Natural Resources Technician; Seasonal

The Natural Resource Technician will help lead a team of seasonal employees working on natural resource-based projects within the 5,000‑acre park system. This person must have knowledge of native plants and natural plant communities, and experience working and/or leading a team.

Must be at least 18 years of age and have the ability to read, write and follow written and oral instructions.
Must have reliable transportation; individuals operating a motor vehicle for county business must possess a valid driver’s license.

• Previous work or volunteer experience related to natural resource management including forestry, botany, controlled burns, invasive species control, tree planting or maintenance, native seed collection, prescribed grazing.
• Experience operating UTV, string trimmer, shovel, brush saw, sprayer.
• Experience performing land management activities such as invasive shrub control, burning, planting trees, weeding rain gardens, growing plants; giving direction to peers; working in variable weather conditions; preparing work schedules for staff; using ArcGIS; using iPad; developing reports and utilizing computer programs; working alone with minimal supervision; working with volunteers or speaking to the general public.

Your training and experience will be rated based on the required application material submitted and the top-scoring candidates will be forwarded to the hiring department for further consideration.

Monday – Friday 7:30 am to 4:00 pm, 40 hours/week. Based at Lake Elmo Park Reserve, working at all parks. Work schedules (hours and days) and location are subject to change based on department needs.

$20.89 – $22.50 hourly

Washington County participates in the federal E‑Verify program. Washington County will provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with information from each new employee’s Form I‑9 to confirm work authorization. If the government cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, Washington County is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact DHS and/or the SSA before taking adverse action against you.

Employers may not use E‑Verify to pre‑screen job applicants and may not limit or influence the choice of documents you present for use on the Form I‑9.

This is a skilled position assisting the Natural Resource Coordinator with both office and fieldwork tasks. Provides assistance for and serves as crew leader to other seasonal employees.

Previous natural resource fieldwork experience or postsecondary training in natural resources, conservation, botany, forestry, water resource management, or wildlife management and lead worker experience desirable.

Offers of employment will be contingent upon successfully passing a criminal history background check prior to beginning employment with Washington County.

• Promote a diverse, culturally competent, and respectful workplace;
• Demonstrated knowledge of native and noxious plant identification, map interpretation, and common tools;
• Ability to lead a group of employees and/or volunteers;
• Ability to use hand tools;
• Ability to understand and follow basic instructions;
• Ability to perform manual labor for extended periods of time under possible adverse weather conditions;
• Ability to meet and deal with the public in a friendly, businesslike manner;
• Ability to report to work on a regular and timely basis;
• Coordinates the work of seasonal employees; prepares schedules, provides training, assigns tasks, reviews work performed, prioritizes work and helps complete end‑of‑season employee evaluations;
• Schedules and completes invasive shrub removal, diseased tree removal, rain garden maintenance, planting and seeding, controlled burns, noxious weed control, erosion control;
• Identifies plants such as trees, shrubs, perennials; native and noxious;
• Operates hand and power tools in completion of natural resource work;
• Coordinates with…