Research Scientist 1 - Rudgers

The Sevilleta Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) program at the University of New Mexico is seeking to fill a position at the level of Research Scientist I. This position has a large field ecology component that requires the ability to live for extended periods at the Sevilleta Field Station near Socorro, New Mexico, during spring and fall data collection periods (up to five non-consecutive months per year - typically Apr/May and Aug-Oct) and to drive a field vehicle. This is a year-round position. Outside of the field seasons, the technician performs data entry, management, and quality control tasks, and at the full capacity of the position will be responsible for bringing datasets from collection to publication in the Environmental Data Initiative public data repository (https://edirepository.org/).

The primary responsibility of this research technician position is to work with other scientists to collect and manage data for a number of long-term, field-based research projects. The majority of these projects focus on plant ecology. Thus, the successful candidate will have excellent plant identification skills, the ability to hike long distances in a desert environment carrying field equipment, and the ability to collect field data and manage these data in the office. Botanical expertise and experience with vegetation sampling methods are strongly preferred because this work is the bulk of the field work time. Work tasks occasionally include the maintenance of experimental field infrastructure (e.g., setting up drought shelters, moving equipment) and maintaining field-based sensors. We also run monthly bee trapping and small mammal trapping during March - October. Thus, candidates with prior experience working with small mammals or with the identification and curation of insect specimens will be preferred; however, these skills are not required and can be learned on the job. The ability to bend, kneel, and squat reflects the physicality required for measuring plants and doing construction work. Field season stints typically involve four 10-hour days outdoors in the heat. For small mammal projects, the ability to wear a half-face respirator is necessary. Experience with data management and analysis is a preferred qualification particularly the use of Excel and the ability to write and run code in R software.

This is a term position (one-year appointment) with renewal available for multiple years, contingent upon performance.

See the Position Description for additional information.

• Successful candidate must submit to a post-offer, pre-employment physical examination and medical history check. Additional health screenings may be required, dependent on the nature of the research conducted, as determined by Employee Occupational Health Services.
• Employees who provide services or work in patient care or clinical areas are required to be in compliance with the University's influenza vaccination requirement.

Bachelor's degree; no previous experience required.

Completed degree(s) from an accredited institution that are above the minimum education requirement may be substituted for experience on a year for year basis.

• BS, or MS degree.
• Familiarity with the flora of central New Mexico.
• Experience with field botany and plant identification, including the use of dichotomous keys.
• Experience with vegetation sampling methods, including line intercept and percentage plant species cover estimation using quadrats.
• Experience with collection, keying, identification and pinning of insect (especially bee) specimens.
• Experience with the handling and/or trapping of small mammals.
• Experience ensuring the quality and integrity of long-term data sets.
• Experience using excel and statistical software (ideally R programming language)
• Experience with independent research in biology, including statistical analysis and experimental design.
• Experience with maintenance of experimental field infrastructure (e.g., rainfall experiments) and/or sensors (CO2, soil moisture, soil temperature).
• Experience with GIS and spatial data collection (drones), processing and analysis.

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Positions posted with a Staff Type of Regular or Term are eligible for the Veteran Preference Program. See the Veteran Preference Program webpage for additional details.

The University of New Mexico is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class.

The University of New Mexico requires all regular staff positions successfully pass a pre-employment background check. This may include, but is not limited to, a criminal history background check, New Mexico Department of Health fingerprint screening, New Mexico Children, Youth, and Families Department fingerprint screening, verification of education credentials, and/or verification of prior employment. For more information about background checks, visit https://policy.unm.edu/university-policies/3000/3280.html. Refer to https://policy.unm.edu/university-policies/3000/3200.html for a definition of Regular Staff.