Research Professional Weather Network

University of Georgia•Athens, GA

67d•Onsite

About The Position

The University of Georgia (UGA) Weather Network is seeking applicants for the position of Weather Network Technician for the UGA Mesonet, a research-grade weather and climate monitoring network that supports agriculture and public safety across the State of Georgia. The UGA Weather Network is a statewide weather network consisting of 90 automated environmental stations that collect, archive, and disseminate over one million observations annually. The Weather Network Technician will be the second of two full-time technicians responsible for maintaining the network of weather stations, including visiting the stations on a regular basis to assess station reliability, maintain the surface area around the station, rotate or replace instruments as needed to maintain data quality, calibrate equipment in the laboratory, and record all maintenance and calibration activities in databases for historical metadata. The weather network is housed in the Associate Dean of Extension's office and provides service to Extension and the University of Georgia. The network is currently housed on the University of Georgia Griffin Campus.

Requirements

Requires technical knowledge in the field acquired through an apprenticeship, a 2-year degree, or professional certificate.

Nice To Haves

5 years of experience in the installation, maintenance, and repair of weather stations and associated equipment
Experience with programming and data analysis
Passionate about the production (collection, processing, dissemination, and archival) of high-quality weather data
Strong interest in and knowledge of meteorological instrumentation and equipment for automated environmental monitoring
Interest in testing and experimenting with new weather sensors
Strong organizational skills
Detail-oriented

Responsibilities

Installation and maintenance of automated weather stations and related sensors for the UGA Weather Network.
Visit all stations on a regular basis; check sensors and equipment and maintain equipment and grounds.
Replace sensors in case of emergencies.
Station sensors, loggers, batteries, and telephone systems are also calibrated and upgraded as needed.
Calibration of weather station sensors and evaluation of weather data.
Learn operation of Campbell Scientific datalogger unit and connected sensors; check daily weather reports and maps to maintain high-quality data; contact local collaborators in case of problems and take appropriate action as needed, including rapid replacement of sensors to keep stations and connected sensors operational.
Maintain sensor database tracking changes in sensors.
Enters changes of sensors, including serial numbers, notes on replacement and calibration, and dates of changes into the sensor database in a timely way.
Vehicle maintenance as assigned.
Ensure the department vehicles remain in a workable and clean condition.
Service vehicles on an appropriate schedule.
Get repairs done when needed.
Check oil, tires, and other vehicle conditions regularly.
Provide support for the UGA Weather Network at agricultural exhibitions, presentations to visitors and other groups as needed.
Install weather stations, computers and other equipment if needed.
Provide information about the network to visitors.
Give presentations.