2027 NWFP-PAM Field Technician Positions
USDA Forest Service | Pacific Northwest Research Station | PNW Bioacoustics Lab
Join the team collecting field data for the Northwest Forest Plan passive acoustic monitoring (NWFP-PAM) network. We anticipate hiring 40 seasonal technicians across six study areas in Washington, Oregon, and California. Crews place autonomous recording units in federal forests to monitor northern spotted owls, barred owls, and other wildlife. Your work helps produce annual estimates of spotted owl landscape use and pair occupancy, track barred owl activity, and document wildlife across the region. The data we collect help agencies evaluate conservation efforts and make informed decisions about federal forests.
These positions are part of the Forest Service Timber Initiative national hiring event. The USAJOBS announcements cover a broader range of Forestry Technician jobs; the positions described here support NWFP-PAM field data collection.
Positions by duty station
Duty station | GS-05 | GS-06 | GS-07
Cle Elum, WA | 2 | 4 | 1
Arcata, CA | 3 | 3 | 1
Roseburg, OR | 3 | 3 | 1
Medford, OR | 3 | 3 | 0
Springfield, OR | 3 | 3 | 0
Corvallis, OR | 3 | 3 | 1
Apply through USAJOBS
The announcements are scheduled to be open September 25 through October 5, 2026, closing at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time.
Apply to the grade level or levels for which you qualify:
GS-05 https://www.usajobs.gov/job/886147500 All six locations
GS-06 https://www.usajobs.gov/job/886148000 All six locations
GS-07 https://www.usajobs.gov/job/886148100 Cle Elum, Arcata, Roseburg, and Corvallis
What you will do
Deploy, maintain, troubleshoot, and retrieve autonomous recording units in remote forest locations, often away from roads and trails.
Navigate with GPS, maps, and compass; record accurate field notes and metadata; check equipment; and transfer acoustic files for permanent storage.
Drive government owned vehicles, hike, and sometimes snowshoe or use snow machines or ATVs in difficult terrain and adverse weather. Some overnight
vehicle camping and backcountry travel may be needed.
At GS-06, serve as an experienced crew member and help train staff. At GS-07, take on additional coordination and training duties and assist the study area crew leader.
