Staff Scientist (STREON Aquatic Ecologist) Boulder, CO
Job Summary
The STREON Scientist will be part of an Aquatic/STREON Team that is
responsible for developing a national program to assess physical,
chemical, and biological changes in streams and lakes over 30
years. The Team currently defines the measurements and designs,
document field and lab methods, algorithms for QA/QC, and train
personnel in order to produce high quality data products for the
research, education, and decision making community.
Specifically, the STREON Scientist is responsible for development,
documentation and implementation of detailed sampling designs and
analytical protocols of the STREON experiment. This position will
require collaboration with the NEON Engineering Team for development
and engineering-level documentation of the experiment components
(nutrient addition station, in-situ baskets, recirculation chambers,
flumes, predator-exclusion system). The position will co-develop and
document sampling designs and audit procedures for aquatic flora and
fauna and freshwater chemistry, in conjunction with the Aquatic
Team. As STREON is the first Observatory experiment, the STREON
Scientist will play a key role in communications with the STREON
Technical Working Group and the larger stream community. The STREON
Scientist will work with an interdisciplinary team of ecologists,
engineers, and other scientists to design, develop, test, and
implement statistically valid protocols to produce data products that
will enable researchers to investigate the impact of climate change,
land-use change, invasive species, and unsustainable water use on
freshwater ecosystems of North America.
This position requires a broad experience base in freshwater ecology,
including experience and knowledge of biogeochemical cycles of
streams, isotopic chemistry, biodiversity, foodweb response to
nutrient enrichment, the role of microbes in detrital-based foodwebs,
and regime and state shift theory in aquatic systems. Further,
experience in programming languages such as R or Matlab is a benefit.
The ideal candidate will have at least ten years of research and
leadership experience beyond the PhD.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities
* Develop and document experiment components of the STREON experiment
* Develop a data collection and audit program for the STREON
experiment, including experiment sampling protocols for algae,
macrophytes, invertebrates, and fish.
* Development and implementation of data QA/QC plan and algorithms.
* Develop training program for field crews.
* Document the scientific rationale for STREON-related measurements
and methods.
* Co-develop detailed sampling designs for microbial communities and
stream morphology.
* Co-coordinate activities of the STREON Technical Working Group.
* Collaborate with NEON engineers and scientists to define audit
sampling procedures.
* Participate in the larger NEON science community, including
participating in independent research and collaborations and
attending meetings/conferences.
Required Education, Experience, Knowledge, and Skills
* PhD in stream ecology or related field. Specialization in stream
food-web structure and function, stream community ecology, or related
ecology with emphasis on biological-chemical-physical linkages of
stream ecosystems. Equivalent education and experience may be considered.
* 3-5 years' experience beyond post-doctoral level in stream ecology
or closely related field.
* 3-5 years research experience in freshwater stream ecology, with
emphasis in the role of food-web structure and function,
biogeochemistry, and microbial ecology.
* Significant field experience working in streams of North America.
* Significant experience communicating to the research community and
federal agencies and in a high-profile, professional environment.
* Demonstrated experience working in a collaborative scientific and
engineering enterprise.
* Demonstrated ability to write technical and scientific documents.
* Scientific writing and review
* Knowledge of database management
* Proficiency in analyses that correlate biological data with abiotic
variables
* Proficiency in statistical design and analyses related to BACI designs
* Ability to work independently, but as part of an active science team
* Strong communication and interpersonal skills
* Undertake responsibilities beyond those associated with individual
research projects
* Travel to domains at least 7x/year
Preferred Education, Experience, Knowledge, and Skills
* Working knowledge of stream morphological dynamics preferred.
* Knowledge of the role of microbial communities in freshwater
ecosystem structure and function preferred, but not required.
* Knowledge of isotope chemistry of stream systems.
* Experience working with federal and state agencies and NGO's.
Experience programming in R or Matlab.
Must have permanent authorization for US employment
Apply to: www.neoninc.org
NEON Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women, Minorities,
Veterans and Disabled Persons are encouraged to apply.
