The Harvard Forest invites applications for a full-time, temporary (13 weeks) Summer Field & Lab Technician in measurements of forest and wetland carbon cycling within Jackie Matthes’s Lab at Harvard Forest. Summer research in the Matthes Lab focuses on measuring soils, streams, and trees to characterize the processes that produce and release carbon dioxide and methane and influence the cycling of carbon and other nutrients. The Technician will assist with field data collection and laboratory measurements of soil, leaf, and water nutrient and carbon chemistry at Harvard Forest, and will assist with data organization, documentation, and preliminary data analysis.
See full job ad with details here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MmsE4mOF3RQPBRYOaFEd0LtXlY3uEmAW/view
Work Environment: The position is based at the Harvard Forest in Petersham, MA. Work within a week will generally be partitioned among 1-2 days of fieldwork, 1-2 days of labwork, and 1 day of computer work. Summer fieldwork at Harvard Forest involves working full days (up to 8 hours) in conditions with heat and humidity and biting insects (mosquitos, flies, ticks). The Lab is a team environment, but the work conducted by this Research Assistant will require regular periods of independence. Please learn more about our Lab here.
Salary and benefits: The position comes with a salary of $20/hour for 40 hours/week over 13 weeks. This position may include shared housing and support for up to $600 for relocation travel to/from Harvard Forest. If the chosen candidate needs to relocate to Petersham, MA for the summer, we will cover up to $600 in relocation travel to/from Harvard Forest, and we will provide shared housing for 13 weeks.
Basic Qualifications: Skills in clear communication; Strong organizational skills for physical samples and digital data; Previous experience working outdoors for full days; Skills in data entry and graphing with spreadsheet software such as Excel; Willingness to learn new field and lab methods while asking questions when needed and identifying mistakes (which are expected, respected, inspected, and corrected in our lab); Some prior coursework at any level in environmental science, ecology, or related fields.
Additional Qualifications (not required): Prior experience processing large numbers of laboratory samples while staying organized; Some experience using R for reproducible data cleaning and analysis; Experience doing quality checking and quality assurance for digital data entry.
Apply by sending PDF bundled cover letter, resume, and contact information for 3 relevant references to hfapps@fas.harvard.edu
Subject line: Summer Field & Lab Technician: Forest and Wetland Carbon Cycling
Application deadline: 4/30/23