Starting at $20.00/hour. This position also provides housing (if needed) and a vehicle for work-related travel.

Located in the beautiful Boise National Forests in Idaho, this position assists in collecting data for the USDA National Forest Service’s National Visitor Use Monitoring Program. The data collected through these surveys are used by the USDA National Forest Service to track visitation patterns and trends, estimate visitors’ economic impact, evaluate the condition of national forests and their recreation infrastructure, and estimate the amount of annual visitation of each national forest. We are looking for people to work between July through August, with full-time opportunities until the end of October. This is a year-round data collection effort, and there are opportunities to work part-time in the winter and full-time in May through October.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE TO BE GAINED
This position will provide many opportunities to learn about recreational use on national forest lands, data collection methodologies, and national forest management.

Duties will include conducting on-site surveys with national forest visitors at various recreation access points including trailheads, campgrounds, lakes/reservoirs, resorts, etc. Survey locations and use levels change each day, so this position provides a great opportunity to see and explore national forest lands and interact with diverse national forest visitors.

• Applicants must be motivated, organized, self-sufficient, great problem solvers, safety conscious, and enjoy talking and interacting with people whom they are unfamiliar. The bulk of work is interacting with national forest visitors and conducting face-to-face interviews, sometimes as many as forty per day—the average is around 6-8 surveys per-day. This is not akin to cold-call telemarketing. National forest visitors are generally interested and eager to provide feedback to aid in the management of the areas they use and love.
• This position occasionally requires the research assistant to spend time alone, sometimes in very remote areas in varying weather conditions. This position may also require the research assistant to camp alone in remote areas for multiple days. Because of these factors, it is imperative that the research assistant be able to navigate through remote, unfamiliar, and sometimes rough areas, and be comfortable camping alone and spending multiple days in the field.

Along with the online application, please attach:

1. Resume to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under “Resume/CV” 
2. Cover letter to be typed/pasted at the end of your application 

**Document size may not exceed 10 MB.**

This position requires moderate physical activity, including the handling of average weight objects up to 25 pounds and/or standing or walking more than four hours per day.  Employees are exposed to unusual elements such as extreme temperatures, dirt, dust, fumes, smoke, unpleasant odors, and/or loud noises.  The work environment involves exposure to potentially dangerous materials and situations that require following extensive safety precautions and may include the use of protective equipment.

Founded in 1888, Utah State University is Utah’s premier land-grant, public service university, with a strong commitment to excellence, access, and inclusion, empowering people to lead successful lives of involvement, innovation, and impact. Utah State provides high-quality education to 27,500-plus students locations throughout the state, including at three residential campuses, eight statewide campuses, and 23 education centers. USU Online educates students from all 50 states and 55 countries. For over 25 years, USU Extension has served and engaged Utahns in all of Utah’s counties. As an R1 research institution, Utah State is dedicated to advancing knowledge through research and scholarly activities, providing a high-quality undergraduate and graduate education at an affordable price.

Utah State is committed to cultivating a community of inclusive excellence where all perspectives, values, cultures, and identities are acknowledged, welcomed, and valued. We seek to recruit, hire, and retain people from all walks of life who will champion excellence in education, research, discovery, outreach, and service. We believe that promoting a strong sense of community and belonging empowers and engages all members of USU to thrive and be successful. Forbes recognized our commitment to employees when they named Utah State the best employer in Utah in 2023. Learn more about USU. 

The university provides a Dual Career Assistance Program to support careers for partners who are also seeking employment. Additionally, USU is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. To request a reasonable accommodation for a disability, contact the university’s ADA Coordinator in the Office of Human Resources at (435) 797-0122 or hr@usu.edu. 

About the Region

U.S. News and World Report ranked Utah first for its strong economy, fiscal stability, education, and health care. Outstanding outdoor recreational opportunities abound throughout the state, including five national parks, 43 state parks and recreation areas, and 15 alpine ski resorts. The home of USU’s main campus, Logan, is a city of 54,000-plus people in a picturesque mountain valley 80 miles north of Salt Lake City. The Logan metro area claimed the top spot in the Milken Institute’s 2022 ranking for best-performing small cities in the nation. 

*updated 04/2024

In its programs and activities, including in admissions and employment, Utah State University does not discriminate or tolerate discrimination, including harassment, based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other status protected by University policy, Title IX, or any other federal, state, or local law.

The following individuals have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the application of Title IX and its implementing regulations and/or USU’s non-discrimination policies:

Executive Director of the Office of Equity Matthew Pinner, discrimination@usu.edu, Distance Education Rm. 401, 435-797-1266

Title IX Coordinator Cody Carmichael, titleix@usu.edu, Distance Education Rm. 404, 435-797-1266

Mailing address: 5100 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322

For further information regarding non-discrimination, please visit https://equity.usu.edu/, or contact:

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 800-421-3481, OCR@ed.gov

*updated 09/2023