Do you know the difference between sedges, rushes, and grasses? Are you guilty of slowing down your hiking group to look at interesting plants? Are you an individual who is curious about diverse ecosystems and enthusiastic to teach others about them too? If so, we want you!

Boulder County Parks and Open Space (BCPOS) Department is seeking to hire 3 Seasonal Plant Ecology Resource Technicians to perform a variety of duties in the areas of ecosystem restoration, management, and volunteer leadership. Habitat improvement, vegetation monitoring, and reclamation of landscapes, including those impacted by flood and fire, are among the primary duties of this position. The responsibilities of this position can vary widely from physically arduous work, such as planting native trees and shrubs using hand tools in uncooperative soils, and hiking miles of rough terrain in adverse weather, to meticulous tasks including data entry, QA/QC, and keying out difficult plant taxa under a dissecting scope.

Boulder County Parks and Open Space is a dynamic workplace that promotes an inclusive and culturally responsive environment for all employees. The Plant Ecology workgroup is based in the Resource Management Division of BCPOS, and regularly works with staff of the Wildlife, Agriculture, Weeds, Forestry, Education & Outreach, and other workgroups to complete department objectives.

This is a seasonal, hourly non-benefited position, with an anticipated start date of mid-April and an end date of early-November 2025. This position will generally work 10-hour days, Monday through Thursday 7:00am - 5:30pm, and occasionally Fridays, Saturdays, or evenings, as needed, to help with volunteer events. This position will work out of the BCPOS administration building located at 5201 St. Vrain Rd., Longmont, Colorado. Under Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) guidelines, this position is non-exempt (eligible for overtime). Hourly employees will begin accruing paid medical leave beginning on their first day of employment. Boulder County employees are paid once per month.

Boulder County requires its employees to reside in the state of Colorado as of the first day of work.

Hiring Salary Range: $24.04 hourly

Tentative Hiring Timeline: 

• First Round Interviews: February 17th

Examples of Duties

• Assists the Plant Ecology staff on restoration projects of ecosystems impacted by natural and human caused disturbances including but not limited to planting, seeding, erosion control installation, watering, and other maintenance
• Quantitative and qualitative vegetation monitoring of native communities including grasslands, shrublands, forests, riparian areas, wetlands, restored areas, and rare plant communities
• Monitoring and control of invasive weeds using integrated weed management techniques including mowing, cutting, pulling, and limited herbicide use
• Assist with leading youth groups and volunteers on work projects
• Vegetation mapping and classification of natural plant communities
• Assisting with management of native seed collection program including an in-house native seed increase program
• Assists with and solely leads episodic (one-time) volunteer work projects
• Detailed data entry and data analysis
• Seed collection, seed cleaning, and design and creation of seed mixes
• Watering of restoration sites and maintenance of irrigation systems
• Maintaining and operating a variety of equipment, including trucks, trailers, water pumps, weed whips, hand tools, and small power tools
• Fence installation and repair
• Performs related work, as required
• May be reassigned during emergency situations

Required Qualifications

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE: 

Boulder County is looking for well qualified candidates to fill our positions. Any combination of relevant education and experience is encouraged. In this position, we are looking for a minimum of two years of course work OR professional experience in natural resources management, plant ecology, range ecology, botany, conservation biology, volunteer coordination, or related field.

DRIVER'S LICENSE: 

• Applicants must have a valid driver's license and a clean driving record
• Access to reliable transportation that is readily available for business use (not on all posts)
• For more information regarding a clean driving record, please click here.

PRE-EMPLOYMENT PHYSICAL: 

• Candidates for this position will be required to successfully complete a pre-employment physical

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Applicants will be required to successfully complete a pre-employment physical where they can demonstrate the ability to carry 50 pounds up to 100 feet (can be done as a two-person lift) and occasionally lift up to 80 pounds from floor to waist.
• Must be available to work occasional evenings and weekends when necessary
• This position is required to wear a uniform, provided

Motor Vehicle Record Driving Requirements:

• Applicants must have a valid Colorado (or state of residency) Driver's License and a good driving record.
• Applicants selected for an interview will be required to provide a current (no older than 30 days) motor vehicle record (MVR) at the time of interview.
• For applicants that hold an Out of state Driver’s License the MVR must also be dated within 30 days of the interview.
• If the issuance date of the Colorado Driver's License is within twelve months, applicant will also be required to provide a current (no older than 30 days) motor vehicle record from the previous state of residency.

Physical Requirements

• Must be able to perform physical outdoor work, including lifting, carrying equipment, digging, hiking, and field sampling over rough terrain
• Ability and willingness to work outside in inclement weather (hot or cold) on rough, uneven terrain

Supplemental Information

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• A bachelor’s degree in natural resources management, plant ecology, range ecology, botany, conservation biology, or related field
• One season of field work in plant identification and vegetation monitoring, ecosystem restoration, volunteer coordination, or any equivalent combination of education and experience
• Cover letter submitted with application

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Familiarity with Colorado ecosystems and native flora
• Ability to identify plant species using a dichotomous key
• Experience managing volunteers is desirable
• Experience building and maintaining fences
• Experience with chainsaws, wood chipper, skid steers, tractors, and other equipment desirable
• Experience driving 4WD vehicles and trailers
• Skills in ArcGIS software, including ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Pro, and Field Maps
• Proficient with Microsoft Office, including Word, Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Experience with data entry and QA/QC
• A strong and proactive work ethic, demonstrating responsibility and sound judgment
• Ability to work both as a part of a team and independently with limited direct supervision
• Remain flexible when priorities change and maintain a positive attitude when work conditions are tedious or difficult

Boulder County is a workplace dedicated to supporting individuals and families of all types and to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and respectful environment for all employees. We prohibit unlawful discrimination against applicants and employees on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.