The Cariveau Native Bee Lab is looking for qualified applicants to fill
multiple technician positions, May through September 2023.
*Salary:* $15-17/hour based on experience (UMN Work Study students
encouraged to apply)
*Dates: *Mostly late-May to early-September.
*Location: *Location will be project specific. See project descriptions for
exact locations and housing. Some positions are based in the Twin Cities
metro while others are based in rural Minnesota, North Dakota, South
Dakota, and Wisconsin. Cars for travel to field sites will be provided.
*Responsibilities: *Responsibilities are project dependent. Technicians
will conduct field work such as: observe and collect wild bees via nets,
emergence traps and/or pan traps, and nest searching; conduct native plant
surveys; collect nectar samples; and process, pin, and label bee and plant
specimens collected during the 2023 field season. Technicians will also
enter and check data. This work requires attention to detail and an
eagerness to learn. Both independent and group work is required.
*Required Qualifications:*
– Valid US driver’s license and legally able to work in the US.
– Experience with insect and plant identification, or relevant coursework.
– Effective communication skills with supervisors and small teams.
– Dependability, punctuality, and ability to complete high quality work
during sometimes tedious tasks.
– Ability to work outside all day, in conditions that might include heat,
humidity, stinging/ biting insects, and noxious plants (we are open to
discussing accommodations to make this work accessible).
– Experience entering data or equivalent tasks where attention to detail
and a commitment to accuracy is required.
– Flexibility and adaptability.
– Commitment to safety.
– Commitment to being a respectful team member.
*Preferred Qualifications* (see additional preferred experience under
Project descriptions below):
– Understanding of basic bee biology with experience handling, collecting,
or identifying native bees.
– Prior experience identifying tallgrass prairie species or other botany
experience.
– Previous fieldwork experience (For Land Management & -Multi-Taxa Response
Projects, previous experience camping long term or living at a field
station).
*Projects Hiring:*
*Wild Bumble Bee Nest Monitoring*. One full-time technician will be hired
to assist a MS student detect wild bumble bee nests and monitor nest
activity, survival, and reproductive success in prairie, forest, and edge
habitats in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Field work will take place locally
(30-60 minute drive) around the Twin Cities. A typical work week will
involve 4 days of fieldwork and 1 day in the bee lab for data entry. No
housing provided. Contact Chan Dolan dolan334@umn.edu with questions.
*Pollinator Land Management & Multi-Taxa Response Projects*. Multiple
technicians will conduct native bee sampling and plant surveys at field
sites across Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Extensive overnight
travel and camping required. A typical work week would potentially include
4 or 5 days camping (or occasionally staying at field
stations/hotels/motels/airbnbs) in rural MN/ND/SD with the possibility of
one day working at the bee lab in Saint Paul, MN. Travel and housing
accommodations will be paid for by the project for days spent outside the
Twin Cities, but not when in Saint Paul. Contact Will Bjorndal at
bjorn151@umn.edu with questions.
The Cariveau lab is also tentatively hiring technicians for the following
projects based on availability of funding. Applicants with interest in
these projects are encouraged to apply to the positions listed above as
well.
*Prairie Restoration/Seed Mix Design* examines establishment of pollinator
friendly seed-mixes for bees. Technicians will collect data on plant native
tallgrass prairie plant establishment, nectar volume and sugar content, and
sampling wild bees. Prior experience with identifying tallgrass prairie
species greatly preferred. Full-time position. Fieldwork takes place at a
field site near Rosemount, MN. Plots at the field site are divided by mowed
paths, bathrooms and air-conditioned spaces are close by. Location: Twin
Cities metro area. No housing provided. Contact Will Bjorndal at
bjorn151@umn.edu with questions.
*Bumble Bee Occupancy Project* studies habitat associations of the
endangered Rusty-patched Bumble Bee and other bumble bee species within the
Great Lakes watershed. The technician will assist with rapid surveys of
habitats across a rural to urban gradient. Sites will be sampled multiple
times to collect data to calculate detection probabilities for use in
occupancy modeling. Full-time position. Location: Eastern Wisconsin. Travel
and housing accommodations will be paid for by the project for days spent
outside the Twin Cities, but not when in Saint Paul. Contact Will Bjorndal
at bjorn151@umn.edu with questions.
*How to apply:*
Visit our application: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdLgsLtNqSWxZafVhEgSNVUP0lbFjBU8VyU3MiQlxuJsWYD1Q/viewform
Submit your resume, cover letter, and references. Applications are due by midnight
CST February 8, 2023. You may reach out to Will Bjorndal at bjorn151@umn.edu
with any general questions or concerns, and any of the individuals listed
under each project for specific project questions.
*Safety and COVID19:*
The Bee Lab follows University of Minnesota policies and Minnesota
Department of Health and CDC guidelines regarding Covid-19 safety. Please
reach out if you have questions about our safety practices. We may need to
adapt our field season plans as these policies and guidelines change due to
the pandemic.
*Equity and Diversity:*
The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its
programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed,
religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public
assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or
gender expression.
