The School of Forestry is seeking two field-based hydrologic technician to support a long-term paired watershed experiment and other research in northern California. The technician 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 applicant 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.

Responsibilities Include

70% – Field Research

• Assist with installation, maintenance, troubleshooting, and downloading data from hydrologic sensors that make up continuous datasets.
• 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 conduct field visits in most weather conditions safely.
• 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.

5% – Planning

• Coordinate field work 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% – Purchasing Supplies

• Plan and purchase supplies needed for field operations following NAU purchase card system rules.
• Maintain records and documentation of purchases.

5% – Partnership and Collaboration

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

5% – Other

• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in hydrology, forestry, geology, environmental science, watershed science, soil science, engineering, ecology, or a related field that is conferred upon hire.

*A combination of related education, experience, and training may be used as an equivalent to the above Minimum Qualifications.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in the servicing, calibrating, repairing, and installation of field recording equipment, as well as the ability to repair parts on a variety of complex hydrologic gauges, hydrologic and meteorologic instruments, and other equipment.
• Knowledge of the use of laboratories and related laboratory equipment for the analysis of water and sediment samples and to assist higher-graded technicians, hydrologists, and other personnel.
• Knowledge of mathematics for processing hydrologic and meteorological data; preparing notes requiring standard abbreviations and legends common to hydrology; and keeping appropriate records that document the proper evaluation and interpretation of hydrologic data.
• Experience working in long-term field-based watershed research studies, including paired watershed experiments.
• Experience working with GIS and/or remote sensing data.
• Experience conducting total station surveys.
• Experience working with low voltage electronics and solar powered systems.
• Familiarity with R, Campbell CRBasic, or other similar programming language.
• Demonstrated experience working in a collaborative setting.