New Mexico Native Seed Collection Crew Technician

About the role

Our Southwest Office is hiring two crews consisting of one Crew Lead and two Crew Technicians each for the 2025 seed collection season in Santa Fe, New Mexico and southeastern, New Mexico (May-November). The work schedule will typically consist of either four 10-hour days, Monday through Thursday–or, rarely, eight 10-hour days Wednesday through the following Wednesday. Field work involves overnight camping for 4-8 day periods. There will be one crew based out of Santa Fe, NM and one crew based out of Carlsbad, NM. The crew will travel to field sites in a provided 4×4 vehicle. Field sites are located throughout Northern and Southeastern New Mexico, primarily on National Park Service (NPS), US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) -administered lands. This is an exciting opportunity to participate in a large collaborative effort supporting the first critical step of acquiring wild plant materials for use in restoration and revegetation projects.

What you’ll do

Specific Responsibilities

• Conduct fieldwork: monitor phenology of target species, collect botanical voucher specimens, assess seed quality and collect native seeds, record site data, document activities, and prepare seed for shipping
• Collaborate closely with IAE Southwest team to meet data/ seed collection targets
• Manage data and ensure quality control

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• A positive attitude with an interest in ecology and botany
• Excellent communication skills and experience working on a team
• Organized and detail-oriented
• Able to conduct frequent bending, kneeling, and standing
• Able to work in a variety of adverse weather conditions, such as strong winds, extreme heat and sun exposure, monsoonal rains, flash flooding, lightning, and hazardous wildlife (i.e. rattlesnakes, scorpions, bears)
• Must have a valid driver’s license (in good standing) and ability to drive a 4WD vehicle on rugged, off-highway gravel or dirt roads
• Ability to lift at least 20 lbs. and hike up to 3 miles per day

Preferred Qualifications

• Plant identification skills and experience using technical keys and collecting plant vouchers
• One or more seasons of field work experience, with preference given to those with skills in seed collection and identifying plants of New Mexico, or the Southwest
• 1+ field seasons performing plant identification and vegetation sampling
• Data management experience; experience with Excel and data QA/QC
• First Aid certification
• Experience using ArcGIS software and GPS mapping applications
• Seed collection experience and/or knowledge of the BLM Seeds of Success (SOS) protocol
• Coursework/trainings in botany and/or degree in botany or related field
• Able to conduct creative problem solving independently