Eastern Rhode Island Conservation District is looking for a Conservation Technical Assistant to work in the Engineering Department, who has a passion to assist people in planning for best conservation management of their land. This is a full-time position.
What are the Rhode Island Conservation Districts?
Rhode Island’s Conservation Districts are not for profit, quasi-public organizations
that serve local communities, and work on various projects to ensure natural resource conservation and sustainability. Rhode Island has three Districts located in the Northern, Southern and Eastern parts of the state, and these Districts work intimately and cooperatively on statewide projects. Many of the projects that the Conservation Districts work on are in partnership with local governments, land trusts, conservation commissions, RI Department of Environmental Management and the US Department of Agriculture Natural Resource Conservation Service.
Rhode Island’s Conservation Districts are governed by RI State Laws, and the work accomplished by the organizations are directed by locally elected boards of directors and associate directors. The mission of the Conservation Districts are to promote and achieve a healthy environment and sustainable use of natural resources for the people of the state of Rhode Island, now and for the future, by coordinating partners to provide technical, educational and financial resources.
Job Description
This position provides engineering assistance working with private landowners to implement a variety of conservation practices in support of USDA-NRCS programs.
Responsibilities include performing site inventories and analysis, assist with surveys, calculating material quantities and preparing supporting documentation, assist qualified engineers with drafting engineering plans and writing construction specifications, construction inspection, and assist qualified engineers with completing as-built drawings.
While this position does not require an engineering degree, knowledge of and/or training in traditional hand-drafting techniques and a demonstrated proficiency as a draft person with AutoCAD is essential.
Knowledge of and/or training in cartography and geospatial analysis, including proficiency with ArcGIS is beneficial.
Job Duties
■ Collect data through site inventory and analysis and assist agency engineers with survey work.
■ Prepare and review quantity computations, engineering calculations, cost estimates, and prepare construction/material specifications for agency engineers.
■ Draft engineering plans using AutoCAD Civil 3D 2016, under the supervision of agency engineers.
■ Inspect the construction of engineering practices and prepare as-built drawings under the supervision of agency engineers.
Recommended Qualifications
■ 4-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor’s degree in engineering, construction, engineering technology, or a related field.
■ Bachelor’s degree must include at least 24 semester hours in any combination of courses such as engineering, engineering or industrial technology, construction, physics, drafting, surveying, physical science, or mathematics.
■ At least 6 of the 24 semester hours must have been in drafting.
Work Experience
■ Basic knowledge of surveying equipment, including maintenance and calibration
■ Independent use of surveying tools, including laser levels and survey-grade GPS equipment, under the supervision of agency engineers.
■ Independent collection and analysis of data to support basic engineering practices, under the supervision of agency engineers.
■ Independent use of AutoCAD to prepare engineering plans, drawings, and construction details, under the supervision of agency engineers.
■ Independent execution of routine construction inspection procedures, under the supervision of agency engineers.
Scope of Work
Actual work schedule may be negotiable, with 40 hours of work/week; daytime hours required, along with some weekend availability. Regular work times & hours will be determined at start of employment. Mileage will be compensated at federal rates for field work.
Location of work:
Base location: Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), 60 Quaker Lane, Warwick, RI 02886.
Hourly pay rate: $22.00-$24.00, commensurate with experience.
Position Status: Full time permanent position. Grant funding has been secured for 4 years. There is potential for additional grant funding.
Supervisory Relationships: This position is under the direct supervision of the District Manager, with workload status reported to the Project Manager. Performance appraisal of this employee and decisions regarding salary and other compensation, disciplinary actions and termination of employment are the responsibility of the Board of Directors, following the Conservation District Policy Handbook.
Resumes Due by:
Please send cover letter, resume, and three (3) professional references to [email protected] attention to Sara Churgin by January 31, 2024.