Assistant Researcher, Field Ecohydrologist

Details

Posted: 01-May-26

Location: Lawrence, Kansas

Type: Full-time

Categories: Staff/Administrative

Internal Number: 5220966

Position Overview

The Kansas Geological Survey (KGS) is seeking a skilled and enthusiastic researcher to contribute to and lead field-based research on a variety of projects funded by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, U.S. Department of Agriculture, State of Kansas, and other private industry/non-profits.

Anticipated types of field research will include characterization of soil hydrological processes in agricultural regions, installation and maintenance of environmental sensors, assessing surface water and groundwater quantity/quality, and contributing to other projects as needed. When not in the field, the researcher will also be responsible for data organization and management, maintenance and organization of field equipment, and processing samples in the laboratory. The tentative start date is June 21, 2026, but is flexible based on availability from early June to late July.

The ideal candidate will have experience and enthusiasm for field-based environmental research, strong organizational abilities, and an ability to work independently and collaboratively. This position will require regular (approximately monthly) overnight travel around the state of Kansas and beyond.

Job Description

30% - Provide support to KGS Geohydrology staff in field work related to water, agriculture, hydrogeology, and other research topics. Acquire data and samples, independently perform quality-control assessment and preliminary interpretation of data from the field and hydrologic sensor network, process samples in a laboratory setting when needed, and assist in the presentation of project results.

25% - Coordinate fieldwork in consultation with KGS scientists, staff, and external collaborators. Assist in the planning and coordination of field work, develop plans related to field installation and data acquisition, and organize/maintain necessary field instrumentation.

25% - Provide technical assistance for Geohydrology research instrumentation. Acquire, design, deploy, maintain, and troubleshoot research instrumentation and equipment independently, sometimes with little to no direct supervision. Define user protocols for field and laboratory equipment. Assist in the preparation of specifications for equipment purchases. Maintain familiarity with literature regarding recent developments in relevant field techniques.

10% - Acquire and process datasets with relevance to ongoing field investigations, to both guide and contextualize field work operations.

10% - Assist in miscellaneous field, research, outreach, and service activities for the KGS as appropriate.

Position Requirements

1. Physical ability to work outdoors in all Kansas weather conditions, including lifting heavy items up to 50 lbs with or without reasonable accommodation and carrying large or bulky items in rough or uneven terrain to access field sites.
2. Ability to be away from home base for several days and occasionally for longer periods depending on project needs.
3. Valid driver's license.

Required Qualifications

1. High school diploma/GED and four years of related experience or B.S. degree in natural science or engineering with an emphasis on a topic such as hydrology, hydrogeology, environmental science, soil science, ecology, agronomy, or similar.
2. Experience with field work related to environmental science research investigations, including instrumentation and equipment setup and maintenance, data and sample acquisition, and processing of acquired data as evidenced by application material.
3. Strong organizational skills, as reflected by past class or work experience that involved making progress on multiple tasks concurrently as evidenced by application material.

Preferred Qualifications

1. Master's Degree in natural science or engineering with an emphasis on a topic such as hydrology, hydrogeology, environmental science, soil science, ecology, agronomy, or similar.
2. Experience collecting or analyzing with ecohydrological, hydrogeological, meteorological, and soil datasets as evidenced by application material.
3. At least one year of post-graduate field work experience related to environmental research investigations, including instrumentation and equipment setup and maintenance, data and sample acquisition, and processing of acquired data as evidenced by application material.
4. Experience in coordinating field work in consultation with staff and external collaborators, including development of work plans, developing specifications for field equipment and installation, and coordination of scheduling with others as evidenced by application material.
5. Experience with data processing using spreadsheet or programming approaches as evidenced by application material.

Contact Information to Applicants

For further technical information contact Sam Zipper at samzipper@ku.edu.
For other HR information, contact Annette Delaney at adelaney@ku.edu.

Additional Candidate Instruction

To be considered for this position, upload the following information:

• PDF cover letter (max 2 pages) indicating how you meet the required and preferred qualifications.
• PDF document (max 1 page) with responses to three short-answer questions:
  • (<150 words) What are you really good at professionally, academically, and/or technically? List 3 items with a brief example for each to put things in context.
  • (<150 words) What are you not good at or would like to improve academically, professionally, or technically? List 3 items. To help frame your answers, consider what past bosses, supervisors, or teachers might answer when we contact references.
  • (<150 words) Is there anything else that we should know about you that you would like to share?
• Full CV/resume.
• Contact information for 3 references (email address and phone number).
• Academic transcripts (unofficial copies acceptable).

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Application review begins Monday, 5/18/2026, and will continue until a qualified pool of applicants is identified.

Advertised Salary Range
$50,000 - $55,000, depending on qualifications and experience.

Application Review Begins
18-May-2026

Anticipated Start Date
21-Jun-2026

Primary Campus
University of Kansas Lawrence Campus

FTE
1.0

Reg/Temp
Regular

FLSA Status
Nonexempt

Employee Class
U-Unclassified Professional Staff

Work Location Assignment
On-Site