Short-term Stormwater Research Assistant

St. Anthony Falls Laboratory (SAFL) is currently seeking a post-graduate research assistant for a stormwater research group to work on projects related to capture and release of pollutants from stormwater ponds, biofiltration media, and iron enhanced sand filters.

Job duties include:

• Activities for indoor laboratory experiments (~30%)
  • experiment setup and operation (~10%)
  • sample analysis by wet chemistry (~10%)
  • acid washing sample and analysis vials and containers (~10%)
    
• Activities for outdoor field experiments (~10%)
  • travel to field sites, equipment setup, deploying, maintaining, and retrieving (~10%)
    
• Activities for both laboratory and field experiments (~60%)
  • sample collection (~10%)
  • parameter measurement (~10%)
  • data collection and recording (~10%)
  • cleanup (~10%)
  • protocol development and execution (~10%)
  • and other duties necessary to complete the research (~10%)

These activities require lifting and carrying canoes and/or kayaks from vehicles down to and out of stormwater ponds, paddling around stormwater ponds to collect measurements and samples, and securing the canoe and/or kayak on top of vehicles such as a Ford F350 or Chevy Suburban. These activities also require loading and carrying equipment, instruments, samplers, and samples between vehicles, stormwater ponds, and analytical laboratory spaces. These activities may also require lifting and moving 5-gallon buckets full of water (~46lbs or 22kg) while conducting the experiments.

The position will be a part-time appointment with a maximum of 14 hours per week.

Required Qualifications:

• Completion of a bachelor's degree with a science and/or engineering background including water resources, environmental, chemistry, etc.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Research or Water Chemistry Analysis experience will be given special consideration
• Advanced graduate degrees will be given special consideration.

This position is located in the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory (SAFL), an interdisciplinary fluid mechanics research center of the College of Science and Engineering. SAFL research is focused on fundamental fluid dynamics and the intersection of fluid mechanics with major societal challenges in energy, environment and health. The lab integrates cutting-edge experimental work at laboratory and field scales with advanced computational tools and theory to obtain innovative, science-based solutions to fluid-flow challenges. Research is led at SAFL by 22 full-time faculty members with appointments in Departments of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, Chemistry, Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering, Earth and Environmental Sciences, and Mechanical Engineering in the College of Science and Engineering; the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior in the College of Biological Sciences; the Department of Geography in the College of Liberal Arts, and the Department of Soil, Water, and Climate in the College of Food and Natural Resources Sciences. SAFL personnel includes research and support staff members, postdoctoral associates, graduate students, as well as visiting researchers and undergraduate interns conducting research at SAFL.

Pay Range: $20.00 - $22.00 per hour; depending on education/qualifications/experience.

Retirement plan options are available for Civil Service, Faculty, Labor-Represented, Professional & Administrative, and Temp Casual classifications. Learn more about retirement plans.

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