Environmental Specialist 1 - Stream Crew Lead - Job ID 61042
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Job Summary
This posting may be used to fill more than one temporary Environmental Specialist 1 position. Typically, incumbents in this role will leave to conduct field work on Monday morning and return on Thursday evening (from our Brainerd office). They will be in travel status, working in greater Minnesota to assist the biological monitoring staff sample 150 to 300 sites on rivers and streams in 3 to 6 major watersheds each field season. Lodging, state vehicle, and meals are provided. Monitoring work occurs from May to September (anticipated work dates are May 15, 2023 – September 28, 2023).
The incumbent will conduct field sampling and data reporting in concert with a team of MPCA professional biologists, lead crews of 1-4 seasonal staff to sample fish, invertebrates, water chemistry, flow, and habitat in Minnesota streams to assess their condition.
Duties include:
Reconnaissance of biological sampling sites
Lead a crew of 1-4 seasonal staff to sample approximately 50 sites per year for fish, invertebrates, habitat, and water chemistry in order to assess water quality of Minnesota’s streams
Help maintain field equipment, train students, and keep field records
Enter and manage data on Agency computers
Calculate summary data for each monitoring site and conduct QA/QC
Assist in conducting pre-assessment reviews of data
This is a great experience if you are interested in the working outdoors and learning about the environment. You will become familiar with MPCA protocols for sampling fish, invertebrates, and numerous water chemistry parameters. Prior lab or field experience through previous work and/or in a lab/school setting is helpful.
Please be sure to specifically mention your experience and/or related coursework in your resume and/or cover letter. We are unable to guess what you have or haven’t learned based on a specific degree from a specific institution. This is a crew lead position, and the incumbent must be able to possess good conflict resolution and communication skills. Interaction with the public is often necessary. Note that related coursework or professional experience in ichthyology, fisheries science, aquatic invertebrates, water chemistry or habitat should be highlighted.
Work hours are typically Monday through Thursday, 10-hour days with overnight travel. The incumbent must have the ability to work and collaborate with their team while in the field.
If you are interested in this position at another location, please see Job ID: 61074.
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in a water related science, environmental protection, or closely related field
OR a technical environmental degree (e.g., Natural Resources Technology A.A.S.) AND one year of technical/professional-level environmental protection experience
OR two years of technical/professional-level environmental protection experience
Ability to pass the MPCA fish identification test
Ability to work and collaborate with their team while in the field
Preferred Qualifications
Field experience electrofishing, sampling fish, invertebrates using MPCA standard operating procedures
Coursework in ichthyology, fisheries science, aquatic invertebrates, water chemistry or habitat
Leadership experience in prior work, civic, or school projects
Familiarity with biological indicators of water quality
Experience working with spreadsheets, statistical software packages, and word processing software
Experience and/or coursework using GPS and/or GIS equipment and software
Physical Requirements
Must be physically able to perform field work associated with monitoring projects. This may include loading/unloading vehicles and boats with field equipment, carrying equipment to sites, launching boats, or portaging canoes. Frequently may need to lift and carry approximately 50 pounds in the water or over land. Capable of moderate physical exertion in summer heat and sun.
Additional Requirements
A driver’s license is an essential function of this position. This requires possession of an unrestricted Class D Driver’s License. The job offer is contingent on confirmation of a valid driver’s license AND a satisfactory DLR check.
Requires a Class D Driver's License: a single unit vehicle with a gross vehicle weight of less than 26,000 pounds. This is a basic driver's license. Operators may also tow vehicles/trailers as long as the gross combination weight does not exceed 26,000 pounds.