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Engineer or Associate Engineer -- University of Arizona, Tucson
Engineer or Associate Engineer
Focus: Design of instrumentation for field-based atmospheric and
ecosystem measurements
Institution: Ecology & Evol. Biology and Biosphere 2, University of
Arizona, Tucson, AZ
Start Date: Summer 2008
We seek a creative engineer with background applicable to the
design, construction, deployment and maintenance of robust systems
of field-deployable automated instrumentation. This position will
provide self-starting individuals with opportunity to manage
instrumentation projects from design phase to final construction and
field testing/troubleshooting, and to collaborate with research
scientists using the instrumentation for research.
The engineer will work initially with an interdisciplinary team on
deploying a new optical spectrometer (using Quantum Cascade Lasers,
QCL) for measurements of atmospheric CO2 and its isotopic
composition (13C/12C and 18O/16O), along with support
instrumentation including a precisely controlled automated gas-flow
calibration system. Deployment includes field sites (at the
Harvard forest site in Central Massachusetts, and possibly in the
Amazon of Brazil), and within the University of Arizona’s Biosphere
2, the unique enclosed ecosystem system science facility outside of
Tucson, AZ. The science goal is to study mechanisms controlling
coupled carbon and water exchange between ecosystems and the
atmosphere.
The selected candidate must have training and experience in
mechanical, civil, or electrical engineering, and familiarity with
software packages used in computer-aided design, data acquisition,
and in data analysis (such as Splus or Matlab). Desired areas of
engineering experience include pressure and flow control, thermal
management, electronics, and optics. Additional background in
ecosystem science applications, including techniques for measuring
isotope ratios in gases or materials, or of biosphere-atmosphere
fluxes, is a strong plus.
The position is based at University Arizona, but may involve time
commitments near Boston, MA for the first year, during which the
instrument will be deployed for testing and measurements at Harvard
Forest (collaborating with scientists at Aerodyne Research, and at
Harvard University’s laboratory for atmospheric chemistry).
Subsequent work would focus on design and implementation of related
Biosphere 2 instrumentation.
This position provides exceptional opportunities to contribute to
addressing problems of both scientific and societal interest using
cutting-edge technology (see web pages below).
Competitive salary and benefits are provided; the University of
Arizona is an equal-opportunity employer.
To apply, go to: https://www.uacareertrack.com/ (search postings
for job number 40537)
Also send (electronically) a CV, and the names and contact
information of three references to:
Dr. Scott Saleska
Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
University of Arizona
saleska@email.arizona.edu
For more information on this project (including related
publications), see:
http://eebweb.arizona.edu/faculty/saleska/research.htm
(Saleska group)
http://www.b2science.org/ (University
of Arizona Biosphere 2)
http://www.aerodyne.com/ (Aerodyne
Research, Inc.)
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