Native Seed Farm Technician (USFWS, Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge)

The Great Basin Institute, in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife recruiting to fill one (1) Native Seed Farm Technician stationed within the Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge. Under the direction of the USFWS Refuge Manager.

The Farm Technician will be responsible for coordinating all aspects of the native seed farming program at Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge.  This individual should have some project management experience, knowledge of native plant species and their requirements, and a general understanding of plant propagation.  This individual will be the designated liaison with the host site and the greater Nevada Native Seed Partnership and will be responsible for leveraging the partnership network to facilitate the native seed farming program at the refuge.  This project is vital in establishing a native seed source to further conservation efforts across the Great Basin.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Coordinating all aspects of the native seed farming program at Stillwater NWR;
• Serve as the designated liaison with the host site and the Greater Nevada Native Seed Partnership;
• Responsible for leveraging partnership network to facilitate the native seed farming program;
• Have a general understanding of plant propagation and integrated pest management;
• Irrigation and planting/harvesting procedures; and
• Ability to learn and perform farm work through manual labor and use of specialized equipment.

Timeline:

• August 2026 – January 2027, 20 wks, (possibility to extend);
• Full time (40 hours/week); and
• Schedule: M-F, 8 hours daily.

Location:

Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge

Part of the USFWS National Wildlife Refuge System, the Stillwater NWR Complex is composed of three wildlife refuges. Stillwater and Fallon NWRs are located in Churchill County, Nevada, approximately 16 miles northeast and 20 miles to the north, respectively, of Fallon, Nevada. Anaho Island NWR is located within Pyramid Lake, Washoe County, Nevada, approximately 35 miles northeast of Reno, Nevada. Collectively, these refuges serve as critical stopover locations for migratory birds moving along the Pacific flyway.

Compensation and Benefits:

Compensation: $24.50 hourly;

Benefits: 

• Company-paid comprehensive medical, dental (with option to upgrade in coverage), and vision insurance premiums;
• $25,000 Basic Life & AD&D insurance at no cost;
• Sick Leave and holidays; and
• Access to Pro Deals.

Housing: Housing is available on site at the refuge managed by USFWS.

Qualifications:

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in Horticulture or Botany or related discipline, or a combination of relevant education and field experience;
• Enthusiasm about the position, with interest in and knowledge of botany, nursery or farm management, and /or plant propagation;
• Familiarity with native and invasive plants of the Great Basin;
• Proficiency using dichotomous keys, such as the Jepson Manual, to identify vascular plants;
• Experience with ArcGIS applications such as Field Maps;
• High level of proficiency leading field work in dynamic field settings;
• Excellent organizational skills;
• Experience with data entry and QA/QC procedures;
• Meet PLC age requirements and U.S. citizenship requirements;
• Reliable, team-player with strong leadership and communication skills; and
• Possession of a clean, valid, state-issued driver’s license.

Physical Demands:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, use hands, stand, walk, bend, and have specific vision abilities to include close and distance vision, and ability to adjust focus working with computer business equipment and other job/industry specific equipment. The noise level in the work environment is usually low.

This position will be approximately 50% in office and 50% outdoor field based.