Riverscapes Application Support Specialist (Researcher l)

Overview

The Riverscapes Assessment and Monitoring (RAM) Lab at Utah State University’s Department of Watershed Sciences invites applications for a Riverscapes Application Support Specialist (Researcher l). This role will focus on evaluating the effectiveness of low-tech, process-based restoration strategies at improving riverscape health. The successful candidate will conduct comparative analyses between control sites (riverscapes without restoration interventions) and treatment sites (riverscapes that have undergone restoration actions) to determine the impact of these interventions on overall riverscape health. Three years of monitoring is already done for nine treatment sites and eight control sites in the Klamath and Warner Lakes Basins in Southern Oregon. The researcher will complete one additional year of monitoring following an established protocol, and then write at least one journal article on the short-term (<3 year) results around the efficacy of LTPBR. Additionally, the researcher will be responsible for disseminating their findings through peer-reviewed publications.

Responsibilities

Technical Writer, Documentation & Instructor - 60%: 

• Maintaining and authoring technical resources for the Riverscapes Consortium apps, models, and datasets (https://www.riverscapes.net/page/discover). This includes the recording of how-to videos, tutorials, and authoring online documentation and knowledge base articles.
• Work with our software developers, research staff, graduate students and GIS technicians to populate and complete useful and engaging content. 
• Become proficient in consuming and interpreting these tools and datasets and eventually in authoring the technical resources that support the Riverscapes Consortium apps models, and datasets.
• Lead in person and remote teaching sessions, webinars and workshops.

 

Helpdesk Agent - 25%: 

• Act as the primary contact for inquiries from researchers, practitioners, policy makers and the general public about Riverscape Consortium apps , models, websites, and datasets. This will primarily be through issue tracking in our help desk software (https://riverscapes.freshdesk.com).

 

Developer Liaison - 15%: 

• Liaising with Riverscapes Consortium model and tool developers to help them make their models “riverscapes compliant” and/or get their datasets curated and in the Riverscapes Data Exchange.
• Regular, in-person coordination via team meetings in Logan, Utah is expected.
• The position will involve occasional travel for field work and to participate in workshops, field trips, meetings and training with community members.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications: 

• Bachelor's degree in relevant field plus two years of related experience; OR a master's degree; OR an equivalent combination of education and experience in a field of study related to earth or watershed science (e.g., geomorphology, hydrology, aquatic ecology).
• Strong oral and written communication skills, demonstrated through prior peer-reviewed publications.
• Proficient in data analysis.
• Proven ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a research environment.

  Preferred Qualifications: 

• Proficiency with geospatial analysis (in desktop GIS and using Python or other programming languages). 
• Programming skills (e.g., python, SQL)
• Experience in riverscape monitoring
• Experience in or familiarity with low-tech process-based restoration (https://lowtechpbr.restoration.usu.edu) of riverscapes. 
• Familiarity with the standards of the Riverscapes Consortium (https://develper.riverscapes.net) 
• Familiarity with QRiS (https://qris.riverscapes.net) and the LTPBR V2. Monitoring Protocol, both of which will be used to assess the data.

Required Documents

Along with the online application, please attach:

 

1. Resume or CV to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under “Resume/CV” 

2. Cover letter to be typed/pasted at the end of your application 

 

The following documents to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile uner "Documents 1-10"

3. Two letters of recommendation

4. Writing Sample(s)

5. Transcript(s)

 

**Document size may not exceed 10 MB.**

Advertised Salary

Commensurate with experience, plus excellent benefits

ADA

Employees work indoors and are protected from weather and/or contaminants, but not, necessarily, occasional temperature changes. The employee is regularly required to sit and often uses repetitive hand m