Research Scientist

The National Center for Water Quality Research (NCWQR) at Heidelberg University is seeking a highly motivated research scientist to assume responsibilities and conduct tasks related to the Heidelberg Tributary Loading Program (HTLP) and help ensure the success of NCWQR’s operations and achieve its mission. The position requires a variety of professional duties that require an advanced level of expertise and knowledge.

The research scientist will be hired on a year-around appointment with full employee benefits. The NCWQR is a research arm of the science departments at Heidelberg University, which is a private, comprehensive Master’s institution located in Tiffin in northwestern Ohio.

Be an integral member of the NCWQR’s Heidelberg Tributary Loading Program (HTLP)

• Serve as the quality control and quality assurance (QA/QC) personnel of the NCWQR

• Conduct innovative and appropriate statistical analyses or modeling approaches to the HTLP data independently or as part of the NCWQR team

• Help develop and improve the analytical capacity, methods, and processes of the NCWQR.

• Conduct various loading calculations and trend models to estimate daily, seasonal, and annual loads for each of the HTLP sampling locations and constituents.

• Write reports specific to HTLP monitoring stations as needed

Short-term research project grants and activities

• Initiate, write, and submit external grant proposals for funding existing and new innovative research projects aligned with the HTLP and NCWQR’s mission

• Help develop and contribute on project proposals within the NCWQR

• Assist as a PI or co-PI in the management and implementation of research grants tasks, activities, and deliverables including but not limited to project meetings, sample collection, data analysis, progress report and/or manuscript preparation.

• Publish the results of NCWQR’s research projects and monitoring studies in appropriate scientific journals

Education and Outreach

• Disseminate HTLP and other project results to diverse audiences via presentations, fact sheets or handouts, webinars, or other means.

• Participate in stakeholders’ (agricultural, environmental, academe, policy and regulatory groups, etc.) meetings at local, state, national, and bi-national levels as deemed appropriate to advance NCWQR programs.

• Participate in and/or lead interdisciplinary and inter-university research studies addressing land-use/water-quality issues both in the Great Lakes watersheds and Mississippi River basins

• Support Heidelberg’s School of Natural Sciences programs (e.g., Environmental Science, Chemistry, and Biology, etc.) through curriculum development and teaching.

• Train and supervise student workers and/or interns

• Assist students in their independent research projects

• Core values – models leadership values of integrity, honesty, humility, transparency, respectfulness, diversity, caring, loyalty and accountability in all work.

• Intellectual dynamism – demonstrates mental sharpness, capability and agility.

• Self-knowledge – gains insight from successes and mistakes.

• Personal learning – seeks feedback and counsel to improve managerial behavior.

• Peer relationships – encourages collaboration and cooperation across the organization.

• Teamwork – performs most effectively as a hard-working member of a team.

• Constituency focus – completes work to meet constituencies’ expectations and requirements.

• Community focus – brings a spirit of enthusiasm and energy to the campus and town.

Required Education and Professional Experience:

• Completion of a PhD in the Natural Sciences, Engineering, or a related field.

• Experience in conducting water quality, hydrologic, and sediment transport monitoring and analyses.

• Success in project proposal development and experience in project management.

• Success in publishing scientific articles.

• Experience in presenting scientific information to mixed audiences

• Strong analytical and data analysis skills

Preferred Education and Experience:

• Graduate coursework in and/or laboratory experience in analytical chemistry using ion-chromatography, gas-chromatography, and spectroscopy. Experience in running LC-MS-MS, GC-MS, or ICP-MS is a plus!

• Strong programming skills and experience with programming languages such as Python, R, etc.

Supervision Received:

Reports directly to the Director of the National Center for Quality Research (NCWQR)

Supervision Exercised:

May supervise student assistants and field/laboratory technicians.

Necessary Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

1. Demonstrates mental sharpness, capability, and agility

Adept at multi-tasking

Proficient at time management

High attention to detail

Efficient and quick acting when needed