Water Sciences Laboratory Director

ACS ENVR; Lincoln (NE); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The Nebraska Water Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln seeks a Water Sciences Laboratory Director at the rank of assistant, associate, or full research professor for a 12-month, non-tenure track renewable appointment. The director will oversee WSL operations, supervise staff, and guide analytical services for water and environmental research.

Located in Lincoln, this role offers leadership within DWFI and IANR with promotion pathways under UNL policies, including collaboration with

Qualifications

• PhD in a relevant field with strong analytical chemistry background.
• Experience conducting scientific research and developing analytical methods.
• Track record of publications and environmental/water research.

Responsibilities

• Lead all WSL activities and manage staff and facility operations.
• Develop external relationships and promote lab services to stakeholders.
• Coauthor publications and assist with contracts and grants.
• Mentor users and staff to ensure quality and timely sample processing.
• Prepare annual facility reports integrating fiscal and technical input.

Skills

Analytical chemistry

Lab leadership

Communication

Collaboration

Education

PhD in Analytical Chemistry/Engineering/Environmental/Geological/Materials Sciences

Tools

Mass spectrometry

Job description

The Nebraska Water Center, part of the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute (DWFI) and the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, is seeking applications for a Water Sciences Laboratory (WSL) Director at the rank of assistant, associate, or full research professor.

With a100% administrative research apportionment, this 12-month (calendar year) non-tenuretrack, renewable appointment will have a3-5 yearinitialappointment based on rank at time of hire. The position reports to the Nebraska Water Center director and leads allWSLactivities, supervising a laboratory manager and technical staff, while supporting staff and users in day-to-day facility operations. This positionis located inLincoln, Nebraska, and will be affiliated with an academic unit inIANRto ensure the incumbent has a pathway to promotion conforming toUNLpolicies and guidelines. To learn more about Lincoln, please visit About Lincoln | Nebraska.

Position Responsibilities

• Demonstratestrong communicationskills, vision, and leadership for theWSLmission to provide advanced, high quality, defensible results for water and environmental research.
• Develop relationships with external stakeholders and the entire university system to support joint research and service projects, enhancing laboratory services to meet user requirements while implementing practical ways tomaintainquality and improve operation efficiency.
• Coauthor publicationsandactively collaborate on contracts and grants, while working with the Nebraska Water Center to promote the facility to potential users on and off campus.
• Mentor laboratory users and staff to ensuretimelyprocessing of client samples,facilitateproblem-solving, andassistthe laboratory manager in implementing a robust quality assurance program.
• Prepare annual facility reports to the Office of Research and Innovation which integrate fiscal and technical input from an administrative advisory board, laboratory user group, and business office staff.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry, Engineering, Environmental, Geological, or Materials Sciences.
• Experience conducting scientific research, developing analytical or isotopic methods,andoperatingand troubleshooting mass spectrometry-based equipment.
• Track recordof relevant research publicationsshowcasingadvanced analytical techniques.
• Specialty in environmental sciences, water quality, and/or analytical method developmentcommensuratewith a research assistant professor or higher.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience managing laboratory operations, quality assurance, planning, or project management.
• Proven ability to communicate and collaborate with faculty and stakeholders across multiple disciplines and organizations.

About the Water Sciences Laboratory

The Water Sciences Laboratory (WSL) is a unique university core facility with a record of over 35 years of advancing the University of Nebraska’s water and environmental research programs, primarily supporting intensification of agricultural systems. With over $3.5 million instate-of-the-artequipment, theWSLdeliversover 200 custom and standard analytical methods for testing water, wastewater, and sediments designed to serve academic researchers, governmental water managers, and the private sector.The laboratory features a robust quality assurance program, supporting clients with custom validated methods and detailed protocols supporting research proposals and publications aimed at advancing water-related research across the globe.

The lab’s continuously evolving analytical capabilities aim to accurately measure and evaluate agricultural and emerging contaminants in multiple compartments. Analytical methods support projects worldwide which help devise ways to evaluate contaminant occurrence and effects, while controlling and remediating contamination in agricultural settings. Thousands of samples are analyzed annually usingstate-of-the-arttechnologies together with carefully implemented quality controlsdemonstratingthe lab’s commitment to provide high quality defensible data.

The facilityoperatesand maintains more than thirty major instruments, most based on advanced mass spectrometry technologies, and uses an extensive laboratory information management system (LIMS) to track sample metadata, quality controls, and report client results. It is currently implementing a new cloud-basedLIMSwhich will allow clients from across the globe tosubmitsamples, select methods, and access their results online.

Learn more about the Water Sciences Laboratory at watersciences.unl.edu.

Organizational Affiliations

The Water Sciences Laboratory is part of the Nebraska Water Center andlocatedinthe University of Nebraska’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources campus. The Nebraska Water Center,establishedby Congressional mandate as one of 54 Water Resources Research Institutes in 1964, focuses on helping the University of Nebraska become an international leader in water research, teaching, extension,and outreach. Learn more about the Nebraska Water Center at watercenter.unl.edu and the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at ianr.unl.edu. The Water Sciences Laboratory and the Nebraska Water Center are embedded in the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute(DWFI). Located at the University of Nebraska, DWFI works to address the global challenge of achieving food security with less stress on water resources through water management in agricultural and food systems. Learn more aboutDWFIat waterforfood.nebraska.edu.

The University of Nebraska does not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and/or political affiliation in its programs, activities, or employment. See https://equity.unl.edu/notice-nondiscrimination/.