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Position Details

Position Information

Department Forest Eng/Resourcs/Mgmt (FOR)

Position Title Research Associate

Job Title Research Associate (Intermal Employment Opportunity)

Appointment Type Academic Faculty

Job Location Corvallis

Benefits Eligible Full-Time, benefits eligible

Remote or Hybrid option?

Job Summary

This is an Internal Employment Opportunity

The Department of Forest Engineering, Resources & Management ( FOR ) invites applications for a full-time (1.00 FTE ), 12-month, fixed-term Research Associate position. Reappointment is at the discretion of the Department Head.

This position is for a forest biometrics research associate in the Department of Forest Engineering, Resources & Management. The incumbent will develop, implement, and help fund field, methodological, and computational research in remotely sensed forest inventory and in forest modeling. Strong program management, data management, programming, IT, and writing skills are required. Mentoring and instructional ability is also needed. While primarily an office position, some fieldwork occurs in most months of the year.

Why OSU?

Working for Oregon State University is so much more than a job!

Oregon State University is a dynamic community of dreamers, doers, problem-solvers and change-makers. We don’t wait for challenges to present themselves — we seek them out and take them on. We welcome students, faculty and staff from every background and perspective into a community where everyone feels seen and heard. We have deep-rooted mindfulness for the natural world and all who depend on it, and together, we apply knowledge, tools and skills to build a better future for all.

FACTS :

•Top 1.4% university in the world

•More research funding than all public universities in Oregon combined

•1 of 3 land, sea, space and sun grant universities in the U.S.

•2 campuses, 11 colleges, 12 experiment stations, and Extension programs in all 36 counties

•7cultural resource centers (https://hr.oregonstate.edu/work-life/diversity-and-cultural-resources) that offer education, celebration and belonging for everyone

•100+ undergraduate degree programs, 80+ graduate degrees plus hundreds of minor options and certificates

•35k+ students including more than 2.3k international students and 10k students of color

•217k+ alumni worldwide

•For more interesting facts about OSU visit:https://oregonstate.edu/about

Locations:

Oregon State has a statewide presence with campuses in Corvallis and Bend, the OSU Portland Center and the Hatfield Marine Science Center on the Pacific Coast in Newport.

Oregon State’s beautiful, historic and state-of-the-art main campus is located in one of America’s best college towns. Corvallis is located close to the Pacific Ocean, the Cascade mountains and Oregon wine country. Nestled in the heart of the Willamette Valley, this beautiful city offers miles of mountain biking and hiking trails, a river perfect for boating or kayaking and an eclectic downtown featuring local cuisine, popular events and performances.

Total Rewards Package:

Oregon State University offers acomprehensive benefits package (https://hr.oregonstate.edu/benefits/prospective-employee) with benefits eligible positions that is designed to meet the needs of employees and their families including:

•Medical, Dental, Vision and Basic Life. OSU pays 95% of premiums for you and your eligible dependents.

•Free confidential mental health and emotional support services, and counseling resources.

•Retirement savings paid by the university.

•A generous paid leave package, including holidays, vacation and sick leave.

•Tuition reduction benefits for you or your qualifying dependents at OSU or the additional six Oregon Public Universities.

•Robust Work Life programs including Dual Career assistance resources, flexible work arrangements, a Family Resource Center, Affinity Groups and an Employee Assistance Program.

•Optional lifestyle benefits such as pet, accident, and critical illness insurance, giving you peace of mind and the support you need to thrive in all aspects of your life.

Future and current OSU employees can use theBenefits Calculator (https://hr.oregonstate.edu/benefits/new-employees/benefits-calculator) to learn more about the full value of the benefits provided at OSU .

Key Responsibilities

35% – Writing and Reporting

+ Draft grant proposals and revise and submit them in coordination with the principal investigator and college research office.

+ Draft research manuscripts, revise and submit them in coordination with the principal investigator, respond to peer review, and complete typesetting and proofs of accepted submissions.

+ Collaborate with student co-authors, including editing and revising manuscripts drafted by students.

+ Prepare and give conference presentations as opportunities arise, other tasks permitting.

30% – Research

+ Design and implement experiments in forest inventory methods or the design and improvement of forest models. Implementation is very likely to require writing substantial amounts of computationally efficient code in multiple languages, often R, C#, or Python, and integration of many supporting packages.

+ Conduct fieldwork as needed for data acquisition. LiDAR scanning is the most common task but collecting imagery, ground measurements, and permanent plot maintenance are also needed.

20% – Laboratory

+ Collaborate with the principal investigator to set broad priorities for research capability development, study implementation, and opportunities for students.

+ Maintain, upgrade, or replace lab software and equipment. Common tasks include keeping lab specific codebases up to date, fixing software defects, custom building or reconfiguring desktop computers, monitoring data storage health, working closely with college IT staff on shared infrastructure, cleaning and other preventative equipment and facility care, and recharacterizing LiDAR scan acquisition and SLAM accuracy after equipment suppliers make hardware, firmware, and software updates. Less common tasks include adding features to or building new capabilities in lab software outside of coding directly on research projects; updating, revising, or expanding protocol and policy documentation; and dealing with hardware failures.

+ Assist graduate students with thesis planning and execution. Foster a safe, inclusive, and welcoming workplace environment and provide equitable opportunities and constructive feedback that supports student progress.

10% – Co-instruction

+ Help develop and co-teach (up to a maximum of one course per academic year as the instructor of record) graduate courses in forest biometrics with emphasis on machine learning methods.

5% – Other duties as assigned

What You Will Need

+ PhD in forest biometrics at the time of appointment

+ Demonstrated ability to work independently, including development of research studies and grant writing.

+ Publication records in forest biometrics, forest modeling, object based remote sensing, or related fields.

+ Proven advanced software development skills with proficiency in parallel processing of large (potentially multi-terabyte) datasets and computationally intensive experiments.

+ IT asset management and technician ability to operate and troubleshoot remote sensing equipment and lab computing infrastructure.

+ Good teamwork and communication skills facilitating effective and congenial interactions with students, other employees, supervisors, and partners.

+ Commitment to a safe, inclusive, and welcoming workplace whether in the office or in the field.

This position requires driving a university vehicle or a personal vehicle on behalf of the university; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a motor vehicle history check, possess and maintain a current, valid driver’s license in their state of residence, be determined to be position qualified and self-report convictions as per University Policy 05-030.

What We Would Like You to Have

+ Ability to rapidly review source code of external packages, identify defects, and find workarounds or make fixes. Or, alternatively, characterize defects in complex closed source codes and communicate needed improvements.

+ Proven experience of competitive coding in compiled and interpreted languages

+ Familiarity with machine learning methods, including variable selection for random forests and design of neural networks.

+ Engineering experience, particularly in electronics, signal processing, or software design.

Working Conditions / Work Schedule

Primarily typical office environment with need to lift remote sensing equipment in rugged protective cases, desktop computers, and monitors. Occasional travel to field sites as well as conferences, workshops, or other events. Ability to work on foot in forest stands with inclement conditions is required; fieldwork may occur in inclement conditions (steep slopes, high or low temperatures, wildfire smoke, rain or snow, slippery footing, stinging insects, poison oak, ticks, thorn thickets, and similar), require camping, and driving/travel with a personal vehicle.

Pay Method Salary

Pay Period 1st through the last day of the month

Pay Date Last working day of the month

Recommended Full-Time Salary Range Salary is commensurate with skills, education, and experience.

Link to Position Description

https://jobs.oregonstate.edu/position\_descriptions/168378

Posting Detail Information

Posting Number P09101UF

Number of Vacancies 1

Anticipated Appointment Begin Date 06/16/2025

Anticipated Appointment End Date

Posting Date 05/13/2025

Full Consideration Date

Closing Date 05/20/2025

Indicate how you intend to recruit for this search Competitive / Internal

Special Instructions to Applicants

This is an Internal Employment Opportunity

When applying you will be required to attach the following electronic documents:

1) A resume/CV; and

2) A cover letter indicating how your qualifications and experience have prepared you for this position.

You will also be required to submit the names of at least three professional references, their e-mail addresses and telephone numbers as part of the application process.

For additional information please contact:

Bogdan Strimbu

[email protected]

(541) 737-1604

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability, protected veteran, and other protected status.

OSU will conduct a review of the National Sex Offender Public website prior to hire.

OSU is a fair chance employer committed to inclusive hiring. We encourage applications from candidates who bring a wide range of lived experience including involvement with the justice system. This job has “critical or security-sensitive” responsibilities. If you are selected as a finalist, your initial job offer will be contingent upon the results of a job-related pre-employment check (such as a background check, motor vehicle history check, sexual misconduct reference check, etc.). Background check results do not automatically disqualify a candidate. Take a look at ourBackground Checks (https://hr.oregonstate.edu/careers/background-checks) website including thefor candidates (https://hr.oregonstate.edu/careers/candidates) section for more details. If you have questions or concerns about the pre-employment check, please contact OSU’s Employee and Labor Relations team [email protected]

Supplemental Questions

Read More at: https://jobs.oregonstate.edu/postings/168510

OSU commits to inclusive excellence by advancing equity and diversity in all that we do. We are an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer, and particularly encourage applications from members of historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, women, individuals with disabilities, veterans, LGBTQ community members, and others who demonstrate the ability to help us achieve our vision of a diverse and inclusive community.