Laboratory and Research Specialist II

Virginia Tech•Blacksburg, VA

8d•Onsite

About The Position

The School of Plant and Environmental Sciences in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences seeks to hire a full-time Laboratory and Research Specialist with expertise in Agro-environmental Sensors and Electronics. This position serves as a primary research support specialist for instrumentation and data management in agricultural and environmental systems. The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.

Requirements

Bachelor's in science or engineering or related study or equivalent training, experience
Ability to lift up to 30 lbs. and perform strenuous work under adverse environmental conditions
Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and effectively with others
Demonstrated organizational skills and ability to manage detailed and complex tasks with good results
Experience with environmental sensors and equipment
Proven excellence in outreach, verbal and written skills
Virginia Driver's License required with clear driving record

Nice To Haves

Data management tools such as R. Python, MySQL and/or MatLab
Electronics circuits and printed circuit board (PCB) design and development
Micro-controller and/or mini-computer experience (e.g., Arduino, Raspberry Pl.)
Computer programming experience

Responsibilities

Designing, deploying and maintaining instruments and networks devoted to environmental sensing (e.g., soil moisture, stream flow/chemistry, greenhouse gas emissions, sap flux, GPS-and/or RFID-based tracking)
Implementing cutting-edge environmental sensors and methods
Assisting with data processing and analysis
Implementing database management practices
Recognizing and prioritizing research needs
Working cooperatively with other team members
Assisting others with proper means and methods for accurately and safely meeting research tasks and objectives