Job Title: Field Assistant (with drone-flying experience)
PVN ID: QC-2205-004784
Category: Research
Location: QUEENS COLLEGE

Job Description

General Description

Field Assistant (Research Aide level) Summer 2022

DESCRIPTION

In the urban ecology lab (https://urban-ecologist.com/), Queens College at the City University of New York, our overarching concern is biodiversity loss in the urban century, when our population increasingly lives in cities. One phenomenon at least partly related to urbanisation is growth in the drone (unmanned aerial vehicle) industry. Nascent applications, such as parcel delivery and traffic monitoring, suggest that skies over cities worldwide will become increasingly crowded by drones.

But these skies area also key habitats for animals that fly, and almost nothing is known about how drones affect these species, because nearly all drone-impact studies have focused on animals on land or in the water.

This summer, we are launching a pilot study of impacts on bats and are recruiting one person to assist with fieldwork.

The Research Aide will work in green spaces in the New York City metropolitan area and Long Island (Nassau County). They will help the Research Intern with a 10-week field experiment, which involves flying a recreational drone while acoustically monitoring bats (two hours a night, four nights a week).

Other Duties

The Research Aide will be responsible for:

  • traveling to the field sites (using public transit or own vehicle, TBD),
  • field equipment (set up, take down, maintenance; equipment is not heavy),
  • helping to fly the drone

The successful candidate will work in the field four evenings a week, monitoring bats and flying a drone for two hours a night (plus equipment setup and takedown). The terrain is not physically challenging, but there will be some walking within sites, bending, crouching, stretching, etc..

The number of hours per week and minimum qualifications dictate the official CUNY position title, which is Research Aide. The salary is ~16 USD per hour, plus statutory benefits, DOE.

Duration: 8 June through 16 August

Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS

The successful applicant will meet all these essential criteria:

  1. Proof of having already passed the FAA Recreational UAS Safety Test,
  2. Considerable experience flying recreational drones (please mention number of hours),
  3. Interest in ecology and outdoor fieldwork,
  4. High level of personal responsibility and street smarts,
  5. Already living in the general area,
  6. Self-motivation, good communication skills, positive attitude, easy to get along with,
  7. Commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion,
  8. Legally allowed to work in the US.

CUNY students and applicants from underrepresented groups are especially encouraged to apply.

Potential candidates should please apply on the RFCUNY Careers page as soon as possible. Please upload these documents (IN A SINGLE PDF – APPLICATIONS WITH MULTIPLE ATTACHMENTS WILL NOT BE ENTERTAINED):

  1. Brief cover letter (1 page max) describing interest in the position and how you meet ALL the listed selection criteria
  2. Resumé (1.5 pages, max)
  3. Contact info for two referees (preferably supervisors or employers who can vouch for your working ability). Please do not send reference letters.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

RFCUNY Benefits

RFCUNY Employee Benefits and Accruals

About the Research Foundation

The Research Foundation of The City University of New York (RFCUNY) is a nonprofit educational corporation founded in 1963 to provide post-award fiscal and administrative support for CUNY’s research and sponsored programs. RFCUNY’s services allow CUNY researchers, faculty, and staff to focus on their intellectual curiosity and scientific discoveries, on projects and programs that serve our local and global communities, proposing concrete solutions to society’s most pressing challenges.

RFCUNY serves as a fiscal agent and works closely with all the CUNY campus Grants Offices to perform the core functions of post-award financial management for CUNY research projects and sponsored programs. These functions include legal assessment and signing of agreements where RFCUNY is named as a fiscal agent; setting up award accounts; preparing sub-awards and assisting PIs in monitoring the work of the recipients of sub-awards; supporting project directors with hiring and managing research project and sponsored program staff; supporting the purchasing and paying for goods and services with grant and program funds; managing financial aspects of projects including accounts receivable, financial reporting, invoicing, budget monitoring, and cost compliance with uniform guidance; ensuring that sponsor financial requirements are met; monitoring compliance with applicable project and financial management rules and laws; supporting the management of independent and external audits and financial reviews; and providing data, information, management expertise, and other supports to CUNY’s research and sponsored programs.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The Research Foundation of the City University of New York is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Americans with Disabilities Act/E-Verify Employer. It is the policy of the Research Foundation of CUNY to provide equal employment opportunities free of discrimination based on race, color, age, religion, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, national origin, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, domestic violence victim status, arrest record, criminal conviction history, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

Key Features

Department
Biology
Status
Part Time
Pay Range
$16.00-$18.00
Hour(s) a week
12.00
Closing Date
Jul 15, 2022 (Or Until Filled)
Bargaining Unit
No

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