DESCRIPTION & DETAILS:

Dr. Kang Liang in the School of Natural Resource Sciences at North Dakota State University is seeking a highly motivated research specialist to support research activities in soil physics and hydrology. As a productive and collaborative part of this team, the successful candidate will contribute to field and lab experiments, data collection and analysis, equipment maintenance, and computer modeling. There will be opportunities to conduct research and communicate its results in a variety of ways and develop new projects.

Specific duties include:

• Support research on soil science and agronomic projects.
• Assist in the design of research projects.
• Assist in the design of field experiments.
• Assist with sample (i.e. soil, water, tissues) collection, processing, lab analysis, and data organization and analysis using R and GIS software.
• Assist in the logistics of research, including supervising personnel when needed.
• Perform lab analysis of soil, water and plant tissue samples.
• Operate and maintain field equipment.
• Communicate research.
• Assist with communicating results to stakeholders through project updates and outreach materials.
• Communicate scientific results through posters and presentations to stakeholders and scientists.
• Assist with the development and publishing of scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals.
• Develop new research projects and opportunities.
• Identify funding opportunities for research and outreach activities.
• Assist in developing relationships to pursue new projects and activities.
• Assist in the administration and logistics of pursuing new projects.

The SNRS is a multi-disciplinary unit exploring entomology, natural resources management, rangeland science, and soil science. We work in collaboration to address research that can improve the livelihoods of North Dakota citizens while also contributing to the scientific community. Our faculty do both applied and fundamental research to address the needs of stakeholders in production agriculture to native systems, seeking common ground between the two. Together we are discovering and implementing solutions for healthy agriculture and natural resources.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• B.S. degree in in soil science, environmental science/engineering, agriculture, hydrology, or a related field and five or more years’ experience in conducting research.
• Two or more years of analytical laboratory experience.
• Experience with soil and water related research.
• Experience communicating scientific results in different formats to multiple audiences.
• Experience operating farm equipment, that may include but limited to tractors, planters, seeders, and pulling trailers.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• M.S. degree in soil science OR progress towards an M.S.
• Familiarity with tools such as R, Python, and/or GIS is a plus.
• Experience with numerical modeling is a plus.
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• Experience mentoring and supervising.

• Experience with project and lab management duties (e.g., purchasing, safety, inventory).
• Proactive approach to learning new skills and professional development.
• Excellent interpersonal, organizational, and oral and written communication skills.

ABOUT US:

North Dakota State University is distinctive as a student focused, land-grant, research university. We educate leaders who solve national and global challenges by providing affordable access to an excellent education that combines teaching and research in a rich learning environment.
NDSU is in the highest Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, R1, granted to the top research institutions in the country.
NDSU has offices across the state of North Dakota, and the main campus is in Fargo, on the Minnesota border. Along with Moorhead, Minnesota, Fargo forms one of the largest metropolitan centers between Minneapolis and Seattle. The community is consistently ranked as one of the best places to live.

• Support research on soil science and agronomic projects.
• Assist in the design of research projects.
• Assist in the design of field experiments.
• Assist with sample (i.e. soil, water, tissues) collection, processing, lab analysis, and data organization and analysis using R and GIS software.
• Assist in the logistics of research, including supervising personnel when needed.
• Perform lab analysis of soil, water and plant tissue samples.
• Operate and maintain field equipment.
• Communicate research.
• Assist with communicating results to stakeholders through project updates and outreach materials.
• Communicate scientific results through posters and presentations to stakeholders and scientists.
• Assist with the development and publishing of scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals.
• Develop new research projects and opportunities.
• Identify funding opportunities for research and outreach activities.
• Assist in developing relationships to pursue new projects and activities.
• Assist in the administration and logistics of pursuing new projects