Application deadline: January 31, 2025
We are looking for seasonal field technicians to be a part of our grizzly bear or caribou teams. You can apply for either or both; the qualifications and employment details are the same.
Grizzly Bear Monitoring Project Field Technician
The main aim of the Grizzly Bear Monitoring Project team is to collect grizzly bear hair samples using non-invasive collection methods and observe sampling sites with the use of trail cameras to monitor grizzly bear populations in Alberta.
Job Description
- Working in 2-person teams, the field technicians will travel by road to pre-selected sites, hike up to 3 km into identified locations carrying field equipment, and set up hair collection stations and trail cameras.
- Sites are distributed over large areas, meaning this position requires long hours of driving on forestry and gravel roads.
- Established sites will be visited every ten to fourteen days to collect hair samples and trail camera data.
- The day-to-day tasks of this role will involve driving 4-wheel drive trucks on gravel roads, reading maps and GPS locations, using radios and other communication devices, hiking through dense vegetation and uneven terrain, establishing sampling sites, handling barbed wire and bear attractants, identifying vegetation species, and accurately collecting biological samples and ecological data. Applicants must be comfortable handling bear attractants and bait (cow blood mixtures and other attractants).
- Less frequent tasks may involve assisting with habitat plot monitoring and retrieving monitoring equipment deployed in previous years.
- Other additional duties may involve fieldwork prep, data entry, working with various software programs for data management, and field equipment maintenance.
- Fieldwork will be staged out of various locations in the foothills area between Highway 11 north to Highway 43 / 97.
Caribou Program Field Technician
The fRI Research Caribou Program was created in 2013 to conduct and coordinate research on caribou in Alberta. The goal of the program is to provide land and resource managers with knowledge and planning tools through applied research to support Alberta’s caribou recovery efforts and ensure their long-term persistence.
The field technicians will contribute to a variety of field projects over the summer which may include but are not limited to:
- a project investigating the impact of forestry practices on moose
- a project investigating the success of linear feature restoration
- a project assessing linear feature regeneration with respect to wildlife use and habitat quality, 10 years after the initial assessment
Fieldwork may be staged out of Hinton, Alberta, but will primarily be staged out of remote field camps to survey west-central and north-western Alberta caribou ranges. ATVs will only be used on occasion. The work is physically strenuous.
Job Description
The technicians will perform a combination of office work and fieldwork. Working in 2-person teams, the field technicians will:
- travel by road and hike up to 3 km (one-way) into identified locations carrying field equipment and trail cameras
- maintain and take down existing remote sensing wildlife camera sites
- assess wildlife habitat by classifying forest stand characteristics, identifying vegetation species, and recording wildlife sign on linear features in caribou habitat
- classify wildlife photos, data entry, and use with various software programs (R, ArcGIS, Microsoft Access, Excel) for data management
- complete additional duties such as field camp and field equipment maintenance
Depending on experience, the technician may also be involved in organizational and logistical tasks, will be a point of contact between supervisors and the field team, and will take on a leadership role in field settings.
Qualifications
- Valid Class 5 driver’s licence with a minimum of 3-years driving experience
- Physically fit and able to hike long distances with a heavy backpack and equipment in difficult terrain
- Comfortable and able to work long hours in all weather conditions, dealing with potential wildlife encounters and insects
- Comfortable living in close quarters with other technicians and staff for the duration of the field season (regularly 2-4 people but occasionally 6 people per trailer, shared bedrooms/cabins, etc.)
- Valid First Aid/CPR Certificate
- Canadian citizen, permanent resident or currently in possession of a valid work permit for the duration of the contract
- Previous field experience, 4-wheel driving experience, and/or experience driving and using trailers/RVs will be considered an asset
Employment Details
Duration: April 28, 2025 to August 31, 2025
Candidates must be available to start on April 28, end dates may be amended to accommodate student schedules. A limited number of extensions (up to the end of September or October) may be possible depending on project workloads and candidate availability.
Location: Training and shift start/end will generally take place at fRI Research offices in Hinton, Alberta. Fieldwork will be staged out of various locations in Alberta.
Wage: $22.00 – $26.00 per hour, depending on skills and experience.
Fieldwork Schedule: 9 days on, 5 days off, 7 – 12 hours per day with approximately 75 – 88 hours per bi-weekly pay period depending on work requirements. The training and office schedule is based on 75 hours per bi-weekly pay period, Monday to Friday with 2 days off.
General conditions:
- Safety training and field methods training will be provided before field shifts begin in Hinton, AB.
- Accommodation will be provided during training and office work.
- During the fieldwork, food, transportation, and accommodation will be provided.
- Accommodation will be mostly in holiday trailers at serviced or unserviced campgrounds, but may also include camps, cabins, or tents at serviced and unserviced campgrounds.
- Accommodation during days off will be provided upon request.
Application Instructions
Please follow the link below to our application form. Please fill out and submit the application form hosted by JotForms and upload your resume. You will have the opportunity to apply for either or both positions within the form.
Application deadline: January 31, 2025
While we appreciate the interest of all candidates for this position, only candidates that are invited to interview will be contacted.
Contact
If you have any questions regarding this job posting, please email:
Leonie Brown or the Caribou Program Field Technician
Cam McClelland for the Grizzly Bear Monitoring Project Field Technician
Risa Croken for general questions
fRI Research is committed to a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace. We encourage applications from persons who may have been marginalized in the past including Indigenous Peoples, visible minorities, women, persons with disabilities, sexual and gender minorities, and newcomers of Canada.
