Research Scientist 3

The Department of Biology is seeking a highly qualified technician to be hired as Field Research Scientist III. The candidate will be responsible for the day-to-day operation of 6-9 long running (since 2007) eddy flux towers in Central New Mexico that are being used to increase our understanding of how ecosystem structure and function vary across elevation gradients in the Southwestern US. The towers are distributed across six common ecosystems in the Southwestern U.S.: desert grassland and shrubland, juniper savanna, pinon-juniper woodland and high elevation ponderosa pine and subalpine coniferous forests.

The candidate will maintain the instrumentation and infrastructure of these tower flux systems and work with an interdisciplinary group of faculty, postdoctoral, graduate and undergraduate researchers to make additional physiological and ecological field measurements associated with this project. The candidate will participate in data management, data quality assurance, and the preparation of peer-reviewed publications of research findings. In addition, this position will involve leading and guiding a field crew in the summer. Candidates with strong hands-on technical and problem-solving skills, a background in electronics and programming, experience hiking and operating in rugged outdoor conditions, and backgrounds related to ecosystem ecology, hydrology or micrometeorology are encouraged to apply. This position will be based in Albuquerque at UNM Biology and will require frequent day travel to field sites and occasional overnight trips. The position is initially available for 12 months and renewable on a year-to-year basis for two or more additional years.

Work requires periods of heavy physical effort, handling heavy objects, general construction skills, and/or extended periods of standing or walking for large portions of the work day. Field work may involve prolonged exposure including high temperatures, dusty conditions, high light, low humidity, high winds. Outdoor work may also include chance encounters with poisonous snakes or spiders however these organisms will not be handled in any way. Laboratory work may include exposure to hazards or physical risks that require following basic safety procedures. The duty station for this position is UNM Biology. Often requires working long hours in the field outside of normal business hours (dawn-dusk measurement campaigns, etc.). Some measurements may require several day periods in the field. Requires climbing towers ranging in height from 10-130 ft.