Department Contact: Niall Hanan, (575)646-3335, nhanan@nmsu.edu
Internal or External Search: External - Open to all applicants
Advertising Summary: New Mexico State University’s Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences is seeking a Research Scientist II to develop and contribute to a research program focused on the use of satellite LiDAR, radar, and optical remote sensing technologies to study forest vegetation structure, ecosystem function, and hydrological processes. The research will primarily focus on the southwestern United States, with opportunities to apply innovative approaches at regional and global scales.
Position Details
Position Title: Research Scientist II
College/Division: Agricultural,Consumer & Env Sci Col
Department: 301400-PLANT AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Location: Las Cruces
Offsite Location (if applicable):
Target Hourly/Salary Rate: Commensurate with qualifications.
Appointment Full-time Equivalency: 1.0
FLSA Status: Exempt
Bargaining Unit Announcement: This is NOT a bargaining unit position with American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME).
Contingent Upon Funding: Contingent upon external funding
Standard Work Schedule: Standard (M-F, 8-5)
If Not a Standard Work Schedule:
Job Duties and Responsibilities: ***All applicants must fully complete every section of the online application. The application, not the resume, is the official record used to determine qualifications.
Current NMSU Employees: Include your complete NMSU employment history, regardless of length of service.***
***THIS IS A TWO YEAR APPOINTMENT***
The Research Scientist will develop a research program focusing on global remote sensing of forest vegetation structure, ecosystem and hydrological function using satellite LiDAR and radar remote sensing coupled with field measurements. The position will focus on the southwestern USA with potential to apply similar techniques globally. The successful candidate will be a critical team-member for this research program, focused on vegetation analysis, ecosystem function, vertical and horizontal structural retrievals using orbiting LiDAR, with complementary radar and optical remote sensing data. They will have experience using LiDAR, optical and radar remote sensing, and advanced HPC/cloud computing to test and develop new models for retrieval of vegetation biomass, structure and relationships to hydrological and ecosystem functions. The incumbent must have well-developed skills in data analysis, visualization and synthesis of regional and global earth observation data for vegetation retrievals, familiarity with remote sensing and geospatial analysis focused on use of LiDAR and radar data for forest monitoring. Preference will be given to candidates with experience working at large spatial scales using a combination of both fine and coarse resolution remote sensing, an ability to mentor students and develop strong collaborative networks. Preference will be given to candidates with excellent science communication skills (written and oral) and understanding of data-providers and stakeholders in national and regional, governmental and non-governmental, forestry and environmental agencies with interests in forest production, ecosystem function and regional hydrology. The incumbent will be expected to contribute scientific and data publications and collaborate on external research proposals.
Qualifications
Required Education and Experience:
Associate's Degree + 9 years of relevant experience or a Bachelor's degree + 7 years of relevant experience. Master's degree or higher preferred.
Equivalent Qualifications:
Preferred Qualifications:
Doctorate Degree Preferred
Special Certification/Licensure:
Working Conditions and Physical Effort
Environment: Work is performed in an interior medical/clinical environment.
Physical Effort: No or very limited physical effort required.
Lifting Requirements: Requires handling of average-weight objects up to 10 pounds or some standing or walking.
Risk: Work environment involves some exposure to hazards or physical risks, which require following basic safety precautions.