Job Type: On-site, full-time
Location: Tall Timbers - Tallahassee, Florida
Pay: $35,000 – $42,000/year plus on-site housing in Utah and Florida
Application Deadline: February 22, 2026 (or until filled)
Tall Timbers is recruiting a Research Technician III to coordinate field research for the Fire
Research lab at sites across the southern United States. The research will investigate the patterns and mechanisms of post-fire tree mortality and fire-vegetation feedbacks in forests, savanna, and grasslands. The incumbent will be supervised by Dr. Morgan Varner and work closely with biologist Erin Wachter at Tall Timbers and collaboratively with other scientists and staff at the USDA Forest Service, and affiliated NGOs, universities, and land managers. The position is funded for 12 months, with additional support possible beyond based on performance and funding availability.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
The candidate will primarily be responsible for collecting field data, data management, and data analysis. Additionally, the candidate will assist coordination for multiple field-based projects, including administration and field activities.
Minimum Qualifications
A completed B.S degree in either forestry, ecology, plant physiology, or a related field. Candidate should be highly motivated with the ability to work independently. Valid state driver’s license required.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Knowledge of and experience with some of the following topic areas: forest ecology, field
techniques and measurement, fire behavior, and statistical analyses.
Working Conditions and Physical Effort
Ability to perform routine office work and fieldwork in inclement weather and under strenuous
conditions in southern climates throughout the calendar year, including occasional long hours and weekends for field campaigns.
Workplace Environment
Tall Timbers has a commitment as an equal opportunity employer, and rejects racism, prejudice, discrimination or hate toward any race, ethnicity, culture, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, national origin, veteran status, socioeconomic class, religion, or professional status. We strongly encourage applications from underrepresented groups and those that add to and engage the local communities.
Instructions for Applying
Applications should include (in a single PDF): 1) a letter of interest that includes educational and experiential preparation and 2) a current resume. All applications should be emailed to Erin Wachter (ewachter@talltimbers.org).
Contact: Erin Wachter, Lead Fire Research Biologist
Contact Email: ewachter@talltimbers.org
Contact Phone: 804-305-1330
Applications Reviewed: February 22, 2026 or until a suitable candidate can be found
Position Start Date: Winter/Spring 2026 (negotiable)
Full-Time/Part-Time: Full-Time
Salary: $35,000 – $42,000 plus on-site housing in Utah and Florida
Work Location: Tall Timbers, Tallahassee, FL
About Tall Timbers
Tall Timbers, a 4,000-acre site founded in 1958, is located in Tallahassee, Florida. Research at Tall Timbers is focused on fire ecology, vertebrate ecology, Northern bobwhite ecology, fire behavior, and advanced fire training to meet next-generation fire management needs. Tall Timbers also owns and manages the 7,800 acre Livingston Place, near Monticello, Florida. Both sites are frequently burned and have a diversity of ecosystems where fire is a dominant ecological process. More information on Tall Timbers can be found here: https://talltimbers.org/
