challenges of today and tomorrow. Join forestry-focused student organizations, connect with peers and mentors, and apply for one of 50+ dedicated scholarships that support your academic journey.

The School of Forestry is seeking two field-based hydrologic technicians to support a long-term paired watershed experiment and other research in northern California. The technicians will collect water samples, maintain and repair hydrologic instruments, and plan, collect, and review data used to address questions related to forest hydrology, forest harvest, fuel reduction efforts, and meadow restoration. The successful applicants will work collaboratively as part of a team of researchers to produce datasets for use by a larger research team, the public, other scientists, and managers.

This position is based in Fort Bragg, California.

70% - Field Research

• Assist with installation, maintenance, troubleshooting, and downloading data from hydrologic sensors that make up the continuous dataset.
• Collect water, fuel, soil, sediment, and other samples and manual measurements to complement data gathered from automated sensors.
• Complete field forms, notes, sketches, and photographs to describe conditions of sites, instruments, streams, and weather.
• Maintain vehicles, training, trails, and field gear to safely conduct field visits in most weather conditions.
• Participate in wet season (approximately November-May) storm duty operations that could fall on weekends or holidays.

10% - Data Review and Correction

• Compile and review hydrologic data for use in studies or reports.
• Follow established protocols to append and plot data to identify and document regular and unusual events and correct errors where causes can be identified.
• Furnish data to various internal or external research entities.

5% - Planning

• Coordinate fieldwork with supervisor and research partners.
• Prioritize work assignments based on fluctuating weather conditions and time-sensitive data collection.
• Work within NAU and partner travel and scheduling systems to plan travel to meadow restoration field sites.

5% - Partnership and Collaboration

• Assist other researchers and partners in planning and implementing current and new research experiments, establishing priorities across research objectives, and recommending methods, schedules, timelines, and staffing levels.
• Work with NAU and partner staff, graduate assistants, and student employees.

5% - Purchasing Supplies

• Plan and…