NRRI - Aquatic Chemist

This is a temporary 100% position for one year and is subject to funding availability.

Hourly rate for this position is $22.12.

This position will be responsible for analyzing water chemistry samples and assisting with coordination of daily operations of the NRRI Central Analytical Laboratory (CAL), a state-certified water quality laboratory specializing in low-level detection of water quality parameters in the Laurentian Great Lakes and nutrient-poor lakes and streams in the Upper Midwest.

NRRI CAL provides analytical laboratory and field research support services to Institute and University scientists; other University collaborators; local, state, federal, and tribal agencies; and private businesses and commercial laboratories.

The position will assist on research projects studying interacting stressors of climate and land use change on lake and stream health and biogeochemical cycling; drivers of cyanobacteria bloom formation and toxicity in lakes; and ecosystem structure and functioning in the Laurentian Great Lakes and inland aquatic ecosystems.

This position is responsible for identifying laboratory and instrument supply and maintenance needs, and preparing budgets for purchasing, and planning for future expenditures.

The researcher works regularly with complex and varied scientific equipment and must be able to troubleshoot and fix instrumentation when it malfunctions, when errors arise or when results do not meet strict quality control guidelines. The researcher may be required to develop new standard operating procedures or to adapt previous developed procedures for a specific research goal.

Duties/Responsibilities:

Water quality analyses (50%):

• Process water chemistry samples according to state-certified standard operating procedures, including performing rigorous water chemistry analyses following strict standard operating procedures and quality assurance protocols.
• Identify analytical chemistry performance issues and develop solutions, as well as track quality assurance metrics to ensure compliance with state and federal guidelines, and schedule analyses to ensure holding times are met.
• This involves having a deep understanding of contract deliverables, deadlines, and prioritizing tasks to ensure contract requirements are achieved

Water sample collection and recording field observations (25%):

• Perform environmental field work and collect surface water and groundwater samples from diverse aquatic ecosystems, including streams, lakes, wetlands, and the Laurentian Great Lakes.
• This involves following detailed standard operating procedures, recording detailed field observations and measurements, troubleshooting and resolving equipment and instrument issues in the field, delivering samples under proper conditions and with detailed chain-of-custodies, and reporting field data and observations to federal and state agencies.

Supervision of students (10%):

• Train undergraduate and graduate students, laboratory staff, and collaborators on statecertified analytical methods, instrument operation, laboratory safety policies and protocols, and routine laboratory maintenance and housekeeping.
• This involves coordinating laboratory analyses, delegating tasks, prioritizing work tasks and monitoring progress, and assisting with resolving problems.
• All tasks and supervision duties will involve frequent and effective communication with the Laboratory Manager and other laboratory members.

Data reporting and project deliverables (10%):

• Collect and analyze data using advanced statistical techniques to meet project deliverables for various externally funded projects, including drafting project reports, developing scientific manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals, and presenting findings at regional and international conferences.

Assisting with development of standard operating procedures for new analyses and instruments. (5%)

Required Qualifications:

• BS or BA in Environmental Science, Biology, Water Resources or related field and at least two (2) years of work experience in environmental science, limnology, or inorganic and quantitative chemistry or a combination of education and relevant work experience to equal at least six years.
• Experience in collection and analysis of environmental samples.
• Computer skills performing data entry, spreadsheet and database management, statistical analysis, and report writing.
• Ability to communicate and work closely with team members in lab and field settings.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience with UV/VIS spectrophotometry, Ion Chromatography and other surface water chemistry analyses for nutrients, minerals, chlorophyll, color, pH, and suspended solids.
• Demonstrated experience with Discrete Analyzer (e.g. SEAL AQ400) systems. -Demonstrated experience with laboratory quality assurance and control (QA/QC) protocols and good lab practices (GLPs). Demonstrated experience developing and/or refining laboratory Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Demonstrated experience training laboratory personnel in instrumentation use, analytical methods (SOPs), and GLPs.
• Demonstrated experience with stream site monitoring aquatic ecosystems in remote locations.
• Demonstrated experience with RStudio and data analysis techniques.
• Ability to work independently with minimal guidance from supervisor/principal investigator.

Physical/Environmental Demands :

• Lab procedures may call for use of hazardous chemicals, they must understand basic PPE requirements when it comes to acids, base, and flammable liquids.
• Some procedures require work with biohazard materials and need additional safety training.
• Field work: sometimes hiking in rough/remote terrain and/or adverse weather conditions, lifting up to 40 lbs, carrying up to 25 lbs.