Research Specialist / Algologist

Recruitment Range: $51,615 – $55,278
Vacancy Number: S02499
Position Title: Research Specialist
Working Title: Research Specialist
Competency Level: Journey
Home Department: Center for Marine Science – 30600
College/School Information: Center for Marine Science – 306 College
FTE: 1.0 (40 hours per week)
Months Per Year: 12 Months
Work Days: Monday – Friday (occasional weekend and nights as needed)
Work Hours: 8:00am – 5:00pm (occasional other hours as needed)
Type of Position: Permanent
Position Number: 7829
Posting Close Date: 09/18/2024
Location of Workplace: CMS Myrtle Grove

Benefits of Working at UNCW

Want to become a soaring UNCW Seahawk and work at one of the best universities on the East Coast? Want to put your toes in the sand after a day of work? The University of North Carolina Wilmington offers a wonderfully vibrant university community along with a beautiful location just miles from the beach.

Employees of UNCW are provided a comprehensive benefits package as well as other programs, resources, policies, and practices that help to support a work/life balance. Our programs have been designed to provide a variety of choices to best fit your needs and the needs of your family. Full time employees are eligible for dental, vision and health insurance plans. Health insurance benefit plans eligibility begins on the first of the month following date of hire. Retirement plan contributions begin on the eligibility date following election and include employer contributions for either a defined contribution or a defined benefit plan. Optional disability plans are also available.

Full time employees are also eligible for the tuition waiver program which covers the cost of tuition and fees for up to three (3) undergraduate or graduate courses per academic year at UNCW or any other university within the UNC System. In addition, UNCW covers the cost of tuition and fees for one UNCW course each summer session

As a full time employee, UNCW also offers a free membership to the Campus Recreation Center, free vaccine and booster shots offered on campus, meditation and yoga sessions, voluntary supplemental insurance coverages, pretax flexible spending accounts, 12 paid holidays, 24 hours of paid community service leave time, paid vacation and sick leave accrual and family medical leave after 12 months of continuous service.

We also offer an abundance of training and development programs through our Dare to Learn Academy,and the employee assistance program, many of which are offered free of charge.

Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit

The University of North Carolina Wilmington’s Center for Marine Science (CMS) is recognized both nationally and internationally for conducting research that contributes to the understanding of environmental processes and problems. CMS strives to engage communities to address societal issues and promote use-inspired innovations.

Through research, education and outreach, the Center strives to increase knowledge about coastal and marine sciences and cultivate community engagement in coastal resilience. This includes a variety of fields such as physical oceanography; marine and coastal biology; marine, atmospheric and natural products chemistry; marine geology; aquaculture; environmental sciences, marine policy, human health, and sociology. Currently there are more than 100 active research programs supported by CMS and over 140 scientists, staff and students broadly associated with the unit.

The teaching and research facility located on the Intracoastal Waterway in southeastern North Carolina features state of the art core facilities in spectrometry and spectroscopy, light stable isotopes, biotechnology, aquaculture, DNA and water quality analysis as well as running seawater systems, a coastal workboat fleet and a wide range of oceanographic equipment that are available to all CMS researchers.

CMS supports educational programs related to marine science, including the Applied Coastal and Ocean Science Ph.D. program and MS Marine Science degree as well as courses and students from various marine-science related academic departments across the breadth of UNCW. It also supports several outreach entities, including NC Sea Grant, the NC National Estuarine Research Reserve, and Marine Quest, among others.

University Information

The University of North Carolina Wilmington, the state’s coastal university, is dedicated to the integration of teaching, mentoring, research and service. Widely acknowledged for its world-class faculty and staff and continuously recognized at a national level for scholarly excellence and affordability, UNCW offers a powerful academic experience that stimulates creative inquiry and critical thinking and a community rich in diversity, inclusion and global perspectives.

A public institution with nearly 18,000 students, UNCW offers a full range of baccalaureate- and graduate-level programs, as well as doctoral degrees in educational leadership, marine biology, nursing practice and psychology; and many distance learning options, including clinical research, an accelerated RN-to-BSN program, an Executive M.B.A. program structured for working professionals, and the nation’s only bachelor’s degree program focused on coastal engineering.

The university’s efforts to advance research and scholarly activities have earned UNCW the elevated designation of “Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity” institution (R2 University) by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

UNCW has been part of the University of North Carolina System since 1969.

Brief Summary of Work for this Position

This position will be responsible for the maintenance and operation of the algal culture facility. This will include supply management, media prep and sterilization, management of water quality (including calibration and maintenance of all water quality meters and pH control systems) and a flow through 40 bag continuous culture system, periodic sanitation of system, collection of data on algal growth, and weekly upscaling of stock cultures to support turnover of bags. This position will also oversee the operation and maintenance of the Industrial Plankton Photobioreactor during the spawning season. The research specialist will have a good understanding of ultrafiltration and the ability to troubleshoot problems with cultures and equipment.

Responsibilities include:

• In the event of contamination in the cultures, this position will be able to design and conduct experiments to determine causes and develop solutions while clearly conveying the results to the supervisor.
• Overseeing and supervising SRH and undergrad technicians in the daily operation of the Coulter Counter and cleaning of tanks and glassware. The candidate will train SRH technicians to ensure coverage in the event of the algologist’s absence.
• Participating in the spawning and rearing of shellfish as needed.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a discipline related to the area of assignment; or equivalent combination of training and experience. All degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions.

Preferred education, professional skills and experience

• An MS in Biology or related field and one year of experience in aquaculture (either in a laboratory or commercial setting) is preferred.
• Documented evidence of post-undergraduate training in shellfish aquaculture, particularly in the maintenance of an algal culture facility. Graduate work in a relevant field may be considered as suitable experience.
• Ability to work and communicate effectively in a group environment, operate as part of a team working together to achieve safe and efficient operation of the hatchery systems.
• Ability to keep detailed and accurate accounts of daily operations and to report these effectively in a group environment.
• Ability to exercise good judgment when encountering evidence of problems in SRH systems and willingness to seek advice and help immediately from supervisor or colleague.

Special Notes to Applicants

PLEASE NOTE: This posting will close at 11:59PM (Eastern time) on the posted closing date. To receive full consideration, please be sure you have fully completed the entire application, including the ‘Work History’ section before you apply for this position. Applications must be submitted through the online application system to be considered.

EEO Statement

At the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW), our culture reflects our values of inclusion, diversity, globalization, ethics and integrity and innovation and we are committed to providing equality of educational and employment opportunity for all persons without regard to race, sex (such as gender, gender identity, marital status, childbirth, and pregnancy), age, color, national origin (including ethnicity), religion, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, veteran status, military service member status, genetic information, or relationship to other university constituents – except where sex, age, or ability represent bona fide educational or occupational qualifications or where marital status is a statutorily established eligibility criterion for State funded employee benefit programs. UNCW believes that embracing the unique contributions of our faculty, staff and students is critical to our success and paramount in being recognized for our global mindset.

Eligibility for Employment

Final candidates are subject to criminal & sex offender background checks. Some vacancies also require credit or motor vehicle checks. UNC Wilmington participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.