Visiting Senior Scientific Specialist, Botany - INHS/PRI

Duties & Responsibilities

• Research - Fieldwork Plan, lead, and conduct botanical field surveys within the Chicago Region and the Tollway network. Plan and organize cost- and logistically effective routine overnight fieldwork. Secure necessary permits to perform fieldwork. Identify and map federal and state-listed threatened and endangered plant species and Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) throughout the Tollway network. Identify and map invasive species (herbaceous plants, trees, shrubs) throughout Tollway corridors. Assess vegetation cover, biomass, and species composition within Tollway corridors. Monitor the phenology of target plant species to inform management decisions. Collect and prepare herbarium specimens.
• Research - Data Analysis Lead botanical research studies from experimental design through to publication in scientific journals. Secure external funding, including grants, to support botany research and contribute to externally funded projects with colleagues at the Survey, PRI, and outside agencies. Use GIS software for spatial analyses, creating maps, and analyzing spatial patterns. Use R or Python for statistical modeling of plant data and ecological analyses. Translate scientific data into reports, peer-reviewed publications, and presentations to be delivered annually for conferences and professional meetings.
• Administrative Supervise, mentor, and lead hourly staff to foster a culture of innovation and high-level performance by assigning tasks, scheduling fieldwork and hotel stays, overseeing staff performance, providing coaching and feedback, and approving travel. Prioritize tasks; organize and plan surveys and research to ensure projects progress on time. Coordinate and collaborate with laboratory staff researchers on related research and habitat management projects. Create and maintain positive working relationships with State, Federal, and University partners. Perform administrative and logistical tasks associated with the position, such as booking hotels and purchasing equipment for fieldwork and research using university purchasing and reconciling systems. Ensure grant and contract obligations are fulfilled promptly, adhering to deadlines. Ensure data quality assurance standards are met. Ensure facilities, equipment, and supplies are properly maintained. Seek external funding for research projects and contribute to externally funded projects with colleagues at the Survey, PRI, and outside agencies while remaining within the scope of the contractual work or when proper funding support is applied. Represent the PaCE Lab, INHS, PRI, and the University of Illinois on committees, symposiums, and outreach events.
• Other Perform other duties to further the mission and goals of the Survey, PRI, and the University of Illinois. Keep abreast of communications and developments in this discipline.