Job Details
Posting Number: PG194802EP
Internal Recruitment: No
Working Title: DRIVES Research Associate
Anticipated Hiring Range: Commensurate with experience ($65,000 - $70,000)
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8 am - 5 pm
Job Location: Beltsville, MD
Department: Crop and Soil Sciences
About the Department
The Agroecology Lab at NC State works to create more sustainable, resilient, and varied farming systems by:
- Understanding how varied cropping systems support healthy soil, clean water, and other natural benefits, and reduce the risk of adverse weather
- Finding practical ways to increase the variety of crops grown on farms
- Exploring how these practices fit into real-world farming and food systems
Through hands-on research, teaching, and collaboration with students, farmers, and the community, we aim to build a more sustainable and just food future for North Carolina and beyond.
Wolfpack Perks and Benefits
As a Pack member, you belong here, and can enjoy exclusive perks designed to enhance your personal and professional well-being. As you consider this opportunity, we encourage you to review our Employee Value Proposition and learn more about what makes NC State the best place to learn and work for everyone.
What we offer:
- Medical, Dental, and Vision
- Flexible Spending Account
- Retirement Programs
- Disability Plans
- Life Insurance
- Accident Plan
- Paid Time Off and Other Leave Programs
- 12 Holidays Each Year
- Tuition and Academic Assistance
- And so much more!
Attain Work-life balance with our Childcare benefits, Wellness & Recreation Membership, and Wellness Programs that aim to build a thriving wolfpack community.
Disclaimer: Perks and Benefit eligibility is based on Part-Time or Full-Time Employment status. Eligibility and Employer Sponsored Plans can be found within each of the links offered.
Essential Job Duties
The DRIVES Agroecology Research Associate will work under the supervision of the Agroecology Professor to support the growth of the Agroecology Lab’s research program about the impacts of crop diversification. Key responsibilities will include organizing and maintaining the Diverse Rotation Improve Valuable Ecosystem Services (DRIVES) database (drives-network.org) and conducting synthesis research on crop diversification across a range of environmental conditions.
The DRIVES database is a network of data from long-term cropping systems experiments. The Associate will be responsible for database expansion and enhancing interoperability using data dictionaries and controlled vocabularies when including additional variables. They will lead database content development and write code to assess the linkages between rotational diversity and economic performance and soil health. They will prepare publications for peer-reviewed journals and develop partnerships across the long-term cropping systems research community.
Duties include:
Research Data Management & Database Development
- Organize, maintain, and expand the Diverse Rotation Improve Valuable Ecosystem Services (DRIVES) database.
- Enhance database interoperability by developing and implementing data dictionaries and controlled vocabularies.
- Integrate and validate data from long-term cropping systems experiments across multiple research sites.
- Ensure data quality, consistency, and accessibility to support collaborative agroecology research.
Research Analysis & Scholarly Publications
- Conduct synthesis research evaluating the impacts of crop diversification across diverse environmental conditions.
- Develop and maintain analytical code to examine relationships between rotational diversity, economic performance, and soil health.
- Interpret research findings and prepare manuscripts for submission to peer-reviewed scientific journals.
- Present research findings and contribute to reports, publications, and other scholarly products.
Collaboration & Research Network Development
- Develop and maintain partnerships with collaborators across the long-term cropping systems research community.
- Coordinate with researchers to facilitate data sharing and database expansion.
- Participate in project meetings and communicate project progress with internal and external stakeholders.
- Contribute to advancing the Agroecology Lab’s research program through collaborative initiatives.
Position is contingent on availability of funds, potentially 6 months to 1.5 years
Other Responsibilities
- Mentorship of graduate and undergraduate students, disseminating research in publications and outreach training activities.
- Communicate with the IT services and maintain the website and the virtual machine.
Minimum Education and Experience
- Relevant Master’s degree, or
- Relevant Bachelor’s and 3 or more years of relevant experience, relevant independent experience and education.
Other Required Qualifications
The Research Associate must be a clear communicator, have strong organizational skills, be able to work with diverse individuals, and work independently as needed.
Preferred Qualifications
- PhD in agronomy, soil science, or ecology,
- Mastery in R, expertise in addressing spatiotemporal elements of research questions related to crop diversification,
- Experience working with long-term cropping systems data,
- Experience handling legacy datasets for organization and analysis, experience with large publicly available datasets,
- Expertise in Bayesian statistics, experience working with supercomputers.
Required License(s) or Certification(s)
N/A
Valid NC Driver's License required
No
Commercial Driver's License required
No
Job Open Date
08/06/2026
Anticipated Close Date
Open Until Filled
Special Instructions to Applicants
Please attach a Cover Letter, resume/CV, and contact information for three (3) professional references.
Position Number
00112240
Position Type
EPS/SAAO
Full Time Equivalent (FTE) (1.0 = 40 hours/week)
1.00
Appointment
12 Month Recurring
Mandatory Designation - Adverse Weather
Non Mandatory - Adverse Weather
Mandatory Designation - Emergency Events
Non Mandatory - Emergency Event
Department ID
110901 - Crop and Soil Sciences
EEO
NC State University is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive equal opportunities for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, and veteran status. The University encourages all qualified applicants, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities, to apply. Individuals with disabilities requiring disability-related accommodations in the application and interview process are welcome to contact 919-513-0574 to speak with a representative of the Office of Equal Opportunity.
If you have general questions about the application process, you may contact Human Resources at (919) 515-2135 or workatncstate@ncsu.edu.
Final candidates are subject to criminal & sex offender background checks. Some vacancies also require credit or motor vehicle checks. Degree(s) must be obtained prior to start date in order to meet qualifications and receive credit.
NC State University participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.
Organization
NC State: Think and Do
NC State was founded with a purpose: to create economic, societal and intellectual prosperity for the people of North Carolina and the country. We began as a land-grant institution teaching the agricultural and mechanical arts. Today, we're a pre-eminent research enterprise with 12 colleges excelling in all major academic fields.
Our 34,000 high-performing students take what they learn in the classroom and apply it in the real world by conducting research, working in internships and co-ops, and performing acts of world-changing service. That experiential education ensures that they leave here ready to lead the workforce. NC State's 13:1 student-faculty ratio is one of the reasons why we're the best college for your money in North Carolina (Money) and the No. 5 best value among public universities nationally (U.S. News & World Report).
Overcoming Challenges, Improving Lives
NC State is one of only two universities in the nation leading two National Science Foundation Engineering Research Centers — one developing wearable, self-powered health monitors, and the other researching smart-grid technology. We’re also leading interdisciplinary efforts to curb nuclear proliferation, help farmers confront climate change and build a new American manufacturing sector.
Our research doesn't just get published in a journal or sit on a shelf; it makes an impact. NC State is No. 6 nationwide in commercialization agreements based on university research, and we're No. 2 among universities without a medical school. Our Cooperative Extension Service provides research-based information to citizens in all 100 North Carolina counties. In addition, our industrial extension unit — Industry Expansion Solutions — has created an economic benefit for the state's manufacturers averaging $149 million per year since 2005.
Bright Minds Creating a Bold Future
NC State’s 9,000 faculty and staff are world leaders in their fields, bridging the divides between academic disciplines and training high-caliber students to meet tomorrow’s challenges. NC State students won two Goldwater scholarships, five Fulbright scholarships, one Churchill scholarship and a record-breaking 25 National Science Foundation graduate research fellowships in the 2016-2017 academic year. In addition, 25 faculty are members of the National Academies.
Our Centennial Campus, an award-winning public-private research campus, is home to more than 70 partner organizations working alongside more than 70 NC State research and academic units. Centennial is also the location of the innovative Hunt Library, which Time magazine has dubbed “the library of the future.”
In Raleigh and Around the World
It all happens in one of the best cities in America. A top spot for job-seekers and tech professionals, Raleigh is nationally recognized as a leading urban center:
- No. 2 hot spot for tech jobs (Forbes, 2016)
- No. 3 best city for young professionals (Forbes, 2016)
- No. 4 best city for jobs (Glassdoor.com, 2017)
- No. 4 best place to live (U.S. News & World Report, 2016)
- Best big city in the Southeast (Time, 2016)
- Selected as a Google Fiber expansion city
With Durham and Chapel Hill, Raleigh anchors the Research Triangle, a national hotspot for high-tech enterprise. The top companies in the region — including IBM, Cisco Systems, SAS Institute, Biogen Idec and GlaxoSmithKline — are among the country’s best employers. They also lead the way in hiring new NC State graduates.
More than 130 years after its creation, NC State continues to make its founding purpose a reality. Every day, our career-ready graduates and world-leading faculty make the fruits of learning and discovery available to people across the state, throughout the nation and around the world.
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