Position Title: Bio-Acoustical Engineer (Colorado State University – 
Research Associate I or II dependent upon qualifications)

Location:       Fort Collins, Colorado

Salary: $35,000 – $45,000 (dependent on experience) plus benefits

Full Consideration Date: October 31, 2014

Start date: January 2015

Tour of Duty: Full-time (includes benefits) One year initial term with 
possible extension depending on performance and project funding. The 
position is funded entirely from federal sources under an NPS 
Cooperative Agreement. 
Duties: 
The National Park Service (NPS), Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division 
(NSNSD) is part of the Natural Resource Stewardship and Science 
Directorate (NRSS), a national office, located in Fort Collins, 
Colorado. The NSNSD assists park units in monitoring and managing 
acoustical environments. This position will lead equipment development 
for scientific projects, and will be supervised through the department 
of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology at Colorado State University 
(CSU). The position will also assist NSNSD staff and CSU students in 
collecting and analyzing acoustical data. Applicants must be adaptable, 
available for short term travel, capable of working in wilderness, and 
possess a keen interest in engineering or scientific analysis.

The incumbent’s primary duties include:
Equipment design and maintenance
1.      Collaborate with CSU faculty, staff, and students on equipment 
design for bioacoustical research
2.      Lead the development of novel instrumentation to address 
scientific questions in natural areas
3.      Create and maintain user manuals or standard operating 
procedures for instrumentation
4.      Provide training in the use of equipment to diverse groups, 
including NPS staff, graduate students, undergraduate students, and CSU 
staff
5.      Diagnose equipment failures and perform repairs

Outreach
1.      Produce written reports (including appropriate scientific 
graphics) summarizing the results of acoustic monitoring projects in 
which instrumentation was used, and submit for publication if 
appropriate
2.      Conduct verbal presentations to technical and lay audiences

Data Processing
1.      Process data to extract quantitative measures and facilitate 
equipment design and testing
2.      Provide technical assistance to others in data analysis

The incumbent’s additional responsibilities may include:
1.      Provide technical assistance to park staff and other personnel 
associated with the Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division
2.      Prepare graphical displays of data and results for technical and 
lay audiences
3.      Contribute to meetings with NSNSD to determine the scope of 
work, identify local priorities, designate projects that merit 
engineering effort, provide updates on progress, and provide summaries 
at the end of a project
4.      Perform data entry and other data formatting as needed to 
populate acoustics databases
5.      Other duties as assigned by project managers

Supervisory Controls:
The position reports to the CSU Principal Investigator in the Department 
of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, working closely with the 
NPS Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division manager and staff.

Required Job Qualifications     
1.      Master’s degree or 5 years relevant experience (preferably in 
natural/physical science, engineering, or natural resources)
2.      Experience collaborating with diverse groups including academic 
faculty, staff, and graduate/undergraduate students on data analysis and 
research
3.      Available for travel (up to three weeks at a time)
4.      Demonstrated engineering ability
5.      Experience with specialized programming software (MATLAB, R, 
Python, Soildworks etc.)
6.      Field experience in physical or biological sciences

Preferred Job Qualifications    
1.      PhD in natural/physical science, engineering or natural 
resources
2.      Experience using and maintaining scientific instruments or 
electronics in a physical or biological field setting
3.      Experience using or developing acoustic instruments
4.      Experience using 3D modeling software and 3D printing equipment 
for fabrication of prototypes
5.      Experience diagnosing and/or repairing equipment failures
6.      Experience practicing and/or promoting safety in the workplace
7.      Personal and professional commitment to diversity as 
demonstrated by involvement in teaching, research, creative activity, 
service to the profession and/or diversity/inclusion activities.

Diversity Statement     
Reflecting departmental and institutional values, candidates are 
expected to have the ability to advance the Department’s commitment to 
diversity and inclusion.

Essential Job Duties
Application Details
Special Instructions to Applicants      
Application Process:
Submit as ONE PDF with your last name and position as the file name:
1.      Letter of interest. In the letter, please include a detailed 
description of an engineering project that you have been involved with, 
your role and responsibilities on the project, and your experience 
using/troubleshooting/repairing scientific instruments in the field. 
Please explicitly mention which required and desired attributes you 
possess.
2.      Resume
3.      Names, email addresses, and phone numbers of three references. 
References will not be contacted without prior notification of 
candidates. 
4.      Copy of college transcripts (unofficial OK)

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled; however, for 
full consideration submit application materials by October 31, 2014. 
Please apply at http://warnercnr.colostate.edu/employment-
opportunities.html Questions: [email protected].

Reflecting departmental and institutional values, candidates are 
expected to have the ability to advance the Department’s commitment to 
diversity and inclusion.

Conditions of Employment        
Search Contact  George Wittemyer, Search Chair
EEO Statement   
Colorado State University is committed to providing an environment that 
is free from discrimination and harassment based on race, age, creed, 
color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, gender, disability, 
veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity 
or expression, or pregnancy. Colorado State University is an equal 
opportunity/equal access/affirmative action employer fully committed to 
achieving a diverse workforce and complies with all Federal and Colorado 
State laws, regulations, and executive orders regarding non-
discrimination and affirmative action. The Office of Equal Opportunity 
is located in 101 Student Services.

Background Check Policy Statement       
Colorado State University is committed to providing a safe and 
productive learning and living community. To achieve that goal, we 
conduct background investigations for all final candidates being 
considered for employment. Background checks may include, but are not 
limited to, criminal history, national sex offender search and motor 
vehicle history.

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