The Kansas Geological Survey at the University of Kansas is seeking a Research Project Coordinator for a new project studying potential water, economy, and energy benefits from the integration of solar energy projects in agricultural landscapes. The project coordinator will play a central role in working with diverse project partners, including farmers, utility companies, government agencies, not-for-profit groups, and researchers, to design, build, and monitor an integrated solar power-groundwater recharge system in southwestern Kansas. This will involve working with partners to construct a novel on-farm experiment linking together the highly regulated utility, energy policy, water, and agricultural sectors, and will require a creative approach to coalition-building and problem-solving. Therefore, we are seeking someone with strong interpersonal skills, exemplary organizational skills, and experience with field-based research in a water-related field.
The position is contingent on sponsored project funding.

The Research Project Coordinator will be responsible for working with stakeholder and research partners to coordinate the development, instrumentation, and monitoring of the proposed solar recharge system and ensuring the project is achieving its goals. We anticipate 4 to 6 overnight trips to western Kansas will be required each year for stakeholder meetings and project fieldwork. Anticipated duties include:

25% Coordination of research project activities:

• Work with project scientists, students, and staff to set, implement, and report on annual goals and timelines.
• Oversee purchasing, arrange travel, and track project budget.
• Lead annual reporting to funding agency in collaboration with other project team members.
• Anticipate and coordinate project activities and meetings.

35% Partner engagement and coalition building:

• Serve as primary point of contact with stakeholders and project partners.
• Develop new partnerships with additional relevant groups in agriculture, energy, water, and other sectors as relevant.
• Develop presentations, outreach and educational activities, events, and other resources to share project outcomes.
• Attend relevant events and meetings to share information and findings from project.

30% Research and collaborative activities:

• Work with scientists, staff, students, and other collaborators to coordinate and carry out research methods.
• Install and maintain field equipment.
• Collect, organize, and QAQC environmental sensor data collected on project and other relevant local to regional datasets.
• Contribute to research and publications through writing, data visualization, review, and other activities.
• Identify funding sources and develop proposals for additional project funding as needed.

10% Support KGS research and service mission:

• Assist KGS scientists, staff, and students with logistical and/or data needs
• Provide requested information to relevant stakeholders and the public.
• Identify and develop ideas for new research projects.

1. Bachelor's degree in natural science, engineering, or related field plus two years relevant work experience, OR Master's degree in natural science, engineering, or related field.
2. Strong interpersonal and communication skills for effective collaboration with stakeholders and research partners.
3. Demonstrated experience to work independently and make decisions with minimal oversight.
4. Demonstrated experience collecting and managing environmental sensor data such as meteorological data, soil moisture sensors, groundwater monitoring data, and/or geophysical data.
5. Exceptional organizational skills and ability to make progress on multiple project needs concurrently.

1. Master's degree in natural science, engineering, or related field plus two years relevant work experience.
2. Experience with field-based hydrological data collection.
3. Demonstrated ability to write technical reports.
4. Past project management experience on applied research projects.
5. Experience with Kansas environmental issues and regulatory statutes, particularly related to natural resources and/or renewable energy.
6. Experience with programming-based approaches to data analysis such as R, Python, MATLAB, or similar.

• Cover letter detailing interest in the position and fit with the required and preferred qualifications (max 2 pages)
• CV
• A technical writing sample that includes visualizations of data (report, paper, thesis chapter, etc.)
• Transcripts for undergraduate and/or graduate degrees (unofficial copies fine)
• Contact information for three references

Job Summary