Careers Job Description
General Description
In the urban ecology lab, our overarching concern is bioD loss in the urban century. One of our focal species is the eastern skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus)—one of the weirdest and most wonderful plants of all.
We are studying the urban ecology of eastern skunk cabbages in and around New York City. Using ecology and molecular biology methods, we aim to understand how urbanisation affects their:
- distribution (where they occur)
- phenology (timing of life history events)
- thermogenesis (they produce their own body heat)
- pollinators (the animal species that pollinate them)
- microbiomes (species inside their floral chambers)
The Field Ecologist will work in green spaces in NYC’s five boroughs and in Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk Counties. In fall, they will mainly handle logistic work, including setting up community science networks (to monitor phenology), research permit renewals or applications and preparing equipment. In winter, they will perform sampling, data entry & management and, time permitting, molecular work and data analysis.
Duties in brief
- Project logistics
- Field equipment (set up, take down, maintenance)
- Marking and collecting samples from focal plants
- Data entry, management and quality control
- Molecular benchwork, depending on time
- Preliminary analyses, depending on time & skills
Work conditions in brief
- Daytime work
- Fieldwork in muck and standing water
- Walking while carrying lightweight equipment, bending, crouching, stretching
- Travel by public transit (where feasible) or own car (to sites not well-served by MTA)
Schedule: Variable depending on what stage the plants are in, but the role pays 18 hours/week (which reflects average hours worked).
Duration: 7 October 2024 to 31 March 2025; extension possible
Other Duties
HOW TO APPLY
Interested candidates should submit the below documents. Please email Asst Prof Joanna Coleman (she/her) at joanna.coleman@qc.cuny.edu and mention “Skunk cabbage Field Ecologist” in the subject line should you have any questions.
Applicants should submit these documents in a single PDF. Applicants who submit multiple attachments will not be reviewed.
- Cover letter (1.5 pages max) describing your interest in the position and how you meet ALL the listed selection criteria
- Resumé (2.5 pages, max)
- Contact info for three referees (ideally, employers or supervisors 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.
Qualifications
Essential selection criteria (you must demonstrate that you have all the following)
- Degree in ecology or related field (e.g., conservation biology) in hand or in progress (≥ 4 semesters of full-time study completed)
- Research experience
- Outdoor fieldwork experience
- Excellent knowledge of Excel & data entry
- Already living in or within commuting distance of NYC. Compensation for relocation not available
- Driver’s license and access to a car or access to alternative transportation
- Personality traits: reliable, mature, flexible, self-motivated, able to work independently, observant, detail-oriented, well organised, positive attitude (no matter the weather), good people skills
- Commitment to diversity, equity & inclusion
- Legally allowed to work in the US
Desirable selection criteria (assets, but not required)
- Botany knowledge (especially local flora)
- Molecular biology experience
- Analysis of ecology data (R) & spatial data (qGIS)
CUNY students and applicants from underrepresented groups are especially encouraged to apply.
RFCUNY Benefits
RFCUNY Employee Benefits and AccrualsAbout 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
Key Features
Biology
Part Time
$21.00-$22.00
18.00
Oct 12, 2024 (Or Until Filled)