Senior Research Scientist Environmental Chemistry

Job Requisition: JR101371 Senior Research Scientist Environmental Chemistry (Open)

Job Posting

Title:

Senior Research Scientist Environmental Chemistry

Department: CC00495 VIMS1 | RADV | Ecosystem Health

Job Family: Staff - Scientist

Worker Sub-Type: Regular (benefited)

Job

Requisition Primary

Location:

Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Primary Job Posting

Location:

Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Job Description

Summary:

The mission of William & Mary's Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences & Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) is to seek and broadly communicate knowledge in marine and coastal science to the Commonwealth of Virginia, the nation, and the world through research, education, and advisory service. The Batten School & VIMS make seminal advances in understanding coastal and marine systems through research and discovery, translate research findings into practical solutions to complex issues of societal importance, and provide new generations of researchers, educators, problem solvers, and managers with an education of unsurpassed quality.

The Senior Research Scientist, Environmental Chemistry will lead and conduct research on legacy and emerging environmental contaminants and microplastics. This includes investigating contaminant sources, environmental transport, fate, bioavailability and ecosystem and human health consequences. The incumbent will work semi-independently to design, execute, and manage complex research projects, develop and execute experimental protocols, operate and manage analytical instrumentation, contribute to scholarly publications and grant proposals, and mentor students and junior staff.

The group has a long record of collaborations with the VA Dept. of Environmental Quality, VA Dept. of Health, as well as collaborations with EPA, NOAA, NIH and other agency and academic scientists.

The position will be responsible for the full lifecycle of research initiatives—from conception and proposal development to execution, analysis, reporting, and publication. The role requires advanced proficiency in analytical instrumentation, development and application of advanced analysis methods and project management.

This position directly contributes to VIMS’s mission through high-impact scholarship, interagency collaboration, and scientific innovation.

Job Description:

Required Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in chemistry, marine science, environmental science, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Demonstrated experience in conducting/leading successful environmental chemistry-oriented research (i.e. from initial concept to research to publication).

• Knowledge of chemical sources, fate, transport, and effects.

• Strong scientific writing and oral communication skills.

• Strong collaborator in teamwork setting both in the lab and in the field.

• Experience in developing, validating, and applying advanced chemical analyses of organic contaminants in diverse environmental media (water, sediments/soils, sludges, biota, etc.), including sample extraction, extract purification, chromatography, and mass spectrometry.

• Experience with QA/QC procedures.

• Experience in collecting environmental samples.

• Demonstrated ability to produce high quality scholarly publications and non-technical reports.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with advanced mass spectrometric analyses (e.g., time-of-flight, ion trap, or quadrupole technologies).

• Demonstrated ability to secure external funding for research projects.

• Knowledge of wastewater treatment processes.

• Knowledge and experience related to the analysis of microplastics in complex environmental media, e.g. infrared spectroscopy/LDIR.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Design, manage, and perform laboratory experiments and analyses to identify and quantify contaminants in complex matrices. Analytical workflows include sample preparation, spiking, extraction, purification, and analyte detection using chromatography coupled with advanced mass spectrometry (e.g., GC-MS, LC-MS) or image-based particle analysis techniques.

• Oversee the collection, preservation, and inventory of field and…