TECHNICIAN POSITION: PLANT COMMUNITY ECOLOGY Tyson Research Center Washington University in St. Louis
A technician position is available in Jonathan Myers' research group at Washington University in St. Louis (http://www.myersecologylab.com). The technician will help maintain day-to-day operations of two large-scale, long-term forest-ecology projects at Washington Universitys environmental field station, the Tyson Research Center (http://tyson.wustl.edu), located 20 miles from campus. Primary tasks include: (1) establishing and maintaining permanent plot grids, seed traps, and plots for surveys of herbaceous and woody plant communities; (2) identifying, tagging, measuring, and mapping plants; (3) collecting seeds and implementing seed-addition experiments; (4) raising plants from seed in shade houses and measuring plant functional traits; (5) measuring environmental variables in the field; (6) organizing, entering, and managing data sets using Microsoft Excel and/or R; and (7) assisting with the mentoring and supervision of undergraduate students and high school students in field and lab research. Position details: The technician will assist with a NSF-funded project investigating how the diversity of species traits at regional scales influences responses of plant communities to environmental change (fire & nutrient availability). The expected duration of the position is 3-4 years, with full benefits. Wages will be commensurate with experience. The position is available starting between March and May 2016. The technician will be based in the Department of Biology and the Tyson Research Center. Minimum requirements: A bachelors degree in biology, ecology, environmental science, forestry or a related field; experience conducting ecological field research; proficiency with data entry and database management using Microsoft Excel; a desire to learn new analytical, field or laboratory skills; and the ability to work outdoors under arduous conditions that include walking across steep terrain and hot/humid weather. Ideal candidates will have a strong interest in ecology and strong teamwork skills. Preferred qualifications: Masters degree in ecology or several years of post-bachelors experience in plant-ecology research; experience conducting independent research, working with a research team, or mentoring undergraduate students in research; and experience with data analysis, especially in R. To apply: Please combine the following into a single PDF file: 1) a cover letter describing your interest in this position, relevant past experience, start date availability, and contact information for three references including email addresses and phone numbers; and 2) a CV. Application materials must be submitted electronically through https://jobs.wustl.edu by entering the job ID number (33019) as a keyword under Basic Search. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Candidates are encouraged to e-mail Jonathan Myers ([email protected]) to indicate interest in the position as soon as possible using the subject line "Technician Position". Questions regarding the position can be directed to Jonathan Myers.
