The University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) appreciates your interest in employment at our growing institution. We want your application process to go smoothly and quickly. Final applications must be submitted prior to the close of the recruitment.
If you need assistance or have questions regarding the application process, please contact our recruitment helpline at (775) 784-1495 or jobs@unr.edu. For UNR Med professional job postings, please contact the Office of Professional Recruitment at (775) 784-6778.
Job Description
The University of Nevada, Reno Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Science is recruiting for a full-time Research Technician *** This position does not provide layoff rights and is contingent upon funding. The multi-stakeholder, large-scale Adaptive Management Experiment (AMEX) is conducted over a massive spatial and temporal extent. The Research Technician oversees data management from a series of research forests spanning the north-south length of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, from LaTour Demonstration State Forest east of Redding, CA to Mountain Home Demonstration State Forest east of Fresno, CA. Totaling hundreds of study plots and multiple nested experiments, the AMEX project generates a vast quantity of data on an annual basis. The Research Technician is in charge of making sure that all this data is accurate and compiled in a way that is easily accessible to other researchers and collaborators. In order for research papers and analysis to be conducted efficiently, large quantities of raw data must be well curated. In addition to heading up the data wrangling effort, the Research Technician spends a significant portion of their time helping with general Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data management and creation, and map-making efforts as needed.
The Research Technician also fulfills a supporting role for their fellow crew coordinator. Especially during the spring and early summer months, the AMEX project sees an uptick in fieldwork demand. When these busy times arise, the Research Technician is tasked with direct fieldwork participation, as well as broader field crew management and training. Depending on the year and project status, field data collection efforts require anywhere from 4-12+ individuals (field technicians and field crew leads) spread across the research forests in teams usually consisting of 2-3 persons. The Research Technician will aid in logistics and personnel management. In addition to helping train crew members on sampling protocols, the Research Technician conducts field sampling quality control, and aids in communication between the crew coordinator, crew members, and project supervisors. Often, this work entails directing crew site placement, delegating crew tasks, and ensuring environmental/occupational safety
Required Qualifications
- This position requires a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in biological, soil or crop science or closely related field; OR
- High school graduation and two (2) years of experience related to the assigned research area in which the applicant performed duties equivalent to preparing experimental field plots, preparing feed rations according to research criteria and collecting and/or recording simple field data; OR
- An equivalent combination of education and experience as described above
This position requires working in inclement weather and the ability to work in remote locations for extended periods of time.
Preferred Qualifications
Candidates with a Master’s degree with at least 2 years of experience in fieldwork, crew management, and/or data management are encouraged to apply.
Schedule
This position requires working a variable schedule; this is subject to change based on organizational needs. Travel within assigned locations is required.
Compensation Grade
Grade 28
In classified service, salary is in Grade and Step. The Step is determined based on the Nevada Administrative Code. Salary placement above a Step 01 at initial appointment is determined based on the recruitment, the candidate’s qualifications, internal equity and budgets. A request to accelerate salary must be approved by Human Resources and abide by the Nevada Administrative Code.
To view the classified compensation schedules, please visit: Classified Compensation. Select Salary Schedule, CBA/PP01A or PP02A
For more information, visit the Classified Salary Calculator
The Perks of PERS!
Employees are enrolled in The Public Employees’ Retirement System of Nevada (PERS) upon hire. For information on contribution rates, please visit: NV PERS Contribution Rates
“I’m so thankful that I followed the path that lead me to a PERS retirement. I was able to retire at age 60 with a paycheck close to my full salary. I watched the solid performance of PERS funds for 25 years. Even in times of a poor economy, PERS kept it together! I’m completely secure and confident that my retirement will always be there for me.” – Robin F.
- Rich retirement plan – Retirement Calculator
Perks of Working at UNR!
- Health insurance options including dental and vision – Health Insurance
- Life insurance, generous annual and sick leave – Classified Benefits
- E. L. Wiegand Fitness Center offers annual or semester memberships and spouse/domestic partner membership options. E.L. Wiegand Fitness Center
- Mountain EAP supports employees (and eligible dependents) through life’s difficult moments. Mountain EAP is located in Reno and specializes in counseling and advising services for personal or interpersonal issues.
- Staff Employees’ Council (SEC) represents all Classified employees. SEC holds monthly meetings to provide a forum for employees to participate. SEC
Grants-in-aid for Classified Employees
The University encourages employees to pursue training and educational opportunities available to them through the Nevada System of Higher Education institutions. Tuition is paid in full when Classified employees enroll in a course that can apply toward the completion of a degree or is job-related. Classified Staff Grants-In-Aid Benefit
Classified Employee Family Opportunity Program
The University offers this program for spouses, domestic partners, and dependents of Classified employees (working at least 50%). The Classified Employee Family Opportunity Program may be used for undergraduate and graduate state-supported courses. Classified Employee Family Opportunity Program
Department Information
NRES is a multi-disciplinary department offering programs in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Environmental Science, Forest Management and Ecology, and Ecohydrology. The Department currently has 21 full-time faculty. Departmental faculty are engaged in basic and applied interdisciplinary research programs that address local, national, and international issues, and collaborate with a broad spectrum of agency and community partners. Faculty are committed to high quality education programs that prepare students for natural resource careers or graduate school. NRES has experienced recent increases in undergraduate enrollment (70% increase from 2012-2016 >450 undergraduates). In addition to its departmental MS and PhD graduate programs, NRES faculty participate in three interdisciplinary graduate programs and support an average of 35 MS and 25 PhD students per academic year. NRES receives an average $3 million in research awards per year. There are multiple field sites in the Sierra Nevada and Great Basin that are ideal for research and teaching, including UNR’s Whittell Forest, UC Berkeley’s Sagehen Creek Field Station and the Porter Canyon Experimental Watershed, among other locations. For more information, please visit the following site: https://www.unr.edu/nres
ExemptNo
Full-Time Equivalent100.0%
Required Attachment(s)
Please note, once you submit your application the only attachment/s viewable to you will be the attachment/s to the resume/CV section of the application. Any additional required attachment/s to the cover letter, references, additional documents sections of the application, will not be viewable to you after you submit your application. All uploaded attachment/s will be on the application for the committee to review. To request updates to attachments, prior to the committee review of applications, please contact the candidate helpdesk at jobs@unr.edu.
Attach the following attachment(s) to your application
Resume/CV – (required) List a detailed description of the major duties that you performed as part of each job. You must demonstrate that you qualify for the position and your education and experience must be clearly documented.
Cover Letter – (optional)
Contact Information for Three Supervisory References – (required) Please make a note if you do not want your present employer contacted unless necessary to determine your qualifications for the position.
Transcripts – (optional) If you have not graduated, please attach your transcripts to receive education credit for classes you have taken. Credit is given for classes relevant to the position.
Veteran Interview Consideration – (optional) – To receive interview consideration for veterans and veterans with a service-connected disability, proof is required at the time of application. Please attach proof electronically to your application under the Veteran Document(s) section. (Examples of acceptable documents include DD-214, disability letter from Veteran’s Administration, etc).
This posting is open until filled
Qualified individuals are encouraged to apply immediately. Lists of eligible candidates will be established and hiring may occur early in the recruiting process. Recruitment will close without notice when a sufficient number of applications are received or a hiring decision has been made.
Posting Close Date
Note to Applicant
A background check will be conducted on the candidate(s) selected for hire.
HR will attempt to verify academic credentials upon receipt of hiring documents. If the academic credentials cannot be verified, HR will notify the faculty member that an official transcript of their highest degree must be submitted within thirty days of the faculty member’s first day of employment.
References will be contacted at the appropriate phase of the recruitment process.
Applicants hired on a federal contract may be subject to E-Verify.
As part of the hiring process, applicants for positions in the Nevada System of Higher Education may be required to demonstrate the ability to perform job-related tasks.
For positions that require driving, evidence of a valid driver’s license will be required at the time of employment and as a condition of continued employment.
Schedules are subject to change based on organizational needs.
The University of Nevada, Reno is committed to providing a place of work and learning free of discrimination on the basis of a person’s age (40 or older), disability, whether actual or perceived by others (including service-connected disabilities), gender (including pregnancy related conditions), military status or military obligations, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, race (including hair texture and protected hairstyles such as natural hairstyles, afros, bantu knots, curls, braids, locks and twists), color, or religion (protected classes).
About Us
The University of Nevada, Reno is a leading public research university committed to the promise of a future powered by knowledge. Founded in 1874 as Nevada’s original land-grant university, the University serves more than 23,000 undergraduate and graduate students from all 50 states and 63 countries.
Classified by the Carnegie® Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as an R1 (“Very High Research”) university, it is also recognized in the Carnegie® Community Engagement classification. The University is also ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the “Best National Universities” and “Best National Public Universities.” It also ranks in the top tier of the WSJ/Times Higher Education World University Rankings and the New York Times’ “Top Colleges for Economic Diversity.”
Since 2009, nearly $1 billion has been has invested in advanced labs, facilities, and residence halls on the main campus. The University is home to Nevada’s first medical school – the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine and the Wayne L. Prim Campus at Lake Tahoe, where education, research, and creative work thrive in a stunning mountain setting. The University delivers on its original land-grant mission with outreach across the state through the University of Nevada, Reno Extension, Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station, Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, Nevada Small Business Development Center, the Nevada Seismological Laboratory, and Wolf Pack Athletics.
The main campus is in Reno, Nevada, a burgeoning global technology hub with a vibrant midtown and downtown. Found where the high desert of the Great Basin meets the High Sierra and Lake Tahoe, the beautiful, 290-acre main campus is also a Nevada State Arboretum. The University’s physical infrastructure is expanding with ongoing construction of the newly named John Tullock Business Building, set to open in fall 2025. Groundbreaking is also planned for a new State Public Health Laboratory Building on campus, alongside the recent acquisition of 16 parcels near campus, known as “University Village,” to provide affordable housing for graduate students and early career faculty.
Collaborating with world-renowned organizations, the University fosters innovation through initiatives such as the Digital Wolf Pack partnership with Apple, which ensures equitable access to technology for students, providing new incoming freshman or transfer students with an iPad Air and accessories. Google’s TechWise initiate is an 18-month program that fully supports undergraduate students in becoming entry-level software engineers by graduation.
In 2023, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) announced that Nevada – led by the University of Nevada, Reno – was named one of the inaugural 31 Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs (TechHubs). Nevada was selected from a competitive pool of 489 applicants from across the United States and its territories. Nevada’s Tech Hub will strengthen America’s lithium batteries, critical elements and other electric vehicle materials industry sectors within the state.
Through its commitment to high-impact education, world-improving research and creative activity, and outreach that’s transforming Nevada’s communities and businesses, the University continues its 150-year tradition of benefitting our state, nation and world.
The University recognizes that diversity promotes excellence in education and research. The inclusive and engaged community on campus recognizes the added value that students, faculty, and staff from different backgrounds bring to the educational experience.
Today, the University delivers on its original land-grant mission of access to education and knowledge by investing in the academics, facilities, support, engagement and vibrant campus life that promote our diverse students’ cognitive growth and academic achievement – all while remaining one of the best values in American higher education.
For more information, please visit the University’s website.
