Restoration Field Specialist – Seasonal Position

Summary

This is a posting for a seasonal Restoration Field Specialist position for the Tuolumne River Trust, functioning out of TRT’s Sonora office. This position is grant-funded and will include up to 40 hours of work a week from April-September 2025. The person selected for this position will help implement and coordinate restoration projects. Project work is primarily within the Stanislaus National Forest, with some work located on the Lower Tuolumne River. This season we will be hiring two Restoration Field Specialists to support our work.

Information

Working under the guidance and supervision of TRT’s River and Meadow Restoration Project Manager, the Restoration Specialist position will be tasked with assisting staff and overseeing volunteers on designated meadow and riparian restoration projects.  The Restoration Specialist will become well versed in the goals and objectives of the projects they work on in order to help produce the most successful outcome. TRT’s Restoration team will work with Stanislaus National Forest staff to identify and implement key trainings and resources that are needed to have staff and volunteers work safely and effectively, including process-based restoration structure building techniques and tool and field safety protocols.

Working in close partnership with the Stanislaus National Forest, members will participate in restoration efforts in areas impacted by the 257,000- acre 2013 Rim Fire as well as other sites in the National Forest. This will include taking a key role in implementing a variety of meadow restoration projects. Additionally, the Restoration Specialist will support water quality monitoring efforts for a salmon and steelhead habitat restoration project on the Lower Tuolumne River on an as needed basis. 

Duties and Responsibilities


Primary duties include:

  • Assisting with the implementation of meadow restoration tasks that include but are not limited to: installation and maintenance of process-based restoration structures, invasive plant removal, fence building, small conifer removal, native plant revegetation, data collection, and project monitoring.

  • Assisting the Restoration program staff with field work monitoring and data collection, reporting and correspondence, mapping, and other tasks as needed for the planning and implementation of restoration projects.

  • Assisting with water quality monitoring for river restoration work on the lower Tuolumne River.

  • Coordinating and implementing volunteer restoration workdays.

  • Other duties as assigned.

Suggested Qualifications

Strong candidates will have a background and track record that includes:

  • Strong oral and written communication skills, interpersonal skills, and ability to communicate effectively with staff, volunteers, and the public.

  • Relevant field experience in natural resource-related and/or restoration work.

  • Knowledge of forestry, vegetation management, wildfire behavior, watershed stewardship and conservation, resource management, basic hydrology, basic soil science, native plant and animal communities, and/or forest ecology.

  • Some college background in forest ecology, forestry, silviculture, natural resources management, or a closely- related field.

  • Person is team player and able to interact effectively with people from different cultures and experiences, particularly in challenging site conditions over long days and in inclement weather

  • Has basic computer skills, including Word and Excel.

  • Is physically able to perform intensive manual labor in remote field conditions (hiking off-trail through heavy brush and steep terrain, lifting at least 25 pounds, carrying supplies and equipment, using a range of hand tools (for tasks such as digging, cutting, and pounding) for project work), for up to 8 to 10 hours per day.

  • This position will require being able to have a flexible schedule. There will be some weekend work, and some overtime may be required as well as early start times, as project needs come up.

  • Must have a valid California driver’s license

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Experience with hand tools such as crosscut saws, axes, chainsaws, etc.

  • Wilderness first aid and CPR training

  • Experience and comfort driving large field vehicles on rough roads (Forest Service dirt roads and Jeep roads)

  • Field and data mapping familiarity (Avenza, ESRI FieldMaps, and Survey123)

  • Knowledge of and familiarity with process-based restoration principles and design.

Travel

Project locations are typically within 1-3 hours of the Sonora office. Primary mode of transportation to work sites from the office is with TRT’s fleet of work vehicles, but personal vehicle use (with mileage reimbursement provided) may at times be approved.  Proof of a valid California Driver’s license and insurance will be requested at the time of employment.

Additional Details

This position will be based out of our Sonora, CA office and will report to the Restoration Project Manager. As an hourly position, an hourly rate between $22-27/hr will be paid DOE. Overtime will be provided, and sick leave will also be accrued.

TRT is an equal opportunity employer. We believe that a diverse staff of qualified, highly skilled, and creative individuals is necessary to achieve the vision and mission of the initiative. At this point, we hope you're feeling excited about the job description you’re reading. Even if you don't feel that you meet every single requirement, we still encourage you to apply.

To Apply

Please send an email with cover letter and resume as attachments with subject heading “Restoration Field Specialist” to jobs@tuolumne.org. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the two positions are filled with the first application deadline set as March 17th.