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The Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship at Colorado State University is interdisciplinary with programs of emphasis in forestry, fire science, fire management, natural resource policy/planning, rangeland ecology, and restoration ecology. The Department’s faculty and staff support the Warner College of Natural Resources (WCNR) and the University in fulfilling the Land Grant Mission in these programmatic areas. The Department offers undergraduate majors in Forestry, Rangeland Ecology, and Natural Resources Management in addition to Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees, and a Master’s in Natural Resource Stewardship degree.

The Warner College is home to five academic departments and several centers and institutes such as the Colorado Forest Restoration Institute, the WESTFIRE Research Center, the Colorado State Forest Service, Natural Resource Ecology Lab, the Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands and the Colorado Natural Heritage Program. These programs, institutes and centers provide a foundation for research, education and outreach in this field.

Specifically, the Colorado Forest Restoration Institute is a Congressionally-authorized program within the Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship at Colorado State University with the mission to develop, compile, synthesize, and apply locally-relevant science-based knowledge to achieve forest restoration and wildfire mitigation goals.

The Colorado Forest Restoration Institute at Colorado State University is hiring experienced research and monitoring assistant crew leaders to assist with field data collection and management in support of our research and monitoring field studies. These are full-time positions from April through September 2026, with potential for extension dependent upon funding. Assistant Crew Leaders support crew leaders working with 1-3 technicians to ensure safe, efficient, and high-quality data collection while operating in backcountry forest landscapes. Assistant Crew Leaders will assume greater responsibility for fieldwork preparation and crew leadership as the season progresses. Crews work 10-hour field days, frequently traveling overnight for 4-day or 8-day trips to lodge near field sites. Driving short and long distances on improved and unimproved roads to collect ecological data at remote field sites is part of the required work. Benefits include competitive health insurance options and per diem when traveling.

Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications in the announcement to be considered for hire. Apply no later than December 31, 2025 for full consideration.

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