Location: Raleigh, NC (with frequent travel to field and research sites)

Essential Job Duties:

North Carolina's coastal communities face unprecedented challenges from rising sea levels and increasingly frequent storms, yet a severe lack of salinity and water level monitoring leaves communities and vital industries guessing about flooding and the hidden threat of saltwater intrusion. To close this information gap, we are launching "See Salt," a real-time coastal monitoring network. This initiative will unify seven existing UNC System monitoring efforts and deploy new water level and salinity sensors in critical blind spots, spanning open estuarine waters and urban storm drains to rural agricultural canals. This position is for a research associate who will support this project and its monitoring expansion efforts.

Responsibilities will include:

Aquatic Monitoring

• Develop standard operating procedures for installation and maintenance of sensors installed in ranging environments, including open estuarine waters and canals, as well as data quality assurance and quality control.
• Install, operate, troubleshoot, and maintain monitoring equipment, including routine calibration.
• Communicate with equipment manufacturers for technical support and issue resolution.
• Travel to various locations across coastal North Carolina for project-related activities; locations can include open water.
• Collaborate with local partners on sensor operation.
• Drive university vehicles as needed for fieldwork (valid driver's license required).

Data Management and Analysis

• Assume responsibility for the custody, organization, and quality control of collected data.
• Analyze trends in salinity data.

Scientific Communication

• Collaborate with faculty, students, and research technicians across multiple UNC System institutions.
• Support community engagement events and workshops.
• Contribute to scientific presentations, manuscripts, and project reports.

Other Work/Responsibilities:

• Other tasks and responsibilities may be assigned based on the needs of the organization and evolving priorities.

Minimum Experience/Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Biological and Agricultural Engineering Technology; Environmental Technology; Biological and Agricultural Engineering; Civil Engineering; Coastal Engineering; Marine Science; Environmental Science; or related discipline with at least 3 years of relevant professional experience, preferably as a Research Assistant, or a master's degree, with preference for a doctorate degree.

Required Qualifications:

• Experience in operating and troubleshooting environmental monitoring equipment.
• Experience managing field projects.
• Able to work independently on collection of data and organization of data, including identifying measurement error.
• Strong communication skills for interaction with equipment manufacturers and collaborators.
• Ability to drive in North Carolina for field work.
• Organizational skills for project management and SOP documentation.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with water quality assessments.
• Proficiency in a coding language like R or Python.
• Experience with boat operation and trailering.

Required License or Certification:

• Valid driver's license required.
• Valid NC driver's license within 60 days of hire.

Location: Raleigh, NC (with frequent travel to field and research sites)

Essential Job Duties:

North Carolina's coastal communities face unprecedented challenges from rising sea levels and increasingly frequent storms, yet a severe lack of salinity and water level monitoring leaves communities and vital industries guessing about flooding and the hidden threat of saltwater intrusion. To close this information gap, we are launching "See Salt," a real-time coastal monitoring network. This initiative will unify seven existing UNC System monitoring efforts and deploy new water level and salinity sensors in critical blind spots, spanning open estuarine waters and urban storm drains to rural agricultural canals. This position is for a research associate who will support this project and its monitoring expansion efforts.

Responsibilities will include:

Aquatic Monitoring

• Develop standard operating procedures for installation and maintenance of sensors installed in ranging environments, including open estuarine waters and canals, as well as data quality assurance and quality control.
• Install, operate, troubleshoot, and maintain monitoring equipment, including routine calibration.
• Communicate with equipment manufacturers for technical support and issue resolution.
• Travel to various locations across coastal North Carolina for project-related activities; locations can include open water.
• Collaborate with local partners on sensor operation.
• Drive university vehicles as needed for fieldwork (valid driver's license required).

Data Management and Analysis

• Assume responsibility for the custody, organization, and quality control of collected data.
• Analyze trends in salinity data.

Scientific Communication

• Collaborate with faculty, students, and research technicians across multiple UNC System institutions.
• Support community engagement events and workshops.
• Contribute to scientific presentations, manuscripts, and project reports.

Other Work/Responsibilities:

• Other tasks and responsibilities may be assigned based on the needs of the organization and evolving priorities.

Minimum Experience/Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Biological and Agricultural Engineering Technology; Environmental Technology; Biological and Agricultural Engineering; Civil Engineering; Coastal Engineering; Marine Science; Environmental Science; or related discipline with at least 3 years of relevant professional experience, preferably as a Research Assistant, or a master's degree, with preference for a doctorate degree.

Required Qualifications:

• Experience in operating and troubleshooting environmental monitoring equipment.
• Experience managing field projects.
• Able to work independently on collection of data and organization of data, including identifying measurement error.
• Strong communication skills for interaction with equipment manufacturers and collaborators.
• Ability to drive in North Carolina for field work.
• Organizational skills for project management and SOP documentation.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with water quality assessments.
• Proficiency in a coding language like R or Python.
• Experience with boat operation and trailering.

Required License or Certification:

• Valid driver's license required.
• Valid NC driver's license within 60 days of hire.