Range Monitoring Specialist (Mohave County & Coconino County, AZ)

The Three Forests Cooperative Monitoring Program is a program designed to bring people together in cooperation to help manage natural resources to help make better informed land management decisions. The project will allow for more accurate information of range and watershed areas to be collected through monitoring on National Forest lands to aid in more informed management decisions. At the same time, Agency, ranchers, ranch managers, youth, and other interested stakeholders will be educated through outreach programs about the Application of science that inform management decisions.

The primary duties of this position are to conduct a variety of standard vegetation sampling procedures for inventory and monitoring of soils and vegetation on rangeland ecosystems and to summarize, analyze and display results using GIS/VGS software. Most field work will occur on public lands administered by the US Forest Service (USFS). Data will be interpreted in follow-up meetings including USFS and producers.
This position requires working alone in isolated range areas, all applicants should be comfortable working independently in rural areas.

Note: The home department for this position is the Mohave County Office with the incumbent doing programs in Coconino County.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Outstanding U of A benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; U of A/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; retirement plans; access to U of A recreation and cultural activities; and more!

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Program Development and Implementation:

• Develop and implement standard extension educational programs,
  delivered through county and regional extension offices, in assigned focus
  areas using established researchbased approaches.
• Adapt curricula and teaching methods to fit local audiences
  (for example, youth, producers, or families) while maintaining core program
  content.
• Coordinate schedules, locations, and resources for programs
  offered at multiple community sites.

Community Needs and Stakeholder Collaboration:

• Collaborate with local stakeholders and advisory groups to
  identify community needs related to assigned focus areas.
• Participate in needs assessments using simple surveys,
  listening sessions, and review of existing data.
• Translate stakeholder input into recommended program
  adjustments or new initiatives within assigned areas.

Program Evaluation and Improvement:

• Collect and analyze participation and outcome data for
  extension programs to assess effectiveness against goals.
• Interpret results and recommend changes to content, delivery
  methods, or outreach strategies to improve program quality and reach.
• Prepare evaluation summaries and contribute narrative sections
  for internal and external reports, including grant reports.

Community Engagement and education:

• Provide advice and guidance on effective ways to engage
  Arizona communities in extension programs, including strategies for reaching
  underserved
  audiences.
• Facilitate extension workshops, training sessions, and
  demonstrations in assigned topics to build participant knowledge and skills.
• Represent the extension program at community events and
  meetings, helping build and maintain relationships that support ongoing
  engagement.

Operations, Resources, and Mentoring:

• Manage program resources for assigned extension programs,
  including materials, limited budgets, and schedules, to meet established
  objectives.
• Provide guidance and informal mentoring to extension
  assistants, student workers, and volunteers to support consistent, highquality
  program delivery.
• Support marketing and promotion of programs through digital
  media, newsletters, and other communication channels.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Proficient in executing standard rangeland monitoring methods.
• Understanding of Ecological Sites Descriptions, Terrestrial
  Ecological Units, and State and Transition Models for data interpretation.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver a presentation for various
  rangeland management topics.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Familiar with semi-arid rangeland plant production systems,
  sustainable agriculture practices on rangelands, and basic plant taxonomy and
  identification.

This job posting reflects the general nature and level of work expected of the selected candidate(s). It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. The institution reserves the right to amend or update this description as organizational priorities and institutional needs evolve.

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent advanced learning attained through professional level experience required.
• Minimum of three years of relevant work experience, or equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• Ability to drive according to the University Fleet Safety Policy. Must possess a valid driver’s license upon employment, provide own transportation, be able to travel statewide, and perform activities associated with conducting programs.

• Previous experience with Cooperative Extension work and programming.