Submission #117

Background
The Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County (RCD) is a non-regulatory special district that helps people protect, conserve, and restore natural resources through information, education, and technical assistance programs. The RCD has ongoing projects that promote natural resource conservation in relation to farming and ranching operations and watershed-based habitat restoration. The RCD Board of Directors and staff work closely with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
The RCD seeks a Program Assistant: Field Technician to join a dynamic team of conservation and agriculture professionals to support the goals of the RCD’s Agriculture Stewardship Program. The Program Assistant will assist RCD staff, conduct field work, and perform outreach in English and Spanish with growers and irrigators to support agricultural water conservation and to help protect surface and groundwater quality. There may be additional opportunities for the Program Assistant to support projects of the RCD’s Watershed Restoration program as well, dependent upon staff needs and available funding.

The Program Assistant job responsibilities will include, but may not be limited to, the following:
Duties and Responsibilities
• Setup and install irrigation monitoring telemetry units, flowmeters and soil moisture sensors
• Perform on-going monitoring and maintenance of telemetry units and other irrigation monitoring equipment
• Use online services to track irrigation monitoring data
• Troubleshoot hardware and software issues
• Assist RCD staff to evaluate performance of irrigation systems
• Maintain updated inventory documents for all field equipment
• Make recommendations for equipment purchases
• Organize and manage physical storage of all field equipment
• Engage growers and irrigators in English and Spanish to share monitoring information and to support their water conservation goals
• Provide field assistance as needed to agriculture and restoration projects including taking soil samples, planting and maintaining vegetation, assisting with installation of irrigation systems, monitoring and evaluating projects, or other assistance as needed.
The Program Assistant must be comfortable working and driving in agriculture fields, in muddy and wet conditions and on uneven terrain. Use of personal vehicle will be necessary and mileage is reimbursed.

Qualifications and Skills
The ideal candidate is a flexible and self-motivated individual who can easily follow directions and work independently. The candidate should have strong oral and written communication skills in English and Spanish, be technically savvy, have basic computer skills and the ability to quickly learn new software, and be comfortable doing manual work and heavy lifting in the field. They must have a collaborative, positive, and professional attitude.
Required:
• Spanish language proficiency – verbal and written
• Basic understanding and/or interest in math, engineering concepts and hydraulics relevant to irrigation
• Proficient with online tools and basic data management techniques
• Intermediate to advanced Excel skills
• Motivated learner
• Organized and detail-oriented
• Personal vehicle, current driver’s license and insurance, and clean driving record
Preferred
• Spanish language fluency
• Background in electronics, data management and/or software
• Programming skills or knowledge (R, C++, JSON)

COMPENSATION AND APPLICATION PROCESS:
This is a limited term contract employee position and is governed by an express employee contract. Work is to be performed over a period up to 10 months for an estimated average 20 hours per week, with the possibility of extension or increased hours based on performance, need, and availability of funding. The Program Assistant will be compensated at a set hourly rate between $24-34/hour commensurate with experience and qualifications. A contract employee will typically only be eligible for benefits pursuant to the terms of the contract. The accepted candidate will receive a specified wage but will not be eligible for paid time off, holiday pay, medical or dental insurance coverage, or items of a similar nature, nor will he or she accrue seniority or other benefits, except as required by federal or state laws.

To apply, please submit a resume, letter of interest, and names and phone numbers of two references to: The Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County, c/o Tangi Chapman via email to tchapman@rcdsantacruz.org. If you would like additional information, please contact the RCD: Phone: (831) 464-2950.