Location: Athens,GA, USA
Position Information
Classification Title Agriculture/Forestry Technical/Paraprofessional/Professional FLSA Non-Exempt FTE 1.00 Minimum Qualifications
Requires technical knowledge in the field acquired through an apprenticeship, a 2-year degree, or professional certificate. Please contact your Human Resources office for an evaluation of education/experience in lieu of the required minimum qualifications.
Preferred Qualifications Position Summary
The Georgia Native Seed Network (GNSN) is a new initiative by the State Botanical Garden of Georgia and its partners to address the inadequate supply of Georgia ecotype plant materials. The program will focus on producing local ecotype seeds for regions throughout Georgia where there is significant demand from numerous fully funded ongoing habitat conservation and restoration projects. These plant materials will primarily be cached for post-wildfire restoration actions by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Still, they will also be used for restoration throughout the state. This involves identifying and collecting seeds, vouchering and assessing the genetics of populations of restoration species, establishing production sites, and managing an inventory of plant material for the state. The Georgia Native Seed Network aims to develop regional standards, protocols, and best practices for seed increase, collection, and storage. The State Botanical Garden of Georgia will manage the network.
This is a grant funded position with secured funding for two years. While the continuation of funding and employment is anticipated, it is not guaranteed.
This position will serve as technical expert in plant identification and plant community classification. Coordinate seed collecting efforts in Georgia and neighboring states for source-identified plant materials increase and seed banking. Utilize iNaturalist, partner recommendations, plant community data, field experience to find and identify target plant species in natural areas. Ground truth observations in situ, assess species identification and status of populations (determine and document if occurrence is sizeable for seed collecting). Coordinate permits, permissions, species priority needs among partners (including Forest Service, Fish & Wildlife Service, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Southeastern Grasslands Institute, Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance members), site scouting, habitat quality evaluation. Coordinate seed collecting assessments, seed collecting, initial processing for short term storage, paper work, data entry, labeling, databasing, vouchers, shipping to Bend Oregon or to other seed storage partners.
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and/or Competencies
* Acts with Integrity
* Serves Others
* Communication
* Learning
* Makes Sound Decisions
* Experience with plant taxonomy, dichotomous keys, herbarium specimens, field and lab plant identification techniques.
* Basic knowledge of SERNEC, Biotics, NatureServe, SOS, database and resources.
* Detail oriented. Tracking of plant material source population essential for all collections.
* Skills in Microsoft systems including teams, excel, and word, ArcGis, Survey123.
* Experience teaching and coordinating volunteers, students, and colleagues.
* Good communication skills, the ability to manage projects and timelines to complete task as efficiently as possible.
* The ability to collect specimens for plant identification, vouchering collections, assuring plant identifications to species and sometimes to variety or sub species when appropriate.
* Careful processing of seeds from collection to temporary storage.
* Careful documentation of seed source populations and of key partners per collection essential.
Physical Demands
Walking and hiking in fields to collect seeds and able to lift up to 50lbs.
Is driving a responsibility of this position? Yes Is this a Position of Trust? Yes Does this position have operation, access, or control of financial resources? No Does this position require a P-Card? No Is having a P-Card an essential function of this position? No Does this position have direct interaction or care of children under the age of 18 or direct patient care? No Does this position have Security Access (e.g., public safety, IT security, personnel records, patient records, or access to chemicals and medications) Yes Credit and P-Card policy
Be advised a credit check will be required for all positions with financial responsibilities. For additional information about the credit check criteria, visit the UGA Credit Background Check website.
Background Investigation Policy
Offers of employment are contingent upon completion of a background investigation including, a criminal background check demonstrating your eligibility for employment with the University of Georgia; confirmation of the credentials and employment history reflected in your application materials (including reference checks) as they relate to the job-based requirements of the position applied for; and, if applicable, a satisfactory credit check. You may also be subject to a pre-employment drug test for positions with high-risk responsibilities, if applicable. Please visit the UGA Background Check website.
Duties/Responsibilities
Duties/Responsibilities
Laboratory Work:
* Conduct routine laboratory tests (moisture content, purity, seed count, full seed, germination) to determine seed quality.
* Maintain and operate specialized laboratory equipment.
* Record test data and prepare reports following established guidelines.
* Assist in developing and documenting experimental testing methods.
Percentage of time 50 Duties/Responsibilities
Field Work:
* Collect seeds from native trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants.
* Follow seed processing protocols.
* Use tools and equipment to clean and upgrade seed collections.
* Document steps to develop new seed processing protocols.
* Collaborate with staff to clean, maintain, package, and ship germplasm conservation seed collections for long-term storage.
* Manage and record actions as necessary to meet quality management system requirements.
Percentage of time 50
Contact Information
Recruitment Contact
Contact Details
For questions concerning this position or recruitment progression, please refer to the Recruitment Contact listed below.
Recruitment Contact Name Zachary Wood Recruitment Contact Email ...@uga.edu Recruitment Contact Phone
Posting Specific Questions
Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).
Applicant Documents
Required Documents
* Resume/CV
* Cover Letter
Optional Documents
Persons needing accommodations or assistance with the accessibility of materials related to this search are encouraged to contact University HR (...@uga.edu).
The University of Georgia is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, genetic information, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation or protected veteran status.