Agency

Department

****Student Internships with Texas A&M Forest Service (TAMFS) are 10 week assignments that begin late May-early June and conclude in August. Monday-Friday 8AM - 5PM. Housing is not provided. $17/hr.

Texas A&M Forest Service is seeking highly motivated students who have interest in exploring work with the premier state forestry agency in the country. These individuals may select one or more program areas of interest where they will contribute to support the agency mission of assuring the state's trees, forest and related natural resources are protected and sustained and encourages looking to TAMFS as an employer upon graduation.

Current locations available: College Station, Commerce, Lufkin, McGregor, Mineral Wells. Please indicate in the questionnaire which location(s) and program(s) you are interested in.

General Summary:

Assist professional staff in one of a variety of emphasis such as Incident Response, wildfire mitigation and prevention, forest stewardship, water resource management, urban & community forestry and geospatial services. Interns will be responsible for a dedicated project within their chosen emphasis area. There are opportunities during the course of the internship to be exposed to a wide variety of programs within the agency, not just the program the internship is under.

Incident Response interns: (Commerce/McGregor/Mineral Wells)

Will work under the Field Operations Department and work closely with Task Force Coordinators, Wildland Urban Interface Coordinators, Regional Fire Coordinators, Foresters and Woodland Ecologists. Gain familiarization in both fire and natural resource management programs. Engage in supporting fire prevention and mitigation programs, which may include development of Community Wildfire Protection Plans and Firewise Communities, hazardous fuel reduction projects (including prescribed fire and forest mulching) and wildland fire training if available. Provide GIS mapping and data support, assist in Stewardship plan writing, Oak Wilt surveys and assist with landowner workshops. Assist in promoting the benefits of prescribed fire and mechanical fuel reduction projects. Provide support for fire department capacity building programs and wildfire response.

Forest Stewardship, Water Resources, Urban & Community Forestry interns: (College Station, Lufkin)

-Will work under Staff Foresters/Woodland Ecologists/District Foresters to support the development and maintenance of statewide community forestry, forest stewardship, water resources, State Forests program delivery and assist staff to attain program goals. Support initiatives that deliver education, outreach and technical assistance to stakeholders on various topics to include tree planting and maintenance, Texas Treesilience Grant, Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), geospatial mapping and data collection, tree inventory and analysis, urban stormwater management/green infrastructure, Community Forestry Grant Program, development guidelines and recognition programs, such as Tree City USA.

Required Qualifications:

-Working towards a Bachelor's degree in a related field and have completed their junior year of college up to second-year post graduates looking for professional experience. Must not be graduating in May. Majors should be in Forestry, Natural Resource Management, Range Science, Emergency Management or a closely related field.

-Knowledgeable in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

-Strong interpersonal, oral and written communication skills.

-Ability to multi-task and work cooperatively with internal and external partners.

Opportunities:

-Grow professionally in your chosen course of study.

-Make meaningful contributions as an integral part of a cohesive team.

-Develop skills and experience.

-Interact and collaborate with professionals across a broad array of forestry-related disciplines, including urban and community forestry, forest inventory & analysis, forest health, forest management and wildland fire.

-Contribute to the sustainability of natural resources in Texas and beyond.

Working Conditions:

Mixed-office type environment with field work and occasional travel. May require exposure to harsh environmental conditions for extended periods, such as smoke, wind, sunlight, rain and temperature extremes. Walking long distances, standing for extended periods, twisting, bending, reaching and kneeling. Driving motor vehicles for long distances. Operating heavy equipment with related exposure to equipment vibration and noise. Operating computers with monitors for extended periods of time. Emergency response may result in exposure to emotionally stressful situations for extended periods of time. Job stress can be frequent when confronted with deadlines of various projects, frequent travel, long hours and adverse weather conditions.To participate in wildland firefighting, must meet the moderate physical fitness standard of a 2-mile walk carrying a 25-pound pack in 30 minutes or less to be allowed on the fire-line. Performs all tasks and job responsibilities safely without injury to self or others in compliance with system and agency requirements.

We believe in supporting our employees so they are free to grow and do their best work. Together, TAMFS LEADS with our core values:

-Leadership in our mindset

-Excellence in our outcomes

-Accountability in our actions

-Duty to our mission & Texas

-Service in our hearts

Benefits: Texas A&M University System strives to support the health and wellness needs of our diverse workforce. Texas A&M Forest Service offers full-time employees a competitive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance, retirement benefits, paid time off and health and lifestyle programs as well as educational incentives and tuition reimbursement opportunities. Some additional benefits include the ability to accrue compensatory time off, overtime on emergency response and a physical fitness incentive of $500 for passing the arduous test (walk three miles wearing a 45-pound pack in 45 minutes or less) each year.

Applicant Instructions:

Resume, cover letter, and current transcript are REQUIRED to be uploaded to application. References are required to be entered in the secondary questionnaire section of the application.  Certifications are preferred to be uploaded to the application.  Documents/certifications can be uploaded in the "My Experience" page in the "Resume/CV section.  More than one document can be uploaded; just click the "Upload" button for each document.  Documents can only be loaded at this time and cannot be uploaded once the application is submitted.  If there are any issues uploading documents, please contact 979-458-6690.  Please check your spam folder in case more information is sent in regards to this position.

All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.

Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Veterans/Disability Employer.