Forestry Field Technician

About Gaia AI

Gaia AI is a climate tech company building high-precision forest monitoring tools using advanced sensors and AI, supporting carbon, biodiversity, wildfire risk, and sustainable forest management. More info here

Our work for this project is DoD-funded and conducted in close collaboration with USFS researchers and federal land managers.

About the Role

Gaia AI is hiring a motivated field technician to support a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)-funded research project focused on fuel load monitoring and wildfire risk.

You’ll collect and process field and lab data that feeds directly into next-generation fire modeling workflows, including QUIC-Fire and FastFuels. Training is provided on all methods and equipment.

This role is a great fit for someone who enjoys fieldwork, and who takes pride in producing clean, reliable data. It can be structured as a concentrated seasonal commitment or extended into longer-term or full-time involvement depending on project needs and your availability. We’re flexible.

What You’ll Do

Fieldwork (Georgia + regional travel as needed)

• Collect surface fuel load samples using clip plot methods following established protocols
• Assist with basic forest measurements (tree diameter and height)
• Support plot navigation, setup, and documentation: flagging, labeling, metadata capture
• Operate and assist with deployment of Gaia AI field equipment (training provided)

Qualifications

Required

• Interest in forestry, fuels, ecology, or natural resources – coursework or field experience is a plus, but not required
• Ability to measure DBH and tree height
• Strong attention to detail and ability to manage time independently in a field setting
• Comfortable working outdoors in variable conditions (heat, humidity, uneven terrain) and carrying weight
• Valid drivers license and ability to travel to field sites

Nice to Have

• Familiarity with GPS navigation, plot layouts, and field metadata collection
• Experience with fuels sampling methods (clip plots, surface fuels, vegetation cover estimates)
• Lab experience processing ecological or biomass samples (sorting, drying, weighing)
• Experience collaborating with federal or state land managers or research teams

Location & Schedule

• Field sites predominantly in the GA Athens area. Travel to New Jersey and South Carolina may be required depending on project phase and season. Frequency can range from weekly to bi-weekly, coordinated in advance based on candidate and team availability
• Start. As soon as available. Training and ramp-up can begin earlier depending on your schedule
• Work follows a project-based cadence with concentrated field campaigns and lab processing periods – specific timelines coordinated with the field lead in advance

Compensation

• $35 to $45/hr depending on experience
• Flexible role structure with opportunity to extend into longer-term or full-time work

What We Offer

• Direct contribution to DoD wildfire risk and prescribed fire science
• Hands-on experience connecting field fuels, LiDAR, and fire behavior modeling
• Collaboration with USFS researchers and federal partners
• Training on all project protocols and Gaia AI equipment
• A mission-driven team building practical tools for better forest and fire management