CITY OF NEW YORK PARKS RECREATION
SEASONAL JOB VACANCY NOTICE
Office Title: Lab Manager and Research Assistant
Civil Service Title: Research Assistant
Work Location: Fort Totten, Bayside NY
Duration: 9 months, beginning 9/26/2016, (14 hrs./week)
Salary: $22.47/hr.
NYC Parks is the steward of nearly 30,000 acres of land — 14 percent of New York City — including more than 5,000 individual properties ranging from Coney Island Beach and Central Park to community gardens and Greenstreets. We operate more than 800 athletic fields and nearly 1,000 playgrounds, 1,800 basketball courts, 550 tennis courts, 67 public pools, 51 recreational facilities, 15 nature centers, 14 golf courses, and 14 miles of beaches. We care for 1,200 monuments and 23 historic house museums. We look after 600,000 street trees, and two million more in parks. We are New York City’s principal providers of recreational and athletic facilities and programs.
The Urban Field Station (http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/nyc/) is sustained through a core partnership between the USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station, NYC Department of Parks & Recreation’s division of Forestry, Horticulture, and Natural Resources, and the Natural Areas
Conservancy. Since its founding in 2006, the NYC Urban Field Station’s mission is to conduct and support social-ecological research and has engaged over 50 non-profit, academic, and government partners, creating innovative “research in action” programs to support urban ecosystem management, sustainability and resilience initiatives in New York City.
MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES
Lab responsibilities:
• Develop, implement and enforce protocols for the operation of the Urban Field Station lab such as laboratory safety protocols, overseeing scheduling for use of the lab space and equipment, and orienting/training visiting scientists and other lab users.
• Ensure that lab is clean, organized, and all equipment is in working order. Maintain and test all safety and analytical equipment and have instruments and equipment calibrated by the appropriate vendors.
• Coordinate purchasing of equipment and supplies for the lab, assist in managing field equipment and other supplies for the Urban Field Station.
Administrative responsibilities:
• Provide general administrative support for operation of the Urban Field Station, such as greeting and orienting guests and visiting scientists, receiving packages, providing program information and meeting with vendors, as needed.
• Manage soil, water, plant tissue testing contract and facilitate communication between Parks and vendor.
Research responsibilities:
• Provide research assistance to Urban Field Station scientists such as literature searches, data collection and entry, and data quality assurance and quality control.
• Responds to telephone and correspondence request for information about research programs.
• Contribute to writing of reports and publications.
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and six months of satisfactory full‐time experience in research which involves gathering, organizing and analyzing data, and report writing; or
2. An associate degree from an accredited college, or completion of 60 semester credits at an accredited college, and two years and six months of satisfactory fulltime experience in research which involves gathering, organizing and analyzing data, and report writing; or
3. A four‐year high school diploma or its educational equivalent and four years and six months of satisfactory full‐time experience in research which involves gathering, organizing and analyzing data, and report writing; or
4. Education and experience equivalent to ʺ1ʺ, ʺ2ʺ, or ʺ3ʺ above. Undergraduate college credit can be substituted for experience on the basis of 30 semester credits from an accredited college for one year of full‐time experience. Completion of nine credits, at the college or graduate school level, in statistics, quantitative methods, mathematics, or research can be substituted for six months of the required experience. However, all candidates must possess a four‐year high school diploma or its educational equivalent and at least six months of required experience or the nine specialized credits.
PREFERRED SKILLS/QUALIFICATIONS
1. Experience in conducting field and/or laboratory research involving plant, soil, animal, and/or water quality.
2. Strong writing, administrative, interpersonal, and communication skills.
3. Self-motivated and directed, with keen attention to detail and organization.
4. Knowledge of nature in and around New York City.
5. Interest in social and environmental issues and research.
Residency in New York City, Nassau, Orange, Rockland, Suffolk, Putnam or Westchester counties required for employees with over two years of city service. New York City residency required for all other candidates.
Fees: Hired candidates will be subject to a processing fee of $61.00. Hired candidates who are not currently employed by the City will be subject to an $89.75 background check fee.
HOW TO APPLY
Submit cover letter and resume to:
Ruth Rae at The Urban Field Station Ft. Totten, 431 Walter Reed Road, Bayside, NY 11359
Or E-mail: Ruth.Rae@parks.nyc.gov