Biological Science Technician (Global Change Ecology Lab)
The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) invites applications for a Biological Science Technician to support research conducted by the Global Change Ecology Lab, including long-term experiments at SERC’s Global Change Research Wetland as well as short-term projects focused on questions such as how plants and microbes respond to global change and what that means for ecosystem biogeochemistry. We anticipate that a successful applicant will be able to: collect and process vegetation, soil, water, and gas samples from wetland and terrestrial ecosystems; develop analytical protocols; ensure organization of samples and data; maintain, calibrate, and operate specialized instruments for chemical analysis of environmental data; use software to quality check and summarize data; track lab inventories; and organize multi-phase projects.
We are looking for a new colleague to:
- Maintain a safe and efficient environment for post-doctoral employees, technicians, and volunteers in field and laboratory spaces.
- Contribute to project goals by coordinating sampling schedules, tracking project priorities, analyzing data, and contributing to publications.
- Collect and process vegetation, soil, water, and gas samples from wetland and terrestrial ecosystems.
- Operate, calibrate, and maintain instruments for chemical analysis of environmental samples.
- Organize data, including digitization, quality control, and metadata documentation.
- Coordinate with others to ensure proper sample storage, equipment maintenance, and waste disposal, plan experimental and sampling logistics and schedules, order supplies, and maintain budgets.
Requirements for this position include one of the following:
- One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-06 level in the federal service or comparable pay band system. (Note: You must list the duration of this experience in months and years, as well as the number of hours per week you worked.)
- or Successful completion of one full year of graduate education directly related to this position, such as working on a degree in environmental science, earth science, chemistry, biology, or ecology.
- or A combination of specialized experience and education.
For this position, specialized experience includes all of the following (Note: Your application must specifically describe your past experience in each component.):
- Experience supporting an environmental science research program, including collecting and processing soil and water samples in field and laboratory environments.
- Experience operating and maintaining analytical equipment, curating and analyzing data, coordinating laboratory logistics, and executing multi-phase projects.
Apply through USAJOBS Vacancy Announcements: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/802456300
Applications directly to SERC will not be accepted.
Get tips on how to navigate the USAJOBS system. On your resume, please make sure to describe all prior accomplishments or responsibilities that speak to the specialized experience and evaluation criteria listed in the job announcement on USAJOBS. For each previous job on your resume, you must also clearly state the start and end dates (month and year), hours worked per week, salary. Note that a typical resume or academic cv is unlikely to contain all the required application information and failure to include this information may result in disqualification for the position.
Genevieve Noyce
Principal Investigator, Global Change Ecology Lab
noyceg@si.edu
SERC is a research institute of the Smithsonian Institution dedicated to environmental research and education. SERC’s 2,650-acre campus is a living laboratory for long-term ecosystem research on forests, farmland, wetlands, shorelines and estuaries. SERC is strategically located in a rural landscape with immediate proximity to the Baltimore-Washington DC-Annapolis urban system on the western shore of Chesapeake Bay and central to the Bay’s large watershed. Our vibrant community of 150 staff includes principal investigators, educators, technicians, postdocs, and graduate and undergraduate researchers, who annually engage and collaborate with interns, 500+ volunteers, and 15,000 public visitors. Research and education at SERC address grand challenges in environmental science by working across ecological scales, conducting long-term studies, and engaging in comparative, synthetic studies. Our scientists collaborate across the Smithsonian Institution and with federal and state agencies, universities, and international organizations. We value public engagement and have strong programs in citizen science, science education, and science communication.
The SERC community recognizes the value of diversity in promoting innovative science and creative solutions, and we strongly encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply. We recognize that each applicant will bring unique skills, knowledge, experiences, and background to these positions. The Smithsonian Institution is an equal opportunity employer, committed to a policy of nondiscrimination on the basis of race/ethnicity, national origin, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, religion, marital/parental/caregiver status, and disability.
