ESRM Technician

Job Description

Division of Academic Affairs

Instructional Support Technician II

RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:

The ESRM technician oversees classroom, laboratory, and field equipment and activities of the ESRM program. The technician’s responsibilities and duties fall into four primary categories: supporting instruction, ensuring safety, maintaining instructional operations and equipment, and supporting field-based instruction.

Supporting Instruction

Supports laboratory, field, and experiential instruction and laboratory and field logistics across the ESRM curriculum, including Oceanography, Ecological Restoration, Conservation Biology, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Remote Sensing, Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), Ecotoxicology, and related environmental science disciplines.

Prepares instructional laboratories, field exercises, classroom demonstrations, instructional materials, and technical equipment to ensure the safe and effective delivery of laboratory and field-based learning activities.Assists faculty and students with geospatial technologies and workflows, including GIS analysis, spatial data acquisition and management, GPS/GNSS data collection, cartography, georeferencing, spatial database management, and visualization products supporting instructional activities.

Supports instructional applications of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) through mission planning, equipment preparation, sensor calibration, data acquisition, photogrammetric processing, and production of orthomosaics, digital surface models, and other geospatial products used in laboratory and field courses.

Assists faculty and students with the operation, calibration, maintenance, troubleshooting, and safe use of laboratory instrumentation, environmental sampling equipment, environmental sensors, weather stations, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), scientific analytical systems, and other environmental monitoring technologies used in instruction.

Maintains instructional geospatial databases, environmental datasets, laboratory records, sample archives, and technical documentation to support classroom and field instruction.

Coordinates procurement and management of instructional equipment and supplies by collaborating with faculty, Procurement, vendors, and departmental administrative staff to acquire, maintain, and support specialized laboratory, field, and technical resources.

Safety

Promotes and maintains safe laboratory and field environments that support experiential learning while ensuring compliance with university policies and applicable local, state, and federal regulations.

Supports the safe handling, storage, charging, transport, maintenance, and disposal of LiPo batteries, unmanned aerial systems (UAS) power systems, fuels, compressed gases, solvents, laboratory chemicals, marine sampling supplies, and other potentially hazardous materials used in instructional activities.

Safely operates, maintains, and oversees shop tools, fabrication equipment, repair equipment, and technical systems associated with environmental instrumentation, UAS maintenance, and instructional support.

Coordinates laboratory safety training and compliance activities for instructional faculty, staff, and student employees; maintain required safety records, documentation, and training databases; track completion of required training; and assist with implementation of laboratory safety protocols and best practices across the ESRM instructional program.

Maintains laboratory safety documentation, hazardous material inventories, chemical inventories, inspection records, and regulatory compliance activities in coordination with Environmental Health and Safety personnel.

Supports laboratory self-assessments, hazard mitigation efforts, and implementation of risk management procedures for laboratory and field-based instructional activities.

Maintains compliance with FAA regulations, CSU Channel Islands policies, and departmental standard operating procedures governing unmanned aerial systems (UAS) operations.

Promotes a culture of safety through preventive maintenance, equipment inspections, operational readiness, continuous improvement, and proactive implementation of best practices for laboratory and field instruction.

Maintaining Instructional Operations and Equipment

Maintains, troubleshoots, calibrates, repairs, modifies, and tests laboratory and field instrumentation, including preparation of calibration standards, in support of instructional activities.

Operates, maintains, troubleshoots, repairs, and upgrades fixed-wing and multirotor unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and associated sensor platforms, as well as microscopes, FTIR instrumentation, weather stations, GPS/GNSS equipment, environmental sensors, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), environmental monitoring equipment, and other scientific instrumentation used throughout the ESRM curriculum.

Ensures that instructional laboratories, field equipment, university vehicles, GIS technologies, unmanned aerial systems (UAS), environmental instrumentation, and other technical resources are safe, operational, and ready to support classroom and field instruction.

Works collaboratively with the Program Chair, faculty Lab Coordinator, and instructional faculty to identify instructional equipment and facility needs.

Maintains departmental inventories of laboratory, field, geospatial, UAS, and environmental monitoring equipment, including consumables, maintenance records, repair logs, calibration documentation, and asset tracking systems.

Coordinates equipment procurement, vendor communications, repair services, maintenance activities, and warranty support in collaboration with departmental administrative staff and Procurement to ensure the timely acquisition and maintenance of instructional resources.

Maintains the organization, operational readiness, and security of instructional laboratories, field equipment, geospatial datasets, technical resources, and environmental monitoring systems by ensuring equipment is properly cleaned, tested, calibrated, charged, serviced, stored, and prepared for laboratory and field instruction.

Supporting Field-Based Instruction

Supports field courses and instructional activities conducted in coastal, marine, terrestrial, and remote environments, including occasional travel to locations such as Santa Rosa Island and other instructional field sites.

Prepares field equipment, assemble field kits, coordinate logistics, transport instructional materials, and support implementation of safe field operations.

Coordinates scientific collecting permits, UAS operational authorizations, site access permissions, and other regulatory requirements necessary to support instructional field activities.

Operates university-owned vehicles, including the 12-passenger van and electric cart, to transport equipment and support instructional field programs.

Assists faculty with implementation of experiential learning opportunities that provide students with hands-on environmental science training through laboratory and field-based instruction.

Supports interdisciplinary instructional activities that integrate classroom learning with applied environmental science field experiences.

Additional duties as assigned to support the instructional mission of the Environmental Science & Resource Management Program.

This position may be "Designated" under California State University's Conflict of Interest Code. This would require the filing of a Statement of Economic Interest on an annual basis and the completion of training within 6 months of assuming office and every 2 years thereafter.

Education Code 89521 Requirements: Applicants will be required to disclose whether they have received a final administrative decision or final judicial decision determining that they have committed sexual harassment within the last 7 years only after a determination is made that they meet the minimum qualifications for the position, and before an offer of employment is extended. Applicants who reach the final stages of the application process must also sign a release form that authorizes the release of information by the applicant’s current and/or former employers to the CSU concerning any substantiated allegations of misconduct.

Please note: California State University, Channel Islands (CSUCI) is not currently sponsoring staff or management positions for H-1B employment visas. Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the United States.

Hiring Salary: $4,595 per month

Advertised: Aug 28 2026 Pacific Daylight Time
Applications close: Sep 11 2026 Pacific Daylight Time