SERG is a non-profit organization under the umbrella of the San Diego State University Research Foundation and is committed to restoring and preserving California’s sensitive vegetation communities for the benefit of the environment and the preservation of the ecosystem services they offer. 

PURPOSE OF THE POSITION

Under the direction of the Principal Investigator, incumbents provide considerable independent input into the planning and execution of a program/project objectives. Assignments are of a high level of responsibility and require specialized skills, but the incumbent is not the Program Coordinator.

The Program Specialist will plan, implement, and report on projects for habitat restoration, rare plant surveys, and other botany-related projects on San Clemente Island, a Naval installation on the southern-most of California’s Channel Island. The Program Specialist will take general direction from the Senior Director and will communicate directly to US Navy Biologists, as well as coordinate with scientists from other natural resource programs on the island. The Program Specialist will oversee Project Managers, Crew Leads, and Technicians. This position requires arduous manual labor, working outdoors in all weather, heavy lifting and carrying, hiking on rugged terrain, as well as significant time spent on office tasks. This is a full-time, salary position with full benefits. Some weekend work will be required.

Housing is provided while working on San Clemente Island. The work schedule will be 10 days working on-island and 4-day weekends off-island. Housing is not provided during the 4-day weekends off-island. Transportation to and from the island is provided from the San Diego area by means of a twin engine 19-seater plane. Relocation benefits will not be offered.

All work will be conducted on San Clemente Island, which is owned and operated by the U.S. Navy as an active training site, as part of the Navy’s Natural Resources Program. San Clemente Island has a particularly unique flora, hosting 2 federally listed plants, 15 plants that are known from nowhere else in the world, and an additional 48 plants that are only known from the Channel Islands as a whole. The natural resources program also supports an extensive community of biologists and researchers. The Program Specialist lives as part of a small and remote community, and needs to be able to maintain a professional, positive attitude at all times.

The Program Specialist is responsible for, but not limited to:

Project Research 70%

• Use principles of adaptive management to prioritize project tasks appropriately
• Adhere to project schedules utilizing a biologically-relevant timeframe as outlined in annual work plans
• Respond to data requests from various stakeholders in a timely manner
• Develops technical reports, proposals, and research protocols
• Build and manage geodatabases and protocols for data entry, data collection, and other project related tasks
• Coordinate access to locations between SERG and other users, including military, federal, state, and private employees
• Identify future project sites in ongoing agreements
• Coordinate maintenance and acquisition for vehicles, field equipment, greenhouse and nursery areas, as well as computers, GPS units, and other office equipment
• Purchase and coordinate shipment of equipment and supplies
• Manage multiple project budgets and allocate purchases
• Foster healthy team environment
• Ensure safety of all team members, including compliance with OSHA and Navy practices associated with work on an active Naval base
• Updates job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities; reading professional publications; maintaining personal networks; participating in professional organizations.
• Analyze and presents scientific data
• collaborates with team to make recommendations for processing/analysis/interpretation of data based on up-to-date literature
• Participate in new grant acquisition including searching for grants, determining qualifications, meetings with potential partners/stakeholders, communicating with grant administrators, and other processes as required
• New agreement implementation including budgeting, meeting with stakeholders, and developing documents such as the Scope of Work, Work Plan, Safety Plan, protocols, and trainings
• Attend project kickoff meetings, site visits, and other field-related events

Field Work 25%

• Monitor rare plant populations
• Monitor vegetation cover
• Install, maintain, and monitor native species out-plantings
• Remove/control non-native plant species manually, mechanically, and chemically
• Collect native plant propagules
• Propagate native plants
• Other botany-related tasks as necessary

Other Duties and Responsibilities as assigned 5%

MINIMUM EDUCATION

• Equivalent to a master’s degree in appropriate field related to program/project.

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE

• Six (6) years of experience at a *Program Specialist II level, two (2) years of which were in a position with high level of responsibility and requiring specialized skills

Knowledge and Abilities

General

• Ability to interact effectively with co-workers and clients
• Ability to understand and follow posted work rules and procedures
• Ability to relate well to others within the project environment
• Ability to display motivation and strong interpersonal skills
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing
• Ability to display organization, meet deadlines, display detail orientation, possess good judgment and common sense
• Ability to demonstrate a high level of cross-cultural sensitivity
• Valid driver’s license, good driving record, ability to drive 4-wheel-drive vehicles as well as train others to drive off-road safely
• Ability to pass a background check to obtain clearance for military base access
• Ability to repeatedly lift loads of up to 45 lbs. throughout the workday and to safely navigate and work off-trail on steep, rocky, cactus-covered terrain
• Safety-minded

 Field

• Rare plant survey experience
• Proficient at using different vegetation monitoring protocols used in California
• Experience with installation and maintenance of restoration outplantings
• Experience managing invasive plant species
• Experience with, and willingness to, apply herbicide in compliance with DPR regulations and safety practices
• Skilled in plant identification
• Knowledge of Southern California flora, especially coastal sage scrub, chaparral, canyon woodland, riparian, and dune ecosystems
• Experience safely operating and maintaining mechanical equipment, hand tools, herbicide application equipment
• Valid California Qualified Applicator Certificate or ability to become certified within 6 months of hiring

 Office and Management

• Excellent writing skills with experience writing scientific progress reports
• Demonstrated organizational skills to manage multiple, concurrent, high-priority project tasks
• Excellent data management skills to create, maintain, and improve on established databases 
• Microsoft Suite experience or ability to learn and become proficient, specifically with Excel, Word, PowerPoint and OneDrive
• Proficient in Google Drive workspace, specifically with Gmail, Calendar, Sheets, Docs, and Slides
• Proficient in the use of Zoom or Google Calendar to schedule and host video meetings

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS AND SPECIAL SKILLS

• Equivalent to a Master’s degree in Botany or Ecology
• Endangered plant survey experience
• Experience with the grant funding application process
• Be an active Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner (CERP) or Certified Practitioner-in-Training (CERPIT) through Society for Ecological Restoration (SER)
• Hold a Botanist Certification through California Native Plant Society (CNPS)

ADDITIONAL APPLICANT INFORMATION

• Candidate must reside in California and live within a commutable distance from SDSU at time of hire.
• Job offer is contingent upon satisfactory clearance based on background check results (including a criminal record check).
• San Diego State University Research Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. Consistent with California law and federal civil rights laws, SDSU Research Foundation provides equal opportunity in employment without unlawful discrimination or preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin or any other categories protected by federal or state law.  
• Employment decisions are based on an individual’s qualifications as they relate to the job under consideration. Our commitment to equal opportunity means ensuring that every employee has equal access to resources and support. 
• SDSU Research Foundation complies with Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the California Equity in Higher Education Act, California’s Proposition 209 (Art. I, Section 31 of the California Constitution), and other applicable state and federal anti-discrimination laws including grant or contract terms and conditions related to funded program activities. Further the SDSU Research Foundation maintains a Nondiscrimination Policy that prohibits discriminatory preferential treatment, segregation based on race or any other protected status, and all forms of unlawful discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in all programs, policies, and practices.  
• SDSU Research Foundation makes all employment decisions including, but not limited to, applicant screening, hiring, promotion, demotion, compensation, benefits, disciplinary actions, and terminations on the basis of merit.