Regional Job Board

Staff Research Associate 4, Civil and Environmental Engineering – University of Nevada, Reno

Reno, Nevada

The University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) appreciates your interest in employment at our growing institution. We want your application process to go smoothly and quickly. Final applications must be submitted prior to the close of the recruitment.

If you need assistance or have questions regarding the application process, please contact our recruitment helpline at (775) 784-1495 or jobs@unr.edu. For UNR Med professional job postings, please contact the Office of Professional Recruitment at (775) 784-6778.

Job Description:

The University of Nevada, Reno is seeking a highly organized Staff Research Associate 4 for the Civil and Environmental team in the College of Engineering to supervise lab operations, manage equipment procurement, and ensure smooth functioning of laboratory spaces. This role will assist faculty in training students, graduate assistants, and technicians to optimize lab efficiency and resource utilization. This role is critical to fostering a safe and efficient learning environment while maintaining high standards for lab operations and quality assurance.

Duties include (but are not limited to):

• Procuring and maintaining lab equipment, apparatus, and supplies.
• Managing lab accounts and coordinating budget revisions with faculty and administrative staff.
• Maintaining and repairing lab instruments used by students, researchers, and faculty, while ensuring compliance with safety regulations.
• Overseeing day-to-day lab operations, including EHS safety compliance and maintaining student safety training records.
• Preparing lab materials, reagents, and equipment for experiments and teaching lab classes.
• Conducting daily inspections and maintenance of lab apparatus and supplies, ensuring readiness before classes.
• Collaborating with lab instructors to determine necessary supplies and chemicals prior to each semester.
• Ensuring proper documentation of lab safety rules, inventory management, and cleanliness of lab spaces.
• Maintaining quality control by reviewing lab data, verifying and calibrating instruments, and certifying lab methods and procedures.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in the required area of specialization and three (3) years of professional research experience either in the field or in a laboratory to include experience coordinating research activities and making original contributions to research design, protocols and processes; OR
• One (1) year of experience as a Staff Research Associate III in Nevada State service; OR
• An equivalent combination of education and experience as described above.

Pursuant to NRS 284.4066, this position has been identified as affecting public safety. Persons offered employment in this position must submit to a pre-employment screening for controlled substances.

Preferred Qualifications:

Candidates with knowledge and experience of the following are encouraged to apply.

• Working with water, wastewater, sludge samples, and chemicals, including testing, waste management, inventory, preparation, and storage.
• Strong knowledge of chemistry, environmental engineering, or science laboratory safety procedures and chemical hygiene policies.
• Ability to requisition and purchase chemicals, supplies, and equipment for a laboratory.

Schedule:

The typical work schedule is Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm; this is subject to change based on organizational needs.

Compensation Grade:

Grade 35 (Entry, Step 01 $30.85/hr. – Step 03 $33.66/hr.)

In classified service, salary is in Grade and Step. The Step is determined based on the Nevada Administrative Code. Salary placement above a Step 01 at initial appointment is determined based on the recruitment, the candidate’s qualifications, internal equity and budgets. A request to accelerate salary must be approved by Human Resources and abide by the Nevada Administrative Code.

To view the classified compensation schedules, please visit: Classified Compensation.  Select Salary schedule, PP01.

For more information, visit the Classified Salary Calculator

Perks of PERS:

Classified Employees are enrolled in The Public Employees’ Retirement System of Nevada (PERS) upon hire. The PERS retirement plan is beyond compare. Please visit the Benefit Estimator Retirement Calculator for more information.

“I’m so thankful that I followed the path that lead me to a PERS retirement. I was able to retire at age 60 with a paycheck close to my full salary. I watched the solid performance of PERS funds for 25 years.  Even in times of a poor economy, PERS kept it together!  I’m completely secure and confident that my retirement will always be there for me.” – Robin F.

Perks of Working at UNR:

• Health insurance options including dental and vision – Health Insurance
• Life insurance, generous annual and sick leave – Classified Benefits
• E. L. Wiegand Fitness Center offers annual or semester memberships and spouse/domestic partner membership options.  E.L. Wiegand Fitness Center
• Mountain EAP supports employees (and eligible dependents) through life’s difficult moments. Mountain EAP is located in Reno and specializes in counseling and advising services for personal or interpersonal issues.
• Several Diversity Committees and Affinity Groups focusing on campus-wide diversity initiatives to ensure we are working to create a diverse and welcoming campus climate. Diversity Groups
• Staff Employees’ Council (SEC) represents all Classified employees. SEC holds monthly meetings to provide a forum for employees to participate. SEC

Classified Staff Grants-In-Aid Benefit:

For more information about the Classified Staff Grant-In-Aid Benefit, please visit: Classified Staff Grant-In-Aid Benefit

Classified Employee Family Opportunity Program:

Additionally, we offer a Classified Employee Family Opportunity Program for spouses, domestic partners, and dependents of classified employees (working at least a 50% full-time equivalent). For more information, please visit: Classified Employee Family Opportunity Program

About the Department:

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) is a research-active department with over 550 B.S., M.S., and PhD students, 21 tenured/tenure-track faculty, six research faculty and various technical staff. The department offers ABET-accredited B.S. degree programs in both Civil Engineering and Environmental Engineering, and graduate programs in five sub-disciplines that are nationally ranked by US News and World Report. In 2023 the department had annual research expenditures of over $9 million funded by external grants. It actively promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion in all its programs and activities.

For more information: http://www.unr.edu/cee/

College and University Information:

The College of Engineering is guided by its vision to be a world-class institution for education, research and innovation that drives economic growth and social progress. Located in northern Nevada, where technology, advanced manufacturing and renewable energy are among the key industries, the College of Engineering leads in advancement and innovation. Our research faculty is supported by an Engineering Research Office that helped the college garner $33 million in research awards in CY 2023. All faculty and staff are directed by the College of Engineering’s mission to provide students with a rigorous, hands-on education in engineering and computer science that prepares them to solve real-world problems.

For more information, please visit: https://www.unr.edu/engineering

Contact Information for this position:

David Hanigan – dhanigan@unr.edu

Exempt:

No

Full-Time Equivalent:

100.0%

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