Engineering Technician (Inyo National Forest)

Job Details: Job Location: Bishop, CA - Bishop, CA, Position Type: Seasonal, Salary Range: $21.00 - $21.00Hourly, Job Category: Engineering, Inyo NF USFS, California

The Great Basin Institute, in cooperation with the Inyo National Forest, is recruiting one entry-level engineering technician to support engineering and infrastructure projects in Stanislaus National Forest. These positions are designed to provide hands-on experience in forest engineering while contributing to critical road reconstruction efforts that support timber harvest operations, vegetation management, and overall forest health initiatives.

Under close supervision of the U.S. Forest Service engineering staff, technicians will assist with a variety of engineering-related tasks, including data collection, field inspections, and documentation associated with road reconstruction and maintenance projects. Interns will support planning and implementation efforts to ensure roads meet safety, environmental, and operational standards necessary for land management activities. This position offers an opportunity to gain practical experience working within a federal land management agency while developing foundational skills in engineering, project coordination, and natural resource management.

Essential Job Functions may include the following:

 The technician will aid in a variety of engineering support activities including, but not limited to:

Assist senior level engineers with design reviews for various road and transportation facility related projects.
Perform field surveys on forest roads to gather design information.
Assist senior level engineers with the development of plans, specifications, and other contract documents for road reconstruction projects.
Attend forest-wide project meetings, attend and satisfactorily complete assigned training and instructional tasks.
May perform project planning and management tasks such as administrative duties, Schematic and blueprint reading, data cleanup and audits, organize digital and hard copy engineering related files.
Utilize Avenza Maps to produce geographical data indicating required road maintenance, construction, and reconstruction tasks.
Perform engineering related research such material and equipment research based on project need and obtain quotes from vendors.
Simple engineering design such as take-off estimates, cost estimating, product identification, and production of drawing and specifications.

LOCATION

Inyo National Forest; Bishop, CA

The Inyo National Forest is home to many natural wonders including Mt. Whitney, Mono Lake, Mammoth Lakes Basin, and the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. Adjacent to multiple land management agencies such as Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon, Death Valley, and Devil's Postpile National Park Service units, Sequoia, Sierra, and Humboldt Toiyabe National Forest, Bureau of Land Management, and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Various geologic features combined with elevation extremes produce a wide range of climatic conditions, resulting in tremendous floristic diversity of the forest vegetation communities.

World class recreation with a full range of summer and winter activities, including camping, backpacking, fishing, hunting, hang gliding, skiing and snowboarding, bicycling, off-roading, motorcycling, birding, photography, painting, rock climbing, and horseback riding, to name a few. 

WORK SCHEDULE

This position is scheduled to begin on August 3,2026 and end on November 25, 2026. Season start and end dates are project and weather dependent and may change slightly. 

Engineering crew positions follow 10 hour days, 4 days a week schedule. 

Temporary Special Assignment employees are eligible to receive holiday pay, if partner approved. TSAs working four (4) ten (10) hour days per workweek will be paid ten (10) hours for all holidays.  Same with other approved/allowable workweek configurations; these can be accommodated accordingly with Banked Holiday(s).

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Wage: $21/hour with overtime at 1.5x hourly rate. Full time, average 40 hours per week

Housing: Shared housing provided for the crew members.

In addition to a competitive base salary, this full-time,onsite position includes company-paid comprehensive medical, dental (with option to upgrade in coverage), and vision insurance, as well as $25,000 Life/AD&D policy. Voluntary short-term and long-term disability policies are available, and voluntary Life/AD&D policies for family members.  Mental health support resources are employer provided, competitive PTO accrual, and paid holidays. This exciting role contributes to GBI’s significant positive impacts within the fields of environmental research, education, and conservation.

TSA employees who serve a term under 52 weeks in duration, and have a thirty (30) day or less break between terms, and then sign a second term that (cumulatively) becomes greater than 52 weeks of employment, will be eligible for the >1-year TSA benefits (equivalent to Regular full-time employees).

 
Qualifications:  

Requirements/Qualifications

Coursework toward a degree or a minimum of one year of progress towards a degree in Environmental, Civil, or Chemical Engineering.
Prior exposure to and knowledge of general field methodologies and data collection techniques.
Proficiency with the Microsoft Office suite, including Excel and Word.
A proven ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing to a diverse audience, including co-workers and stakeholders.
Should be self-motivated with an expressed desire to learn and ability to maintain a positive attitude.
Ability to work both within a team setting and independently.
Possess a clean, state-issued driver’s license and exhibit prior experience or a willingness to learn how to drive safely in an off-road setting.

TO APPLY

Please submit an up-to-date resume, a one-page cover letter that details your interest in the position, and any qualifications not fully outlined in your resume, and contact information for three professional references. Qualified applicants will be contacted to schedule an interview.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS  

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, use hands, stand, walk, bend, and have specific vision abilities to include close and distance vision, and ability to adjust focus working with computer business equipment and other job/industry specific equipment. The noise level in the work environment is usually low.

NOTE:  This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employees may perform other related duties as negotiated to meet the organization's ongoing needs.

Disclaimer: Although the organization has attempted to accurately and thoroughly describe this position, GBI reserves the right to change the same, including to change, add to or subtract from the duties outlined, within the sole discretion of the organization, at any time, with or without advance notice.