Coastal Wetland Flux Tower Technician

Virginia Commonwealth University • Richmond, VA

19d • Onsite

About The Position

The Gough Lab [https://goughlab.com/] seeks a full-time field technician to
support measurements of carbon dioxide and methane biosphere-atmosphere exchange
in restored coastal wetlands on the eastern shore of Virginia. The technician
will join a collaborative team of investigators from VCU’s School of Life
Sciences and Sustainability [https://slss.vcu.edu/] which is housed in the
College of Humanities and Sciences [https://chs.vcu.edu/], and partners from the
Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Duke University, the Nature Conservancy,
and NASA examining how coastal wetland restoration practices affect carbon
sequestration, methane emissions, biodiversity, and other ecosystem goods and
services. The project is part of a larger Nature Conservancy-led effort
[https://www.nature.org/en-us/newsroom/tnc-receives-epa-multi-state-coalition-grant/]
in the mid-Atlantic to enhance nature-based solutions through evidence-based
ecological restoration. This is a full-time, 12 month onsite position. The
position may be renewable for up to three years, pending continued funding and
satisfactory performance.

The position falls under the Lab/Research Technician classification within VCU’s
Research and Innovation job family. For additional details, please visit VCU
Human Resources’ Job Family and Salary Ranges, here
[https://insidehr.vcu.edu/guidelines/compensation/job-families-and-salary-ranges/].

VCU is committed to hiring veterans! VCU will add your military years of service
to our leave plan. This may provide veterans with an increased leave accrual!

Application Process: Submit cover letter, resume or CV, list of 3 references.
Applications accepted until position is filled.

NOTE: The successful candidate understands that this is a restricted position
and ongoing employment depends on continued funding.

About VCU & SLSS:

Virginia Commonwealth University is the premier urban, public research
university in Virginia. VCU’s mission is to advance knowledge and student
success through its commitments to an engaging learning environment, research
that expands the boundaries of new knowledge, interdisciplinary collaborations
that bring new perspectives to complex problems, health care that strives to
preserve and restore health for all people, and promotes an environment of
respect, professionalism, and civility, and sustainable university partnerships.
VCU prohibits unlawful discrimination and is an equal opportunity employer.

The School of Life Sciences and Sustainability (SLSS) was established in 2025,
bringing together programs in Biology, Environmental Studies, Bioinformatics,
Sustainable Innovation, Outdoor Leadership, and Integrative Life Sciences to
create an interdisciplinary hub for teaching and research. We serve more than
2,400 undergraduate and 100 graduate students across bachelor’s, master’s, and
doctoral programs. Our 67 full-time faculty and 16 professional staff are
committed to innovative teaching, experiential learning, and impactful research
across the life, environmental, and health sciences. As a growing school, we are
building a collaborative community focused on preparing students to address
complex challenges in a changing world. Visit
slss.vcu.edu
[http://slss.vcu.edu/] to learn more.

Requirements

• B.S. in environmental sciences, engineering, meteorology, ecology, or related field
• Prior experience working in the field; installing, operating, and maintaining technical instrumentation; and analyzing large datasets
• Comfort working independently in remote areas with variable weather conditions.
• Demonstrated ability to work on large interdisciplinary teams.
• Demonstrated experience to work in and foster an environment of respect, professionalism, and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from various backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a member of VCU

Nice To Haves

• M.S. with the experience and requirements above
• Familiarity with and prior experience working in wetlands
• Experience operating eddy-covariance or atmospheric flux towers
• R or Python coding proficiency

Responsibilities

• The technician will lead the installation, maintenance, and acquisition of data from multiple meteorological flux towers located on Virginia’s eastern shore, and engage in collaborative efforts to report, model, and scale carbon dioxide and methane exchange, and biodiversity at site and regional scales.
• Additional responsibilities include lab and project meeting participation, stakeholder and student engagement, facilitation of protocol development and workforce training, ancillary field data collection, and data analysis.
• The position requires periodic travel, including overnight trips to wetland restoration sites.

Benefits

• All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU’s robust benefits [https://hr.vcu.edu/benefits/] package that includes comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave, generous tuition benefits, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Number of Employees: 1-10 employees