Riverscape Restoration Technician (Seasonal)

Description

Sageland Collaborative serves as a leading source of conservation science in Utah and surrounding regions. Sageland Collaborative’s mission is to provide science-based strategies for wildlife and land conservation. We focus on increasing biodiversity and populations of special-status species; conserving wildlife pathways; and restoring habitat. We work toward these goals by bringing science into on-the-ground action, fostering collaborations, and working with the entire community. The Sageland Collaborative team consists of dedicated and skilled scientists, project managers, and communications specialists focused on advancing our mission.  

We are seeking to hire a seasonal technician for our Riverscape Restoration Program. This program’s goals are to implement low-tech process-based restoration projects, promote and implement beaver co-existence practices such as pond levelers and other flow devices, and monitor ecological outcomes at restoration sites. Our work is located primarily in central and northern Utah on the ancestral lands of the Ute, Goshute, and Shoshone Peoples. 

The seasonal technician can expect to hone skills in riparian plant identification, stream and riparian field monitoring methods, data management, spatial data collection, and logistics required in planning and implementing low-tech, process-based restoration and beaver co-existence projects. The technician will be expected to support senior program staff with technical and logistical elements of restoration, including volunteer management, and work as a team with interns and other seasonal employees in monitoring restoration project sites. They can expect opportunities to network with a diversity of project partners, contribute meaningfully to ongoing riverscape restoration projects through monitoring, and gain exposure to the many facets of our restoration program, from stakeholder outreach and community support to permitting and implementation.  

Duties: 

• Mapping and ecological data collection assessing stream and riparian habitat conditions, data entry, and report generation. 
• Maintain data quality control and quality and assurance workflows on geospatial and ecological data.  
• Provide logistical support to project and program managers for stream restoration projects.  
• Implement restoration projects by building low-tech structures such as beaver dam analogs, and beaver co-existence flow devices.  
• Work in a team and support mentorship of a summer intern to accomplish field and office tasks.  
• Support team with logistical and personnel management tasks related to volunteer events.  

Required Qualifications: 

• Undergraduate degree in a natural resources field or equivalent work experience.  
• Reliability, timeliness, and dedication to work tasks, ability to work with a team, and solve problems on the fly.  
• Driving: This position requires safely driving a provided 4-wheel drive vehicle on unpaved and unimproved roads. A valid driver’s license, clean driving record, and ability to complete defensive driver training are required.   
• Level of physical demand: The work requires 3 to 5 days a week working outdoors, often in backcountry settings. Applicants must be comfortable working outdoors for up to 10 hours at a time, carrying up to 20 pounds of gear, often in hot weather conditions. Must be able to safely navigate backcountry settings and deal with terrain challenges such as off trail hiking, crossing swift creeks, wading through beaver ponds, and maneuvering around wood jams. 
• Authorized to work in the United States.

• How to gather ecological data in the field 
• How to design, implement, and monitor low-tech process-based riverscape restoration projects and beaver co-existence practices 
• Identification of plants, birds, fish, amphibians, and insects of the Intermountain West 
• Microsoft Word and Excel 
• Basic mapping and data management using ESRI software products (ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, FieldMaps)

Dates: May 1, 2026 through November 1, 2026. Exact start and end dates negotiable. Hours are typically Monday through Friday 9am-5pm, 40 hours/week with some longer days and weekends as needed.   

Salary range: $22.35 to $25.00/hour depending on years of experience and academic degree.  

Location: Salt Lake City, Utah 

Application Deadline: March 2, 2026, 11:59PM MT 

To Apply:  

• Upload your 1) cover letter, and 2) a resume and contact information for two references into this Google Form linked here.   
• Please name the resume and cover letter file as follows: “[Your Last Name] resume” and “[Your Last Name] cover letter.” PDF files are preferred. 
• If you have any questions or need support submitting your application, please contact Rose Smith at rose@sagelandcollaborative.org

We believe in representing diverse voices in the conservation and scientific communities and strongly encourage those from all backgrounds to apply.