Position Title: GIS & Data Technician
Position Location: Butler Soil and Water Conservation District, 1802 Princeton Road, Suite 300, Hamilton, Ohio 45011
Reports To: Butler SWCD District Director
Position Duration: Begins November 6, 2023, and ends October 2, 2024. Requires a minimum of 1,700 hours of service over the service period.
Benefits:
The member will receive a stipend of up to $20,400, and the stipend will be paid biweekly. If the term of service is completed successfully, the member may be eligible for a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $6,895. Full-time members have access to healthcare and childcare. The member will not be an employee of Butler Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) and is not entitled to any of the benefits or compensation Clermont SWCD provides to its employees. Housing is not available.
About ORBCorps:
The Ohio River Basin AmeriCorps (ORBCorps) program has been formed to address the issue of poor water quality in Southwest Ohio. Residents are often unaware of our poor water quality and once informed are not really sure how they themselves can have any effect on the problem and the potential solutions. Introducing AmeriCorps members to this area will help expand the education, outreach and data collection efforts to continue to push for cleaner water and better educated residents. At the same time, it will help AmeriCorps members develop skills that will prepare them for employment as a natural resource or water quality professional.
Overview:
The Butler Soil and Water Conservation District is a political subdivision of the State of Ohio, established in 1942 to work with landowners to help address soil and water conservation issues. The District’s mission is to promote the conservation, restoration and responsible use of our natural resources through technical guidance and education. Butler SWCD provides technical assistance, grants and cost share funding, educational programming and other resources to landowners to help them address a diverse range of local conservation issues.
AmeriCorps, a federal agency, brings people together to tackle the country's most pressing challenges, through national service and volunteering. AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serve with organizations dedicated to the improvement of communities. AmeriCorps helps make service to others a cornerstone of our national culture. Learn more at AmeriCorps.gov.
Position Description:
Butler Soil and Water Conservation District will be hosting one member focusing on water quality issues in the Great Miami River Watershed, including Acton Lake Dam – Four Mile Creek, Dicks’s Creek, and Elk Creek. The Ohio EPA has identified TMDL’s in surrounding watersheds and is working to identify TMDL’s in this area. Local monitoring of these watersheds has identified sediment and nutrient runoff as pollutants of concern.
The ORBCorps member will assist the District staff team in carrying out the general goals and objectives of the Butler Soil & Water Conservation District. The GIS & Data Technician is primarily responsible for spearheading projects dealing with data analysis and collection, GIS mapping, as well as participating in workshops and events. Detailed documentation and well-organized data management are critical expectations associated with all aspects of this position. The member will use already collected data from the local volunteer citizen science group, Butler County Stream Team, to help develop graphics and images for watershed plans, as well as develop and present education and outreach programs based on collected data to Butler County students, Stream Team volunteers and to the general public. The member will assist in laying out agricultural waterways and providing drainage maps to landowners, both items are key in creating best management practices in protection our watersheds.
Essential Position Responsibilities:
Technical Work:
- Conduct regular quality control (QC) data screening of water quality data generated by local volunteer water quality monitoring organizations.
- Analyze, format, and upload “QCed” data to an online database that can be accessed by various partner organizations.
- Work with partners and university students to flag “values of concern” from volunteer water quality monitoring data and coordinating with student and local/state agencies to respond to “values of concern” in a timely manner.
- Characterization and mapping of features associated with stream impacts and/or historically installed BMPs.
- Analyze Stream team data and present information to volunteers.
- Create map of environmental concerns for the county from past field visits and reports.
- Support district’s watershed program by creating maps for 9-element watershed plans. Create GIS ACPF maps, images and other graphics as needed.
- Update watershed GIS Story maps on district website.
- Assist with GIS mapping of outlets and basins for MS4 program.
- Assist with in field-based data collection and data management reporting.
Education & Outreach:
- Present on water quality data to various partnership groups and organizations such as but not limited to Butler County Stream Team, watershed groups, and stakeholder groups.
- Assist in Public Education and Outreach activities such as Children’s Waterfest. Assist in conducting conservation education, awareness and public information programs and workshops.
- Write news articles as needed for the district newsletters or other media platforms.
Administration:
- Properly maintain and care for any equipment assigned for use in carrying out the position.
- Attend various meetings and workshops related to this position. Some of these meetings may be night meetings.
- The person in this position will become knowledgeable of the District’s philosophy, programs and goals.
- Assist staff with office workload, answering phones, and filing as needed.
- Prepare monthly activity report for the Board of Supervisors.
- Additional activities that fall within the goals of the program may be assigned with approval of the member, site supervisor and ORBCorps staff.
AmeriCorps Responsibilities:
- Mid-term and final performance evaluations conducted by supervisor
- Weekly timesheets
- Member Service Plan for tracking achieved goals
- Member surveys and exit survey.
Training: Butler SWCD will provide the necessary training and oversight to allow the AmeriCorps member to successfully perform all aspects of this position. Additionally, the AmeriCorps member will receive monthly programmatic training on a variety of conservation topics. Training content may include, but is not limited to first aid, CPR, volunteer engagement, native species planting techniques, facilitating public involvement, environmental education, minimum control measures and land management.
Qualifying Skills and Abilities:
- Must possess a high school diploma or GED
- Taking coursework or interested in natural resources, agriculture, environmental sciences, engineering, education or other related field
- Possess excellent communications skills, written and oral, with an ability to work with a variety of District employees, partners, residents and private landowners
- Proficiency with ArcGIS desktop or QGIS mapping/geospatial analysis tool, GIS Certificate a plus.
- Experience with management and analysis of large datasets
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office products with an emphasis on excel and associated data manipulations
- Valid driver’s license, insurance, and own transportation as needed
- Must successfully pass a comprehensive background and criminal investigation check
- Basic research skills and an eagerness to research solutions to problems independently
- Knowledge and skills that may be acquired while in this position:
- Develop and apply conservation planning
- Observe natural resource issues or applied practices in the field and make recommendations to the land users for solutions and the proper maintenance of these practices
- Become proficient in aerial photo, map and soil survey interpretation
- Become proficient in the use of computer programs and related software
- Printed materials and digital media applications for technical, social and education uses
- Presentation preparation and delivery to children and adults
Preferred Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in a natural resources or science-related field preferred
- Knowledge of the USEPA-NPDES Phase II Storm Water Regulations
Service Schedule:
Daily hours for the GIS & Data Technician AmeriCorps member will be 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon and 12:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday for a total of 40 hours a week. Some weeknight and weekend hours may be required.
To Apply: go to http://www.hcswcd.org/orbcorps-info.html. There you can upload a cover letter, resume/CV and 3 references.
The Butler Soil & Water Conservation District is an equal opportunity employer.
