Assistant/Associate/Full Project Scientist - Environmental Analytical Laboratory

The University of California, Merced seeks a Project Scientist for its Environmental Analytical Laboratory. The role involves managing daily operations, maintaining laboratory instruments, providing user training, and ensuring regulatory compliance. Responsibilities include overseeing financial operations, contributing to research publications, and establishing collaborations. The position requires expertise in environmental analysis and supports educational activities while promoting the lab's capabilities within the research community.
The Environmental Analytical Laboratory (EAL) is a core facility under management of the Office of Research and Economic Development (ORED). It houses major instrumentation and provides expertise and training to faculty, students, and researchers for the analysis of a wide variety of physical and biological environmental media. Current instrumentation includes: ICP-OES, ICP-MS, Discrete Chemistry Analyzer, TOC/TN, microwave digestion, CVAFS for analysis of mercury and methylmercury in liquid samples, and a direct mercury analyzer. The facility offers users reliable, well-maintained instrumentation access, sample preparation facilities, analytical consultation, and timely service through technical expertise and comprehensive user training in support of multidisciplinary research and education programs.

The Director of the Environmental Analysis Laboratory (EAL) is responsible for supporting research, education, and outreach activities through the daily operation, management, and maintenance of laboratory instruments. This role requires developing a financially sustainable and cost-efficient model through recharge revenue and collaborative research while providing administrative leadership in budgeting, training, safety, and regulatory compliance.

As a Project Scientist, the Director is expected to make significant and creative contributions to research projects within their academic discipline, functioning with high-level expertise and working independently or collaboratively with faculty, students, and research personnel.

Key responsibilities of the Director include:

• Overseeing the daily operations of the EAL, ensuring smooth data collection and high-quality data throughput by working closely with diverse user groups, providing technical expertise, and supervising instrument use.

• Maintaining laboratory instruments in optimal condition through regular maintenance, troubleshooting, and prompt repairs to minimize downtime.

• Providing comprehensive training for users (undergraduate & graduate students, post-doctoral scholars, faculty), including standard operating procedures (SOPs) for instruments, methodologies, sample handling, and data quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC).

• Managing the laboratory’s financial operations expenses, inventory, instrument usage, and recharge billing.

• Ensuring compliance with all laboratory safety requirements, maintaining the EAL’s chemical inventory, and keeping records necessary for internal regulatory oversight.

• Supporting UC Merced courses relevant to the EAL by assisting faculty with demonstrations, lectures, training sessions, and lab tours.

• Contributing to research publications, either independently or in collaboration with academic partners.

• Identifying funding opportunities and contributing to grant proposals to enhance the facility’s capabilities, scientific reputation and upgrade instrumentation.

• Establishing strategic collaborations with, academic institutions, research organizations, industry partners to advance the EAL’s mission.

• Participating in outreach activities, seminars, guest lectures, and events to engage the broader research community and promote the EAL’s capabilities.

• Engaging in university service activities and supporting broader departmental and campus initiatives.

This role requires a strong balance of technical expertise, administrative leadership, and research collaboration to ensure the success and growth of the EAL at UC Merced.