TITLE: Senior Research Assistant, Grade-17 Requisition 2010004912
ANTICIPATED START DATE: July 19, 2010
SALARY: $34,640. Continued employment is contingent upon federal
funding.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: A Bachelor's degree in Biology, Soil Science.
Environmental Sciences or field of research applicable to the position
and three years of related experience. Must have a Valid Driver's
License.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: The selected individual will be
self-motivated, flexible, possess strong supervisory and organizational
abilities, enjoy working under desert field conditions with high heat
and sun exposure (as this is primarily a desert field position), work
reliably both independently and as part of a team, establish and
maintain effective working relationships with associates and principle
investigators, be comfortable working safely with moderately hazardous
materials, recognize the extreme accuracy and consistency essential to
long term research, follow detailed oral and/or written instructions
precisely, communicate well both verbally and in writing, and be able to
coordinate needs with other agencies/groups. Acute attention to small
details, enthusiasm, and the ability to get along well with co-workers,
supervisors, and principle investigators are musts.
Ideally, the successful candidate will have field experience in plant
identification and the use of dichotomous keys, experience working in a
lab environment, good working knowledge of Microsoft Office products, be
comfortable using hand and power tools, and have field experience in
research related to the research areas addressed by this LTER program as
well as demonstrated skills in training and directing work of assigned
staff..
RESPONSIBILITIES: Work is based out of New Mexico State University in
Las Cruces, NM. Individual will participate in the on-going and
multi-disciplinary Jornada Basin Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER)
program on desertification in the Chihuahuan Desert. Research
disciplines include plant ecology (~35%), aeolian studies (~20%),
hydrology (~10%), animal ecology (~5%), soils (~9%), and climatology
(~5%). Approximately 80% of the time will be spent outdoors collecting
data, with the remaining 20% of the time spent in the lab processing
samples, cleaning equipment, checking data, and maintaining appropriate
documentation on the studies and lab. Although the position is usually
40 hours a week, additional hours may occasionally be required both
during the week and on weekends.
Specific field responsibilities include plant measurements and
identification (~200 species); soil moisture measurements using a
neutron probe; collection of aeolian dust and hydrology samples;
handling and identification of small mammals (~20 species); and
maintenance of field instruments, equipment, and infrastructure. The
position will entail manual labor such as routine carrying of heavy
instruments in the field for extended periods and that related to
infrastructure maintenance. General responsibilities include collecting
and recording moderately complex data in both field and laboratory
environments in accordance with established protocols; data entry;
maintaining organizational and historical data for each study; aiding
principle investigators with data collection; design, testing, and/or
modification of experimental equipment and procedures; and the
installation of experimental apparatus.
The Senior Research Assistant also supervises and coordinates
the collection, recording, and error checking of research data; assists
with scheduling and evaluation of assigned staff; assists with
establishing and documenting study protocols; maintains experimental
data, organizational data, and other records; assists with and/or
supervises the setting up of experimental apparatus, instruments, and
other equipment; manages a small laboratory according to federal and
university regulations; maintains accurate inventory records; acts as a
liason for principle investigators; provides support for visiting
scientists; and performs related work as required. Information about the
Jornada Basin LTER program: http://jornada-www.nmsu.edu.
BENEFITS: Group medical and hospital insurance, group life insurance,
state education retirement, worker's compensation, sick leave, and
unemployment compensation.
Review of APPLICATIONS: Review of applications will begin July 12 and
continue until filled. Submit letter of interest, resume or CV, copy of
unofficial transcripts, and 3 references with contact information.
Electronic submissions must be in MS WORD, Rich Text Format (RTF), or
PDF. Other formats will not be accepted.
REPLY TO: John P. Anderson, Jornada LTER Site Manager; USDA-ARS Jornada
Experimental Range; P.O. Box 30003 , MSC 3JER; New Mexico State
University; Las Cruces, NM 88003-0001 [2995 Knox Street, Suite 200 for
FedEx, etc.]
Voice: 505-646-5818; Fax: 505-646-5889; Email:
[email protected]
NMSU IS AN EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER.
All offers of employment, oral and written, are contingent on the
university*s verification of credentials, individual*s eligibility
for employment in the United States and other information required by
federal law, state law, and NMSU policies/procedures, and may include
the completion of a criminal history check.
