The Division of Biological Sciences is seeking a Field and Laboratory Technician (Research Assistant III) to engage in a large, multi-institutional project focused on food web and ecosystem responses to multiple stressors (i.e., metals and nitrogen enrichment) in the Upper Clark Fork River watershed, Montana. The technician is expected to engage as a semi-autonomous field and laboratory researcher capable of executing precisely and accurately a broad range of activities including field and laboratory protocols. The technician will be integrating a range of activities associated with multiple projects and students including, but not limited to, the execution of river water quality monitoring, ecological laboratory processing, and design, construction, and maintenance of aquatic mesocosm facilities. The degree of initiative and independence associated with the position is high and will increase over the course of employment commensurate with increasing complexity of the evolving projects.
In accordance with the complexity of integrating multiple projects, the technician is expected to employ/develop management skills to coordinate field and laboratory activities of undergraduate and graduate students involved in the projects. Undergraduate technicians will report directly to the technician, while graduate students will coordinate research activities by consulting with the technicians and project PIs. The pay and employment relationships related to the interacting positions will be the responsibility of the project PIs, but operational coordination, including schedules and task assignments, will be the responsibility of the technician. Accordingly, the technician is expected to schedule and execute regular management meetings to coordinate activities and personnel among projects.
Required Skills
The technician is expected to have been an active participant in team science with a history of engaging in projects that require multiple individuals and skill sets.
Minimum Required Experience
Bachelor’s degree in biology, ecology, environmental chemistry, environmental engineering or a related field.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with coordinating teams, including scheduling and personnel interactions, is preferred.
- Experience in a broad array of activities is preferred including: i) field monitoring of river water and sediment chemistry and biota (macroinvertebrates and periphyton), ii) deployment and maintenance of automated sensors, iii) laboratory processing of field samples including chlorophyll and ash-free dry mass determination and invertebrate picking and sorting, and iv) data entry skills including use of spreadsheets and basic statistical analyses.
- Particular interest will be shown to applicants with aptitude toward infrastructure construction related to the development and maintenance of aquatic mesocosm facilities.
- Direct participation as a personnel manager.
How to Apply
Please visit UM's posting and application site for more information (http://bit.ly/2222umjobs). The position will remain open until filled. Candidates are required to submit the following materials online.
A complete application Includes:
- Letter of Interest – addressing your qualifications and experience related to the stated required skills for the position.
- Detailed Resume – listing education and describing work experience.
- Professional References – names and contact information for three (3) professional references.