What are the responsibilities and job description for the Research Associate - Water Quality Monitoring position at University of Louisiana Lafayette?
Position Title: Research Associate - Water Quality Monitoring
Department: 2710|Biology
Responsibilities:
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette invites applications for the position of a Research Associate in Water Quality Monitoring. The selected candidate will have experience in estuarine water quality monitoring, working with oceanographic sensors, instrumentation, and sample analyses, and/or quantitative estuarine/coastal ecology. The selected candidate will work as part of the collaborative LO-SPAT project (50%, www.lospat.org), a state-funded project with the goal of enhancing oyster resilience in variable estuarine environments. The selected candidate will also be the field monitoring lead for a different state-funded project monitoring for harmful algae in Barataria Bay (50%). The role of the selected candidate will include:
- Lead (along with project PIs and other staff) continuation of water monitoring programs, including leading field-based equipment servicing, data collection, and analyses. This includes maintaining active sites (one with an optical nitrate sensor) and working to establish new sites
- Lead small boat field expeditions to estuarine sampling sites across the coast of Louisiana
- Assist in processing of lab-based analyses for nutrient concentrations and phytoplankton ecology (e.g., pigments by fluorometry, community composition, harmful algal blooms [HABs], and toxins, among others)
- Prepare geographic, time-series, and/or multivariate data analyses and preparation of data for presentations and publications.
- Data management and archiving and contributing to project reporting.
- Coordinate with project partners
The Research Associate will be supervised by Dr. Beth Stauffer (http://www.staufferlab.com) in the UL Lafayette Department of Biology but will also work with the project teams and collaborators, including academic, private industry, and state agency partners. The position will require single or multi-day travel and may require working and traveling on weekends.
Salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience. This will be a 12-month, benefits-eligible staff position with an initial appointment of 1 year. Continuation of the appointment beyond the initial year is possible and will be based on performance and availability of funds. The PI and the Stauffer Lab is committed to supporting scientists from historically excluded groups in STEM and encourages applicants from all backgrounds to apply.
Informal inquiries about the position are encouraged and can be sent to Dr. Stauffer (beth.stauffer@louisiana.edu). A formal application must be submitted via the career site. The application should include: 1) a cover letter describing interest, relevant background and qualifications, 2) full curriculum vitae or resume, and 3) contact information for two professional references. Preferred start date is in May 2025.
Qualifications:
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in marine science, oceanography, environmental science, biogeochemistry, or other relevant field
- 1 year experience conducting research or comparable experience showing independence or leadership in research
- Experience working in an aquatic field setting
- Experience with standard water quality sensors (i.e., YSI, Hydrolab) or analytical measurements
- Familiarity with R programming or other programming experience
Preferred Qualifications:
- Master's degree in marine science, oceanography, environmental science, biogeochemistry, or other relevant field
- 2 years experience conducting research or comparable experience showing independence or leadership in research
- Small boat handling experience
- Experience working with continuous nutrient sensors and/or auto-analyzers
- Proficiency in R programming or other programming experience
- Publication(s) and/or presentation(s) of scientific work in relevant outlets
Job Ad# (req4177)
