Davis College's Division of Forestry & Natural Resources at West Virginia University is currently accepting applications for Temporary NVUM Field Interviewers (multiple openings).

About the Opportunity

The NVUM Field Interviewer position will be essential to the completion of NVUM with the WVU Recreation, Parks and Tourism Resources Program in the Pacific Northwest Region of the USDA Forest Service. The forest locations include the Umatilla, Wallowa-Whitman, Malheur, Colville, and Custer Gallatin National Forests in Oregon/Washington and Montana. The Field Interviewer will conduct face-to-face interviewers with National Forest visitors as they exit recreation sites. Interviewers will travel to a variety of day use, overnight, general forest and Wilderness sites. Shifts vary between morning, afternoon and evening hours and very often occur on weekend days.

The purpose of this position is providing assistance with research projects such as the National Visitor Use Monitoring Program (NVUM) partnered with the U.S. Forest Service. New research projects can come with the development of different research proposals.

What you'll do:

Field work in Oregon and/or Montana:

• Conducting recreation use surveys with visitors on National Forest lands in a positive, friendly and respectful manner.
• Checking schedule on the Google Drive weekly/daily basis and planning out survey site drive times and location with GPS and forest maps.
• Set up interviewing sites (i.e. sign placement, traffic cone placement, etc.) properly to ensure safety of self and National Forest visitors.
• Place and calibrate pneumatic traffic and infrared trail counters properly to ensure that visitor counts are accurate. Return after 24 hours to obtain counts, take down and/or reset the counting device.
• Place and calibrate trail cameras to capture use on assigned trail and road systems.
• Return weekly to download data from trail cameras and report number of events recorded on the camera to field supervisor.
• Filling out and keeping track of surveys and daily counts in a neat, orderly fashion.
• Compiling weekly reports for field supervisor about site use levels, recreation use and weather conditions at each assigned surveying site.
• Adhering to strict NVUM, Forest Service, and Federal data collection policies and guidelines including proper dress, displaying of safety signage, etc.
• Ability to drive long distances over a variety of road surfaces during early morning and early evening hours.
• Ability to work independently without direct supervision from field management at all times.

• High School diploma or GED
• A minimum of six (6) months of previous in-field data collection experience on state, federal or municipal lands is preferred, but not required.
• Competency in written and oral communication.
• Ability to drive on Forest Service roads to remote locations
• Ability to keep neat and concise notes and surveys.
• Ability to meet deadlines.
• Maintain a professional demeanor and appearance at all times.
• Skilled in effective communication.
• Skilled in strategic planning and logistics.
• Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
• Skilled in critical thinking, including using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Skilled in monitoring/assessing the performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take correction.
• Skilled in systems analysis, including determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations and the environment will affect outcomes.

Preferred:

• Experience in social survey methodology.
• Broad experience with outdoor recreation concepts/issues

Valid US Driver's License

At West Virginia University, we leverage our talents and resources to create a better future for our state and the world. As West Virginia's land-grant university, WVU has three campuses that touch each corner of the state. The WVU System includes 518 buildings on 15,880 acres, Extension Service offices in all 55 counties, ten experimental farms and four forests.

From the groundbreaking R1 research of our flagship campus in Morgantown to the career-oriented programs of WVU Potomac State in Keyser to the technology-intensive programs at WVU Tech in Beckley - the contributions of WVU employees directly impact the 1.8 million people of West Virginia every day, no matter their role or position.

Service, curiosity, respect, accountability, and appreciation are the core values that unite Mountaineers, inspiring one another to work tirelessly and support others as they seek to reach new heights. After all, when you're a Mountaineer, impossible is just another mountain to climb.

Creating an inclusive, engaged, and dynamic learning environment is core to WVU's academic mission. We welcome candidates who can contribute a range of ideas, approaches and experiences.

West Virginia University is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer and is the recipient of an NSF ADVANCE award for gender equity. The University values diversity among its faculty, staff, and students, and invites applications from all qualified applicants regardless of race, ethnicity, color, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, nationality, genetics, disability, or Veteran status.