Conservation Technician

Position: Conservation Technician                                 Reports to: Director                      Department: Conservation                  

 General Summary:     A Full-Time/Non-exempt Position, this employee will be responsible for natural resource management on all county wildlife areas, as well as assisting with park maintenance at Diamond Lake.  Under the general supervision of the Director, this employee plans, develops, and coordinates resource management plans and implementation on all county wildlife areas, and assists with the maintenance of the park facilities.   Weekend, holiday, and evening work will be required.  

A.               Essential Functions (may include, but not limited to the following):

  1.               Develops and coordinates resource management plans and implementation on all county wildlife areas, and coordinates field operations with the Director and other County Conservation Staff.

2.               Assists with the Board’s safety programs, equipment inspections, and coordination of training for all department personnel.   3.               Assists in the department purchasing functions, including cost analysis of materials and supplies for all field operations.  

4.               Participates in the maintenance of park facilities to ensure they are kept in a clean and sanitary condition.  Will remove and dispose of trash on all county conservation areas.  

5.               Supervises and participates in capital improvement projects, including land acquisition and development, and new construction of recreational facilities.  

6.               Maintains and operates large and small equipment, including all department owned vehicles, tractors and implements, skid steer and attachments, commercial mowers, no-till drills, tree planters, tree spade, chain saws, pruners, and a wide variety of power hand tools.    7.               Able to obtain Pesticide Applicators Permit for Iowa with endorsements.   

8.               Thorough seeding knowledge of prairie grass and forbe seed and using prescribed fire to meet habitat management goals. Able to complete S-130 and S-190 certifications for prescribed burns and continue with S131 and S290 fire certifications.    

9.               Coordinates fish and wildlife management on public and private lands including general forestry practices, tree planting, weed control, pruning, culling trees, tree identification, planting food plots, wood duck nesting structures, Canada goose roundups, bluebird nest structures, fisheries monitoring, creel clerking, and construction of fish habitat.  

10.           Assists with some patrol work at Diamond Lake and enforces the Conservation Board’s rules and regulations.  Collects camping fees, keeps records of receipts, requisitions supplies and equipment, and prepares reports as required.  

11.           Provides a safe environment for park users and administers First Aid in case of accidents.  

12.           Maintains daily diary, including job site, functions, and hours.  Maintains records of vehicle and equipment maintenance, pesticide/herbicide applications, scientific collections, and employee training.  

13.           Operates personal computers, spread sheets, desk-top publishing applications, Pictometry, PowerPoint applications, digital cameras, scanners, ArcView GIS, PowerPoint applications, digital cameras, scanners, copy machines, telephones, calculators, MS word programs, and MS excel programs, etc.  

14.           Will help maintain and further develop the county’s web site and will provide written media for the local papers and social media sites pertaining to environmental topics, programs, and activities of County Conservation.  

15.           Will participate in continuing education programs, keeping current with new developments in the conservation field and continuing professional growth.  

16.           Will assist the county naturalist occasionally with large public, school, and other environmental education events.  

17.           Will work with local conservation groups, chapters, or associations in Poweshiek County.  Creating partnerships with these groups to continually improve our county’s natural resources on public and private land.  

18.           Will research and write grants to supplement the county conservation budget for various conservation related projects.  

19.           Will help maintain and clean office areas, shop areas, and the meeting facilities (Foster Center).  

B.         Physical Demands Walking, standing, lifting, carrying, bending, climbing, seeing, and able to use hands to manipulate tools is all required in the maintenance operation of the parks.  Driving pickups and tractors with manual transmissions, hearing, and speaking to communicate with the public and other staff members will be required.  

C.         Cognitive Demands Ability to think for oneself to carry out the maintenance operations in a safe and efficient manner, and able to think and act professionally in situations dealing with emergencies or enforcing park rules and regulations.  Knowledge of various natural resources fields, such as wildlife, fisheries, forestry, and park management, and able to apply that knowledge for practical use in the field, and able to communicate that information to help educate the public.  

D.         Work Environment and Equipment Most of the work outside can be in all types of weather (rain, sun, wind, snow).  Operating noisy equipment such as tractors, skid steers, mowers, small engines, and power tools will be common.  Work in maintenance shops operating saws, drills, welder, torches, and a variety of other power and hand tools will also be common.   

E.         Supervision of Others This individual will help supervise seasonal workers, volunteers, and community service workers.  

F.         Entry Qualifications Minimum requirement – Graduation from an accredited college or university with an associate degree related to conservation or a bachelor’s degree in wildlife biology, natural resources, park management, or related field, and three years’ experience in the natural resource management field.   The applicant must possess a valid driver’s license or CDL and if the applicant doesn’t presently have an Iowa CDL license, they must obtain one within 6 months.   All applicants must be U.S. citizens and must become residents of Iowa upon appointment and be able to obtain a valid Iowa   Driver’s license.  Must be at least 21 years of age but not more than 65 years of age, on date of appointment, and cannot have a criminal record.   This individual is required to pass a pre-employment physical, drug screen, and complete a Job Placement Assessment (JPA).    

G.    Other  

1.    Marginal functions of this position that are incidental to the performance of the fundamental job duties have been excluded from our job descriptions.  

2.         All requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities.  

3.         This job description in no way states or implies that the description includes every duty to be performed by the employee occupying the position.  Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by the Conservation Board or Director.

____________________________________________________________________________  

I have carefully read and understand the contents of this job description. I understand the responsibilities, requirements, and duties expected of me. I understand that this is not necessarily an exhaustive list of responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, efforts or working conditions associated with the job. While this list is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, the Employer reserves the right to revise the functions and duties of the job or to require that additional or different tasks be performed as directed by the Employer. I understand that I may be required to work overtime, different shifts, or hours outside the normally defined workday or workweek. I also understand that this job description does not constitute a contract of employment nor alter my status as an at-will employee. I have the right to terminate my employment at any time and for any reason, and the Employer has a similar right.  

______________________              ____________      ____________________                 _________________

Employee's Signature                Date              Department Head                            Date  

Poweshiek County is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the County will consider reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages prospective employees and incumbents to discuss potential accommodations with the Employer.