Summer Field Technicians
We are looking for qualified applicants to fill multiple technician positions, May through September 2023!
Salary: $15-17/hour based on experience (UMN Work-Study students encouraged to apply)
Dates: Mostly late-May to early-September.
Location: Location will be project specific. See project descriptions for exact locations and housing. Some positions are based in the Twin Cities metro while others are based in rural Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Cars for travel to field sites will be provided.
Responsibilities: Responsibilities are project dependent. Technicians will conduct field work such as: observe and collect wild bees via nets, emergence traps and/or pan traps, and nest searching; conduct native plant surveys; collect nectar samples; and process, pin, and label bee and plant specimens collected during the 2023 field season. Technicians will also enter and check data. This work requires attention to detail and an eagerness to learn. Both independent and group work is required.
Required Qualifications:
- Valid US driver’s license and legally able to work in the US.
- Experience with insect and plant identification, or relevant coursework.
- Effective communication skills with supervisors and small teams.
- Dependability, punctuality, and ability to complete high quality work during sometimes tedious tasks.
- Ability to work outside all day, in conditions that might include heat, humidity, stinging/ biting insects, and noxious plants (we are open to discussing accommodations to make this work accessible).
- Experience entering data or equivalent tasks where attention to detail and a commitment to accuracy is required.
- Flexibility and adaptability.
- Commitment to safety.
- Commitment to being a respectful team member.
Preferred Qualifications (see additional preferred experience under Project descriptions below):
- Understanding of basic bee biology with experience handling, collecting, or identifying native bees.
- Prior experience identifying tallgrass prairie species or other botany experience.
- Previous fieldwork experience (For Land Management & Multi-Taxa Response Projects, previous experience camping long term or living at a field station).
Projects Hiring
- Wild Bumble Bee Nest Monitoring. One full-time technician will be hired to assist a MS student detect wild bumble bee nests and monitor nest activity, survival, and reproductive success in prairie, forest, and edge habitats in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Field work will take place locally (30-60 minute drive) around the Twin Cities. A typical work week will involve 4 days of fieldwork and 1 day in the bee lab for data entry. No housing provided. Contact Chan Dolan [email protected] with questions.
- Pollinator Land Management & Multi-Taxa Response Projects. Multiple technicians will conduct native bee sampling and plant surveys at field sites across Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Extensive overnight travel and camping required. A typical work week would potentially include 4 or 5 days camping (or occasionally staying at field stations/hotels/motels/airbnbs) in rural MN/ND/SD with the possibility of one day working at the bee lab in Saint Paul, MN. Travel and housing accommodations will be paid for by the project for days spent outside the Twin Cities, but not when in Saint Paul. Contact Will Bjorndal at [email protected] with questions.
The Cariveau lab is also tentatively hiring technicians for the following projects based on availability of funding. Applicants with interest in these projects are encouraged to apply to the positions listed above as well.
- Prairie Restoration/Seed Mix Design examines establishment of pollinator friendly seed-mixes for bees. Technicians will collect data on plant native tallgrass prairie plant establishment, nectar volume and sugar content, and sampling wild bees. Prior experience with identifying tallgrass prairie species greatly preferred. Full-time position. Fieldwork takes place at a field site near Rosemount, MN. Plots at the field site are divided by mowed paths, bathrooms and air-conditioned spaces are close by. Location: Twin Cities metro area. No housing provided. Contact Will Bjorndal at [email protected] with questions.
- Bumble Bee Occupancy Project studies habitat associations of the endangered Rusty-patched Bumble Bee and other bumble bee species within the Great Lakes watershed. The technician will assist with rapid surveys of habitats across a rural to urban gradient. Sites will be sampled multiple times to collect data to calculate detection probabilities for use in occupancy modeling. Full-time position. Location: Eastern Wisconsin. Travel and housing accommodations will be paid for by the project for days spent outside the Twin Cities, but not when in Saint Paul. Contact Will Bjorndal at [email protected] with questions.
How to apply:
Visit our application page to submit your resume, cover letter, and references. Applications are due by midnight CST February 8, 2023. You may reach out to Will Bjorndal at [email protected] with any general questions or concerns, and any of the individuals listed under each project for specific project questions.
Safety and COVID19:
The Bee Lab follows University of Minnesota policies and Minnesota Department of Health and CDC guidelines regarding Covid-19 safety. Please reach out if you have questions about our safety practices. We may need to adapt our field season plans as these policies and guidelines change due to the pandemic.
Equity and Diversity:
The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
We do not have a postdoctoral research position open at this time. However, those interested please feel free to contact Dan with ideas and potential funding opportunities.