"Professional Scientist I"

Job Summary

We seek a field and lab technician to assist with work related to understanding variation in grassland fuels. This is a full time position starting in October, 2025 and ending in August, 2026. Activities will include collecting plant biomass samples in the field, observing plant phenology, conducting lab measurements, and working on data management and analysis.

CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Who We Are

As the University's oldest institute, INSTAAR has a long history of responding to pressing environmental issues including climate change. Our traditional focus has been on alpine, Arctic, and Antarctic regions, where effects of global change are especially pronounced. In recent decades, our research has broadened to include environmental challenges that span local, regional, and global scales. INSTAAR’s research activities integrate field studies, state-of-the-art laboratory experiments, sample analysis, and numerical and laboratory modeling. Our field sites are located across all seven continents and the world's oceans.

Our expertise across disciplines helps us generate influential science that can inform public and policy decisions and move us toward a more sustainable society. INSTAAR's national and international research leadership is augmented by exceptional strength in graduate education and bringing undergraduates into the research process.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

• Conducting field work across Eastern Boulder County to collect plant biomass samples and other information, processing and analyzing plant and soil samples in the lab, and managing and analyzing data.

What We Can Offer

$47,000.00 - $53,000.00 per year

Benefits

The University of Colorado offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO Pass. The University of Colorado Boulder is one of the largest employers in Boulder County and offers an inspiring higher education environment. Learn more about the University of Colorado Boulder.

Be Statements

Be ambitious. Be groundbreaking. Be Boulder.

What We Require

• A Bachelors degree.
• Experience conducting field work in a range of conditions. Ability to hike up to a mile at a time and a drivers' license. Interest in fire and grassland ecology questions.

What You Will Need

• Basic plant identification skills, strong attention to detail, and experience working in an ecology lab setting.

What We Would Like You to Have

• Basic experience using R for data management and analysis, interest in grassland and fire ecology questions, experience interfacing with the public and land/resource managers.

Special Instructions

To apply, please submit the following materials:

1. Resume/CV
2. Cover Letter

If you are selected as the finalist, your degree will be verified by the CU Boulder Campus Human Resources Department using an approved online vendor. However, if your degree was obtained outside of the United States, please submit an English-translated version as an Optional document.

Please apply by 9/29/25 for consideration.

Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, applications must be submitted through CU Boulder Jobs.

In compliance with the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, in any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.