Lab and Field Coordinator

This position is a part of the Non-Academic Staff Association (NASA).

Location: This is an in-person role and work is primarily based at North Campus Edmonton.

Term Length: This position has an end date of 1 year plus a day with a possibility of extension and offers a comprehensive benefits package which can be viewed on our Benefits Overview page .

Working for the University of Alberta

The University of Alberta acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 6 territory, and respects the histories, languages and cultures of First Nations, Métis, Inuit and all First Peoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community.

The University of Alberta is teeming with change makers, community builders, and world shapers who lead with purpose each and every day. We are home to more than 40,000 students in 200+ undergraduate and 500+ graduate programs, over 13,000 faculty and staff, 260,000 alumni worldwide and have been recognized as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for over a decade.

Your work will have a meaningful influence on a fascinating cross section of people—from our students and stakeholders, to our renowned researchers and innovators who are quite literally curing diseases, making discoveries and generating solutions that make the world healthier, safer, stronger, and more just.

Department/Faculty Summary

We build a scientific foundation for better management, conservation, and restoration of ecosystems and landscapes. We discover and disseminate new knowledge about forests, rangelands, crops, wildlife, soils and water. Our vision is to develop approaches for a sustained flow of ecological goods and services that achieves a balance between economic and social benefits and the intrinsic value of nature. Through diverse research partners, we use integrated, multidisciplinary approaches and maintain strong ties with land and natural resource managers.

Position Summary

Under direct supervision of the Principal Investigator of the Ecosystem-based Forest Management Lab, Dr. Charles Nock (Renewable Resources, Faculty of ALES), this position coordinates the diverse administrative and field activities of the Industrial Research Chair in Ecosystem-based Forest Management and performs similar tasks in support of other projects the lab may be involved with.

Although exact numbers of personnel may fluctuate through time, the Nock lab will generally be comprised of a postdoctoral fellow and 6 – 8 graduate students at the MSc and PhD level. We will additionally have a number of undergraduate students assisting with research in the lab at various times but most consistently during the summer field season. Currently these personnel are associated with the IRC, but personnel may also be affiliated with other research projects in the lab, including NSERC Discovery, Alliance, as well as other programs.

The main responsibilities of the lab coordinator include administrative and research support to the PI. Administrative and human resources duties include: monitoring of financial accounts and assisting with financial reporting, monitoring of health and safety in relation to lab activities, assisting with advertising, interviewing and selecting field assistants, and coordinating H&S training for new staff. In addition, the lab coordinator provides assistance with some aspects of the lab’s field research program, including: creation of Field Activity Plans, maintaining and tracking use of equipment, travelling to field sites, and assisting with sample and data collecting and processing as required.

Duties

Research support

• Assist in establishment, conduction and maintenance of scientific projects led by the lab PI, graduate students, or postdoctoral fellows. Based on instructions from the lab PI, the lab coordinator may be responsible for: maintenance of research plots, data collection, checking operation of equipment, ensuring accurate and precise data are being generated, assisting with entering and organizing data.

Accounting

• Maintain records of quotes, purchase orders, invoices, packing slips and receipts that are accurate and organized.
• Reconcile monthly corporate credit card statements, including ensuring cardholders provide all receipts, etc.
• Ensures all new lab members are introduced to and familiar with financial procedures and assists with preparation of complete and correct expense reports.

Purchasing

• Responsible for comparative sourcing, ordering, and purchasing of materials, equipment, and office supplies for both research projects and office use.

General administration and human resources support

Minimum Qualifications

• Post-secondary education of a Bachelor’s degree in Forestry, Plant Biology, Environmental Sciences, or a related field.
• Experience in lab management preferred, knowledge of UofA procedures an asset.
• Experience in field data collection in forest ecosystems preferred, knowledge of the forests of Alberta an asset.

Note: Online applications are accepted until midnight Mountain Standard Time of the closing date.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those individuals selected for an interview will be contacted.