Job Description

WETLAND TECHNICIAN I/II

Position Number: S-3829

Position Summary:

This position will work directly with Dr. Don Uzarski and his lab supervisors to plan and implement field and laboratory research.

Required Qualifications:

Wetland Technician I (ST-4):
Bachelor of Science degree, preferably in Biology.
At least one year of field experience.
Experience working in a laboratory setting.
Ability to work 8+ hours each day with the possibility of inclement weather.
Lifting 50 pounds of field gear in and out of boats and trucks.
Working in water-inundated areas, including muddy substrates and high-water levels, where conditions may preclude ideal footing.
Excellent interpersonal, communication, and computer skills.
The demonstrated ability to work with others in a collaborative environment.
Outstanding organizational skills and motivation to initiate and complete tasks independently.
Must have reliable work habits.
Ability to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
Valid driver’s license and must submit a driving record check and be approved to drive CMU vehicles.

Wetland Technician II (ST-5):
All required qualifications of Level I, plus:
At least two years of previous field experience in coastal wetland work or related habitats.
Expertise in fish, macroinvertebrate, and/or vegetation identification and enumeration.
Extensive knowledge and expertise in using field equipment, including but not limited to, YSI data sondes, soil corers, trap nets, D-framed dip nets, and global positioning systems.
Experience and safety training involving the use of boats and outboard motors.
Ability to work with Principal Investigator, lab supervisors, graduate and undergraduate students, and lead field work under supervision of lab supervisors.

Wetland Technician III (ST-6):
All required qualifications of Level II, plus:
Ability to effectively work with and oversee undergraduate technicians, work with graduate students, Doctoral technicians, and other professionals.
Supervisory skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

Wetland Technician I (ST-4)
Aquatics-related coursework.
At least two years of previous field experience in coastal wetland work or related habitats.
Expertise in fish, macroinvertebrate, and vegetation identification and enumeration.
Extensive knowledge and expertise in using field equipment, including but not limited to, multiparameter Data Sondes, soil corers, trap nets, Dframed dip nets, and global positioning systems.
Experience and safety training involving the use of boats and outboard motors.
Ability to work with PIs, lab supervisors, graduate and undergraduate students, and lead field work under the supervision of lab supervisors.
Preference to candidates with knowledge of data software including Microsoft® Excel, PC ORD®, R, ArcGIS, Google Earth, and SAS®.
Experience with the Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands Consortium approved protocols.

Wetland Technician II (ST-5).
All preferred qualifications of Level I, plus:
A minimum of 2 years of experience and training using the Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Monitoring Program approved protocols and field experience in coastal wetland work or related habitats.

Wetland Technician III (ST-6)
All preferred qualifications of Level II, plus:
Master of Science and at least 18 credits of aquatics related coursework.
Experience calculating statistics and analyzing large datasets.
Experience managing grants including budgeting and reporting.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Wetland Technician I (ST-4)
The primary duties of this position include, but are not limited to:
Extensive field work in wetlands involving pre-sampling preparation (e.g., scheduling, access permissions, reservations, field safety forms), extensive travel, data collection, species identification, using and maintaining sampling equipment, operating watercraft, and hauling a boat and trailer.
Maintain field gear (i.e., sanitizing nets and equipment between sites, calibrating the YSI Data Sondes, basic boat and motor upkeep, and proper storage and loading of equipment).
Maintain lab equipment, inventorying chemicals and lab supplies, and adhering to all CMU safety policies.
Order equipment, chemicals, and supplies following the procedures of the CMU Biology Department.
Assist with lab analyses, including but not limited to nutrient concentrations, ion concentrations, chlorophyll-a concentrations.
Data organization and entry.
Maintain grant-funded trucks.

Wetland Technician II (ST-5)
All duties of Level I, plus:
Leading a sampling crew and making on-site safety decisions regarding weather, property owners, access, etc.
Trains undergraduates on lab safety procedures and how to properly handle equipment, assisting in training summer employees for the Coastal Wetland Monitoring Program.
Delegates tasks to undergraduate students when supervisors are not present.
Process field samples in the lab including identifying macroinvertebrates to targeted lowest operational taxonomic unit using dichotomous keys, quality assurance of other personnels?identifications, and packing and shipment of vegetation specimens.
Uses and maintains Dionex ICS 1100 and 2100 ion chromatographs, Bran + Lubbe QuAAtro Auto-analyzer, Shimadzu TOC-V CPH, UV-Visible Spectrophotometer, general laboratory equipment, and water quality sondes to the standards of EPA quality control and assurance.
Plans and conducts experiments and lab analyses as a high-level technician with little direct oversight or supervision and summarizes & presents data from experiments to faculty, which includes analysis of water samples for nutrient concentrations, chlorophyll-a analysis, total/dissolved organic carbon analysis, and identification of aquatic macroinvertebrates to genus and/or species level.
Data cleaning, quality assurance, CWMP database verification interface updating, and updating site information in the CWMP site selection tool webpage.
Assists with grant report writing.
Assists with interviewing prospective undergraduate student employees.
Use CMU business credit card for purchases not requiring a purchase requisition and reconcile those purchases on monthly basis. Obtain quotes from vendors. Submit purchase orders and non-competitive procurement forms.
Obtains access permits from Michigan DNR, other universities, tribes, and local conservancies. Write follow up/data reports for other universities, tribes and local conservancies.
Researches relevant topics to assist in developing sampling protocols.
Assists with maintaining chemical inventory and updating standard operating procedures for particularly hazardous substances.

Wetland Technician III (ST-6)
All duties of Level II, plus:
Supervisory responsibilities of leading a team of up to 30 researchers, including scheduling daily operations, training new employees, and upholding a high level of research quality.
Prioritizes grant-funded project tasks and sample analysis by coordinating students and laboratory technicians.
Provides maintenance and repairs for boats and trailers.
Maintains chemical inventory and update standard operating procedures for particularly hazardous substances.
Assists graduate and undergraduate students in the development and execution of research projects, including experimental design, sampling protocols, logistical planning, and data analysis.
Assists in the tracking of grant budgets.
Data analysis and statistics calculations.
Grant report writing and editing.
Presentations of research at local and regional exhibitions.
Develops and presents outreach materials.
Acts as a point person when working with faculty and university staff on grant financials and reporting, (including proposal budgets, setting up new awards, submitting grant reports, communicating with funder program managers, communicating with subcontractors, preparing budget modifications, and assisting with grant closing).
Acts as point person for hiring for projects (graduate, undergraduate, temp-employee, full-time employees, etc.), monitors effort allocation for field and lab technicians to ensure alignment with grant budgets.
Conducts mid-season quality assurance checks during field season.
Coordinates laboratory spaces including inventorying chemicals, ordering supplies, and communicating with building manager about shared equipment.
Ensures compliance with university field and laboratory safety protocols and develops necessary additional protocols.
Publications and manuscript writing and editing.
Other duties as assigned.

Supervision Exercised:

None.

Employee Group: Supervisory Technical
Staff Pay Level:
Pay Range: ST4: $14.50 - $23.00/hr (estimated $14.50 - $16.00), ST5: 17.00 - $26.50/hr (estimated $17.00 - $19.00)
Division: Academic Affairs
Department: Biology
Position Status: Provisional
Position End Date: 10/31/2026
Employment Status: Full-Time
FTE: 1.00
Position Type: 12 month
Weekly Work Schedule: M-F; 8-5. Some weekends. Summer hours will vary
Location: Mount Pleasant, MI
Posting Ends: 03/12/2026
Open Until Filled: No

Message to Applicants:

Central Michigan University is dedicated to fostering an environment that is reflective of the communities we serve. We are especially interested in highly qualified candidates who will advance and promote CMU’s mission, vision, and leadership standards.

You must submit an on-line application in order to be considered as an applicant for this position.

Cover letters may be addressed to the Hiring Committee.

To apply, visit https://www.jobs.cmich.edu/postings/44480