This re-post of the ad has a more direct link to the position on USAJOBS. The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) seeks two Physical Science Technicians to maintain long-term water watershed, estuary, and wetlands sampling programs. Duties will include some or all of the following: installation and maintenance of field equipment and infrastructure, field sampling, laboratory chemical analyses, use of analytic instruments, data acquisition, data analysis, and database maintenance.
Field equipment to be supported includes physical and chemical sensors, meteorological equipment, data loggers, wireless data transmitters, and hydrologic equipment for flow measurement and flow-weighted water sampling. Fieldwork includes data and sample collection from a variety of environments at SERC and elsewhere, as well as maintenance of existing weirs, boardwalks, experimental chambers, and other infrastructure. Laboratory duties include chemical analyses using analytical instruments and wet chemical methods on a wide variety of analytes in air, water, soil, sediments, and biological material. The technician will be responsible for sample analyses using at least some of the following methods: nutrient analyses, organic carbon analyses, elemental analyses, spectrophotometric and colorimetric analyses, liquid and gas chromatography, optical emission spectrometry, and mass spectrometry. The incumbent will operate, calibrate, and maintain laboratory analytical equipment, and maintain quality assurance and quality control standards for analyses. The technician will be responsible for management and some analysis of data collected in selected research programs and projects. This work will include construction and maintenance of databases, and writing code for statistical analyses. This is a career-track federal position with a starting salary projected at $43,600 and includes a comprehensive benefits package. The Smithsonian Institution is an equal opportunity employer, and women and minorities are encouraged to apply. Applications are due no later than January 19, 2016. All applications must be made through USAJOBS at https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/425239800
