Staff PALEONTOLOGIST

Hire Type: As Needed, Hourly with overtime compensation at one

and half times regular pay, pay dependent on experience.

Salary Range: $25-$35 per hour

Location: Remote, reporting to one of three operating regions:

Rocky Mountain Region; Pacific Northwest; West Coast

Job Description:  

Lithos is seeking an as-needed Staff Paleontologist to support projects in the Western United States reporting into one of three main locations; Rocky Mountain Region, Pacific Northwest, and the West Coast. The staff paleontologist will assist with field surveys, construction monitoring, fossil salvages, and other field tasks as needed. The staff paleontologist will also collect and record stratigraphic, lithologic, and paleontological data, and may also be required to assist with laboratory fossil preparation and identification, data entry and cataloging, along with data analysis, geology descriptions, and record searches.  

Required Qualifications:  

  • Bachelor’s degree in paleontology, geology, earth sciences, or a closely related field (e.g., environmental science, physical geography, biology, or geoarchaeology)  

  • Basic paleontologic field skills including identifying fossils to a basic taxonomic level 

  • Valid driver’s license, with the willingness to drive in “off-road” conditions  

  • Ability and willingness to travel with extended overnight hotel stays, usually 2-weeks at a time 

  • Ability and willingness to endure adverse environmental conditions in remote locations, including hot and cold temperatures, precipitation, and challenging terrain for sustained durations  

Preferred Qualification 

  • Masters Degree in paleontology or Geology, or a closely related field 

  • Basic knowledge of field geology skills including sedimentology descriptions, measuring stratigraphic columns, and identifying fossils to a high taxonomic level.  

  • Past Participation in geology or paleontology field school or equivalent type field work 

  • At least 1 year experience in paleontology mitigation 

  • Familiarity with a variety of methodologies in fossil collection and preparation  

  • Data management and GIS Experience