Research Associate Jobs

About The Position

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Plant Physiology, Plant Biology, Botany, Horticulture, or a related field.
• Ability to work under field conditions.
• Must have, or be able to obtain by the time of hire, a valid driver’s license and meet applicable WSU and departmental driving standards.
• Meet all requirements necessary to obtain and maintain access to USDA-ARS vehicles, facilities, and equipment required for the position.
• Demonstrated expertise in plant physiology or a related field through publications.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Willingness to conduct greenhouse and field-based research and travel independently.

Nice To Haves

• Expertise in plant physiology, ecophysiology, plant water relations, plant nutrition, viticulture, remote sensing, or field-based research with grapevines or other perennial fruit species.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent data handling and statistical analysis skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work well in a multicultural team setting.

Responsibilities

• Conduct independent research on the usefulness of proximal sensors for predicting grape leaf tissue nutrient and water status.
• Participate in field and greenhouse experimental design.
• Correlate soil and grape leaf nutrient and water status measurements with sensor responses.
• Contribute to developing industry guidelines for using proximal sensors in vineyard settings.
• Conduct greenhouse and field-based research and travel independently during the study.
• Work with USDA-ARS collaborators and use USDA-ARS facilities and instruments.

Benefits

• Paid sick leave
• Paid vacation leave
• Paid holidays
• Medical insurance for employees and dependents
• Dental insurance for employees and dependents
• Life insurance for employees and dependents
• Disability insurance for employees and dependents
• Retirement plan
• Deferred compensation
• Optional supplemental retirement accounts