The Center for Tropical Forest Science – Forest Global Earth Observatory (CTFS-ForestGEO) is a global network of researchers exploring the diversity and long-term dynamics of the world’s forests using large-scale forest plot data in 25 countries (http://www.forestgeo.si.edu/).
CTFS-ForestGEO developed and maintains a complete data system for storing and updating tree census results for the CTFS-ForestGEO network on a MySQL server. To further comparative data analysis, CTFS-ForestGEO developed a package of analytical software in the R programming language, “The CTFS R Package” (http://ctfs.si.edu/Public/CTFSRPackage/), designed specifically for use with repeated censuses of the CTFSForestGEO data. This package is central to research within CTFS-ForestGEO, and is broadly used by the forest ecology community. CTFS-ForestGEO seeks a person to update and optimize the R package and establish a framework for future maintenance and expansion. We are looking for someone able to clearly document help pages and to write easy-to-read code. The R developer will work closely with users of the functions, so ability to communicate and understand the needs of a broad range of researchers and students is important. The tasks involved in the position are: (1) Produce and maintain a package sensu stricto (currently we have functions and help file, but they are not compliant with current R version). (2) Set up a fully documented and active github (or other) repository for the package. (3) Fully document the functions and complete help files for each function. (4) Optimize code for speed. (5) Integrate code written by other researchers into the package. (6) Integrate the existing R functions to interact directly with output tables from the MySQL database. (7) Write new functions to help in the pre-processing and formatting of CTFS-ForestGEO data. Required skills: (1) Experience in building R packages, good understanding of S3 and S4 methods, and knowledge of generic R work as well as R environments. (2) Experience in git and github. (3) Experience in code debugging, profiling, and optimizing. (4) Strong attention to detail and organizational skills. Desirable skills: (1) Experience with R Markdown and Shiny. (2) Experience with lower level languages, ideally C++. (3) Previous experience with forest ecology or plant dynamics. For further information on the position please contact Dr. Stuart Davies ([email protected]), Director, CTFS-ForestGEO.
