Ecologist

Start date: March 23, 2026

position description

The Ecologist position is a dynamic role supporting the coordination, implementation and outreach for native plant and pollinator restoration, research, and education projects. Projects are diverse and include tasks such as habitat and pollinator monitoring, seed scouting and collection, rare plant monitoring, volunteer coordination, and plant propagation and education in correctional facilities and schools. Candidates well suited for the position will have excellent organization and communication skills, experience with ecological monitoring and working with partners (i.e., public and private agencies/organizations, volunteers, students of all ages and backgrounds, and the general public). The Ecologist oversees volunteers (including participants in a new community science program), coordinates and supervises subcontractors, technicians, and volunteers, and supports restoration projects as needed. This is a full-time, regular position that requires occasional overnight camping and non-traditional work hours, sometimes inclusive of weekend and evening hours. Visit https://appliedeco.org/ for more information about the Institute for Applied Ecology.

Specific Responsibilities

Project management (35%)

• Tracks deliverables, project work plans, and budgets with support from supervisor
• Implements project work plans, including field work components and restoration tasks, with support from supervisor
• Support native plant materials research such as germination trials and field experiments (i.e., native hedgerows and cover crops for pollinators, etc. for the Native Crop Toolkit project)
• Lead the Rare Plant Watch community science project working closely with partners
• Support projects such as
  • Native pollinator projects (River for Pollinators, Nokomis Silverspot, Yuma Skipper)
  • Education programs (Pollinator Pathways, jobshiringnearme.org in Prisons, Forest Bound)
  • Southwest Seed Partnership (including the Farmer to Farmer Native Crop Toolkit)

Data collection and management (25%)

• Collect and manage electronic data with ArcGIS products (e.g., Field Maps and Survey123) and troubleshoot issues that arise
• Conduct habitat assessments and pollinator monitoring
• Independently perform data QA/QC and design simple queries to extract data from database
• Create maps and reports of monitoring data

Outreach and Partnership Building (20%)

• Maintain relationships with project partners and volunteers
• Support IAE’s ecological education programs, including providing community science trainings for surveys documenting rare plants in New Mexico, plant propagation, lessons on ecology and greenhouse management (to students ranging from high school students to adults in custody)

Coordination or supervision of others (10%)

• Coordinate and provide technical support to interns and technicians, and subcontractors
• Organize and lead volunteer events and training
• Support native seed farming trainings and workshops, as needed

Writing and editing (5%)

• Contribute to and edit grants, reports, and/or peer-reviewed publications
• Contribute to IAE newsletters and social media posts
• Contribute to and provide feedback on documents, reports, and grant proposals
• Summarize data for partners, adjusting writing style to the anticipated audience

Other duties as assigned (5%)

• Attend internal and external trainings and present at conferences
• Attend community outreach events

Studies have shown that Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), women and other marginalized groups are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every one of the qualifications as described in a job description. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may be one who comes from a less traditional background. If you are interested in applying, we encourage you to think broadly about your background and qualifications for the role. Veterans are encouraged to apply.

Minimum Qualifications

• A minimum of two years of ecological work experience
• A minimum of two years of project management experience
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Strong written and oral communication skills and experience working on a team
• Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Ability to navigate to field sites using tablets or GPS
• Data collection and management using ArcGIS, excel, and/or ESRI products
• Experience identifying plants or pollinators in the field and familiarity with using a dichotomous key
• Ability to work long hours in adverse weather conditions while maintaining attention to the task and safety, including bent-over, kneeling, or standing positions for significant periods. Note: field component of the job is > 30%.
• Ability to work in and respond to adverse field conditions which may include extreme heat and sun exposure, monsoonal rains, flash flooding, lightning, and hazardous wildlife
• Current U.S. driver’s license and acceptable driving record

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience organizing, training, and communicating with volunteers
• Experience with rare plant surveys
• Field experience working in Southwest habitats and familiarity with the flora
• Experience with science education and outreach

View the full job ad here.