Job Description

Staff - UnionJob Category CUPE 116Job Profile CUPE 116 Salaried - Research Assistant /Technician 2Job Title Tundra Time/Research TechnicianDepartment Research | Myers-Smith Lab | Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences | Faculty of ForestryCompensation Range $4,426.00 - $4,845.00 CAD MonthlyPosting End Date November 21, 2024Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.Job End Date Aug 31, 2025At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.Job SummaryWe are seeking a Research Assistant for the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Global Change Ecology of Northern Ecosystems with research experience in environmental change in Northern ecosystems. The Research Assistant will coordinate fieldwork in the Yukon Territory and lab work and data analysis to achieve the research initiatives of the CERC. Tasks include coordinating fieldwork at the Outpost Research Station including conducting alpine field research and maintaining a common garden experiment, processing of root samples, time-lapse and drone imagery and audio recordings collected in the 2024 summer and maintenance of a growth chamber experiment over the winter of 2024-25.The position will entail providing support with field and lab work, administrative tasks and managing Work Learn and volunteer students.Organizational StatusThe position will report directly to the Principal Investigator and will be additionally supervised by the Research Data Coordinator and Research Coordinator. The Research Assistant will supervise Work Learn and volunteer students and will collaborate with other members of the Team Shrub research group and our Northern research partners.Work Performed

• Prepare and maintain field research in alpine ecology including the maintenance of a common garden experiment in the Yukon Territory (June xe2x80x93 August work will be based in the Yukon Territory)
• Guide and assist Work Learn Students in root picking, time-lapse and drone photo processing and audio recording analysis tasks.
• Supervise the monoliths in growth chambers, with full responsibility for plant care tasks, monitoring growth, and addressing any issues.
• Process phenocam imagery from the Common Garden Experiment, annotating data for future research projects.
• Coordinate data analysis for post-fieldwork processing of the Common Garden Experiment and Seed Predation Experiment, ensuring accuracy and integrity of data.
• Oversee the management of field-collected data, including organization and necessary post-processing.
• Train lab employees and volunteers to carry out lab work to meet lab standards and ensuring adherence to protocols.
• Produce a comprehensive summary report detailing field work conducted in the Southern and Interior Yukon regions during the summer of 2024, capturing key findings and insights.
• Write engaging blog posts that document and share summer field work experiences on the Team Shrub website, promoting outreach and engagement.

Consequence of Error/JudgementThe Research Assistant will report to the Principal Investigator into issues related to work performance and employee misconduct. The Research Assistant will be required to work independently, but will have worked checked by the PI on a regular basis. Work and tasks will be managed both electronically and through in person meetings. The Research Assistant will also interact with other members of the research group on a regular basis, with other team members also contributing to tasks and participating in project and data management and analysis. Consequences of not following protocols or data mismanagement would be delays in data processing, analysis and ultimately the publication of the science along the timelines expected by funding bodies and stakeholders.Supervision ReceivedSupervised by the principal investigator Prof. Isla Myers-Smith, the Research Data Coordinator Ciara Norton and a to-be-recruited Research Coordinator to collaborate on tasks related to the development of research projects for the CERC Global Change Ecology of Northern Ecosystems project. Supervision will be provided through weekly meetings and regular communication with the Principal Investigator and Research Data Coordinator regarding the execution and status of work performed.Supervision GivenThe Research Assistant will oversee the work of three Work Learn students and lab volunteers. This will entail providing training and guidance when necessary and ensuring the work of students and volunteers adhere to lab safety protocols and performance standards.Minimum Qualifications
High school graduation, some additional training in a related field and a minimum two years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with onexe2x80x99s own- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing onexe2x80x99s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

• Field experience in the Canadian North, including specifically in the Kluane Region of the Yukon Territory
• Familiar with emergency protocols at remote sites in the Yukon area
• Expedition-level First-Aid training
• The ability to travel to the Kluane Region of the Yukon and be based at that location from June through August 2025
• An undergraduate degree in UBC forestry, ecology or related program
• Means to work a hybrid of remote office work and in person on Vancouver UBC campus
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Excellent organization and time management skills
• Leadership skills and experience in project management
• Previous research experience in a related field
• Experience with plant ID, drones or other remote sensing technology
• Familiarity with the programming language R and basic data manipulation and analysis skills
• Familiarity with version control and a desire to learn how to use GitHub
• Awareness of the context of research in the Arctic including Indigenous research priorities
• An ability to work independently and as a part of a team
• Experience supervising other research team members

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience conducting field and/or lab experiments
• Experience managing data including imagery, audio recordings and climate records
• Experience developing research reports
• Expertise in root picking and plant care
• Knowledge of alpine and Arctic vegetation
• Knowledge of data management and analysis software

University of British Columbia