Research Scientist, Conservation Seed Bank
Company: American Society of Plant Taxonomists
Location: Atlanta
Posted on: March 20, 2023
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Job Description:
PRINCIPAL FUNCTION:
The Atlanta Botanical Garden invites applications for the position
of Research Scientist, Conservation Seed Bank. They will work under
the direction of the Vice President of Conservation & Research to
integrate innovative protocols into the Garden's seed bank programs
to support rare species' survival in the wild. The primary duties
of this position will be to:
Oversee Conservation Seed Bank staff and actions to ensure
excellence and leadership by the Garden in its work with rare and
imperiled species.
Ensure the Coordinated flow of samples (i.e., seeds, spores,
pollen) to and from the lab to satisfy grant deliverables, working
closely with external partners, the Garden's Conservation &
Research and Living Collections staff.
Collaborate with internal and external colleagues to identify,
prioritize, and develop new project funding opportunities, as well
as ensure current project deliverables are met.
Write grant proposals and manage grant-supported deliverables and
budgets as part of a multi-investigator team.
Disseminate project results through reports, professional meetings,
peer-reviewed publications, social media, and other venues.
Interpret and apply literature pertaining to seed storage behavior
and viability tests.
Design laboratory experiments and then analyze and report their
results.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Manage Conservation Seed Bank Staff and support their leadership of
germination trials, viability tests (e.g., TZ & FDA, x-ray), and
seed cleaning with assistance from laboratory volunteers and
technicians.
Coordinate collection and curation of seed and pollen, from the
field, nursery, and greenhouse.
Serve as project lead or collaborator for multiple seed bank
focused projects and adapt to changing project needs.
Manage annual laboratory budgets and grant-funded project
budgets.
Lead development of unprecedented species-specific seed bank
standard operating procedures focused on imperiled species with
orthodox or unknown storage behavior..
Provide both formal and informal presentations, tours, and written
reports of experimentation.
Ensure immaculate records are kept for all seed bank samples and
their experimental data in the plant records database and
spreadsheets.
Optimize laboratory workflow for sample storage and viability tests
(e.g. germination trial, x-ray, micro-CT, TZ, FDA tests, etc.).
Conduct training workshops for national and international
collaborators and university students.
Ensure CSB staff receive training and maintain best practices in
chemical and physical lab inventories maintenance and operation of
all lab equipment, and enforcement of rigorous safety protocols for
all their direct reports.
Ensure CSB staff maintained data in Brahms, Survey123, general
databases, and spreadsheets.
Participate in both fieldwork and lab work, with occasional long
hours; occasional weekend or evening duties may be required.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Ph.D. or MSc level degree in ecology, botany, biology,
conservation, or related science.
Minimum of 4 years of hands-on experience in seed banking
Highly organized and adaptable with the ability to work
independently in a fast-paced environment with high attention to
detail in documenting experiments and laboratory research.
High-level critical thinking, analytic and problem-solving skills
for troubleshooting protocols.
Demonstrated ability to work effectively and cooperatively in a
team environment.
Demonstrated ability to provide training and support to a wide
variety of audiences.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Must have a valid Driver's License with good driving record
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Experience working with orchids and imperiled plants.
Experience with seed and pollen analysis and tissue culture is
highly desired.
Experience with data analysis (e.g. ANOVA, multivariate analyses,
etc.) and statistical software (e.g., R, JMP, etc.).
Certification by the Society of Commercial Seed Technologists
(SCST), Certified Viability Technologist (CVT), or Registered Seed
Technologist (RST) is highly desirable.
Fluency in Spanish. Permalink:
https://www.aspt.net/news-blog/2023/research-scientist-conservation-seed-bank
Keywords: American Society of Plant Taxonomists, Atlanta , Research Scientist, Conservation Seed Bank, Other , Atlanta, Georgia
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