Sul Ross State University Hiring for Black Bear Technician – degree required at Alpine Full Time

Black Bear Technician – degree required

Location:

Alpine

Department:

Borderlands Research Institute

Posting Date:

12/15/2023

Until Filled:

Yes

Appointment Date:

03/16/2024

Salary:

$15/hour up to 40 hours per week

Required:

* Bachelor’s degree in wildlife ecology, biology, ecology, or closely related field.* Possess a valid U.S. driver’s license and the ability to safely drive a 4WD vehicle through rugged conditions.* Ability to lift and carry over 50 pounds and hike over rocky, steep, and rough terrain in remote locations.* Demonstrated ability to communicate well with coworkers, supervisor, state personnel, and private landowners.* Must be willing to live and operate in remote desert locations with little access to certain amenities.* Experience with chemical immobilization.

Preferred:

* Prior experience capturing and collaring bears, or other large mammals
* Familiarity with safety in hot/arid climates with venomous snakes and spiney/spikey vegetation
* Prior experience working independently

Staffing Reason:

Institutional

Primary Responsibilities:

A technician is needed to support the black bear research project in the borderlands region in southwest Texas. After a 30+ year absence, black bears are starting to recolonize this area, and the population has expanded through natural dispersal from adjacent areas in Mexico. Researchers with Borderlands Research Institute at Sul Ross State University, in collaboration with Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Customs and Border Protection, and US Fish and Wildlife Service have initiated a multi-year study aimed to gather data on the ecology of black bears along the borderlands region of southwestern Texas and northern Mexico.

Technician will work under the direction of the project graduate students and supervisory researchers. Main duties will be setting and baiting culvert traps to catch black bears and assisting graduate students with collaring and monitoring anesthetized bears during capture events. Other field efforts will include deploying/maintaining trail cameras, processing fecal samples and data entry/organization.

Position will start on March 16, 2024 and will last for 9 months. There is some flexibility in start date, as bear emergence dates vary. The position may require long/early days and weekend work. Applicants are expected to be self-motivated, work well independently and in a team, and be able to follow instructions. Applicants are expected to be able to effectively navigate rough terrain both on foot and by vehicle (UTV & 4×4 truck).

* Start date: March 16, 2024* End date: December 15, 2024* Pay: $15/hr, up to 40 hr/week, with fringe* For more information, contact Caitlin Camp, [email protected]
Housing will not be provided; the technician will need to arrange their own housing in/within 50 miles of Del Rio, Texas. During the trapping season, housing will be provided in the form of a shared bunkhouse and/or rented space.

Other Information:

An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer

It is the policy of Sul Ross State University to provide equal employment opportunity for all persons in accordance with their individual, job related qualifications and without consideration of race, creed, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status and ancestry. Equal employment opportunities shall be afforded in all personnel actions or decisions including, but not necessarily limited to, recruitment, hiring, training, upgrading, promotion, demotion, termination and salary. Retaliation is prohibited against a person who opposes a discriminatory practice, files a charge, testifies, assists or participates in an investigative proceeding or hearing.

Notice of Availability of the Annual Security & Fire Safety Report

The Annual Security & Fire Safety Report is available online at https://srinfo.sulross.edu/udps/The report contains information regarding campus safety and security including topics such as: campus law enforcement authority; crime reporting policies; campus alerts (Timely Warnings and Emergency Notifications); fire safety policies and procedures; programs to prevent dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking; the procedures the University will follow when one of these crimes is reported; and other matters of importance related to security on campus. The report also contains information about crime statistics for the three most recent calendar years concerning reported crimes that occurred on campus; in On-Campus Student Housing Facilities; in Non-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by the University or a recognized student organization; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus. The report also contains fire statistics for any fires occurring in an On-Campus Student Housing Facility during the three most recent calendar years.

A paper copy of the report will be provided upon request. If you would like to receive a paper copy, you can contact the Office of Student Life, located on the Alpine Campus in the Morgan University Center, Room 211 or you can request that a copy be mailed to you by calling 432-837-8424 or emailing [email protected]

About SRSU:

Sul Ross State University Alpine Campus is in the Scenic Davis Mountains of West Texas, is a member of the Texas State University System, is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award Associate, Bachelor’s, and Master’s degrees, and has an enrollment of approximately 2,000 students of campus in Alpine, Texas. At an elevation of 4,480 feet, and on the periphery of the Chihuahuan Desert, Alpine enjoys mild winters and cool summers. Davis Mountains State Park, Fort Davis National Historic Site, Big Bend National Park, and Guadalupe Mountains National Park are all within one to three hours driving distance from Alpine.

The SRSU campuses in Del Rio, Eagle Pass, and Uvalde comprise Rio Grande College. RGC offers upper-level courses leading to bachelor’s degrees as well as master’s degree programs and works closely with its partner institution, Southwest Texas Junior College, to provide a seamless transition to RGC for their students. All RGC students hold an Associate degree from an accredited institution or they have completed 42 semester credit hours of transferrable work.

More information is available regarding Sul Ross State University and position openings See http://www.sulross.edu our website.

Is Background Check Required?:

Yes