OSSS semi-regularly updates our opportunities board with positions related to soil science that members share with us. Below you can find positions for career professionals, students (internships, lab positions, or temporary full-time jobs for current undergraduate and graduate students), and information on federal careers in soil science.
Career Positions
Environmental Health Specialist 1 or 2
(https://www.linncountyor.gov/healthservices/job-opening/environmental-health-specialist-1-or-2)
Location: Linn County
Job Summary: This is a full time position with the Environmental Health Program working primarily in the areas of retail food protection, safe drinking water, and VECTOR control. Responsibilities may also include communicable disease control, community outreach and education, consultation with individuals, groups and organizations, and investigation and enforcement of environmental complaints and regulations. Considerable knowledge of the principles and practices of environmental health; knowledge of the laws and administrative rules governing the environmental health programs of the State; ability to make thorough investigations, compile data, and present a clear, concise reports; ability to promote awareness of, and participation toward the correction of public health problems
among the general public; ability to plan and organize work effectively; knowledge of the methods and equipment used by the industries and any other phase of the social structure in which the program is concerned.
Pedology Assistant Professor in Crop and Soil Science Department
(https://jobs.oregonstate.edu/postings/173596)
Location: Corvallis, OR
Job Summary: The department of Crop and Soil Sciences (CSS) invites applications for a full-time (1.00 FTE), 9-month, tenure-track Assistant Professor position.
The primary purpose of this position is to develop and lead a nationally and internationally recognized research and teaching program in pedology, soil genesis and morphology, and soil landscape analysis. The incumbent will apply emerging technologies, AI, machine learning, and digital tools to advance the areas of soil mapping, soil classification, soil morphology, and other related areas. Other research areas include (but are not limited to) soil degradation; hydropedology; geospatial analysis; land-use change; soil mineralogy; remote sensing; soil conservation; soil erosion; subaqueous soils; pedotransfer functions; and big data.
The incumbent is expected to develop a rigorous and innovative externally funded research program in pedology. The soil pedologist will develop mutually beneficial collaborations with CSS, CAS faculty at branch experiment stations across the state, with other Colleges within the university, as well as outside. The incumbent in this position should be able to develop active collaborations nationally and internationally, to advise graduate and undergraduate students, to engage with stakeholders interested in Oregon soils, and to be involved in service to the department, university, and the broader scientific community. The incumbent will teach a course in Soil Morphology and Classification, and two additional courses (one introductory undergraduate course and one standalone graduate course) each year. The incumbent is also expected to serve as an investigator on a USDA-NIFA Hatch collaborative or Hatch multistate project. CSS faculty are expected to demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
College of Agricultural Sciences (CAS) faculty are committed to enhancing student success by engaging students in quality academic, research, internship, global studies, and other experiential learning opportunities. Positions with primary responsibility for extension and outreach are likewise committed to learner success through programming appropriate for diverse audiences. There is an expectation that, as part of the role in the college, the incumbent will embody and advance the principles and practices conveyed in the CAS CARE Commitment document.
The CSS Department has 114 on-campus faculty and staff, and an additional 33 off-campus faculty located at branch experiment stations and county extension offices with academic homes in CSS. These faculty and staff are engaged in the department’s four missions in research, teaching, extension, and service. There are more than 125 students seeking CSS degrees ranging from the BS to PhD. As a faculty member at a land grant university, the incumbent is expected to excel in research and teaching, and to contribute to diversity, equity, and inclusion in these areas. This position contributes to the missions of the CSS Department, the CAS, and the Agricultural Experiment Station at Oregon State University. The position will be located at the main Corvallis campus.
Oregon State University and the CSS Department are committed to maintaining and enhancing a collaborative and inclusive community that strives for equity and equal opportunity. All employees of the Department are responsible for helping to ensure that these goals are achieved. In addition, all faculty members will design, develop, maintain and/or carry out Departmental programs to ensure that all people have equal program participation opportunities.
College of Agricultural Sciences faculty are committed to enhancing student success by engaging students in quality academic, research, internships, global studies, and other experiential learning opportunities.
Teaching Mission: CAS faculty are committed to enhancing student success by engaging students in quality academic, research, internships, global studies, and other experiential learning opportunities.
The incumbent will contribute to equity, inclusion, and diversity as part of educational delivery, advising, research, Extension, service, and/or scholarly outcomes. Outputs and impacts of efforts to promote equity, inclusion, and diversity should be included in promotion and tenure dossiers.
Tenure: This position carries the general and specific responsibilities of a faculty member described in the Faculty Handbook and the promotion and tenure guidelines of Oregon State University. These include effective research and teaching programs, demonstrable scholarship and creative activity, service contributions, and active professional development.
Key Responsibilities:
65% Research
- Pursue scholarly research and publication in pedology.
- Maintain an externally funded research program that adheres to OSU’s requirements for research integrity, compliance, and safety.
- Research is expected to lead to scholarly outcomes, including refereed journal articles, oral and poster presentations, abstracts, and proceedings of professional meetings
- Supervise research staff, graduate research assistants, and/or student employees, as needed.
- Mentor graduate student or undergraduate student researchers who contribute to research accomplishments, including those for which you serve as a major professor or a committee member.
- Serve as an investigator on a USDA-NIFA Hatch collaborative or Hatch multistate project
- Share findings with and cooperate with other research scientists and stakeholders in Oregon and at local, regional, national, and international conferences.
30% Teaching
- Teach existing on-campus and Ecampus versions of courses and develop high quality undergraduate and graduate courses, as needed. Teaching duties will include 3 courses each year, including Soil Morphology and Classification, a second course to be decided based on departmental needs, and the third based on employee’s expertise.
- Teaching activities include classroom instruction, course and curriculum development, and interacting with students in more informal settings.
- Supervise graduate teaching assistants, as needed.
5% Service
- Demonstrate a commitment to diversity and inclusion, including efforts promoting equitable outcomes among learners of diverse and underrepresented identity groups.
- Activities in support of the Department and the University, and the Profession (e.g. peer-review activities, professional society leadership roles).
Student Positions
Looking for scholarship information? Check it out here!
Federal Careers
Quick Links to Currently Open Federal Opportunities
Here are some quick links to federal soil science jobs in Oregon and Washington. Sometimes unrelated jobs will come up in these searches, so keep in mind that some additional searching within these results will be required. These search links are not all-inclusive and some jobs may be missed by these queries!
USA Jobs Links (Federal Jobs Board)
The following hyperlinks below will take you directly to the USA Jobs website search for currently open jobs listed under those position titles.
Natural Resources SpecialistNatural Resource Specialist – Soil resource specialists with The Bureau of Land Management and Natural Resource Conservation Service are often listed in this job series.
Soil Conservationists – This job series is common for soil scientists working with the Natural Resource Conservation Service.
Biological Science Technician – These positions are often how seasonal opportunities in soil science across the BLM and USFS are advertised. They do require more diligent searching in their job descriptions to find out which are soils-specific, as everything from wildlife biology to hydrology can be the focus of these positions.
Federal Employment Outreach
Federal positions will often have an “outreach” period where interested applicants can send their resume to and communicate directly with hiring managers for specific jobs before they are advertised on USA Jobs. This is a great opportunity to ensure you stand out as an applicant and to get information about the specific position or duty locations, which is not always very apparent on USA Jobs. Click below for the direct link to current outreach advertisements with the Forest Service.
USFS Employment Outreach Portal
- Information on Natural Resource Specialists positions at the Department of Interior: https://www.doi.gov/careers/careers/natural-resource-specialist
- Soil Scientist (0470 series) qualifications for all federal positions