Northern California HERC

This position has been deemed critical by the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability Dean's Office and is exempt from the hiring pause.

The project team is based at Stanford University (main campus) and at Hopkins Marine Station in Pacific Grove, CA. The majority of the duties will be performed at Hopkins Marine Station and involve regional travel and international travel to Palau for a multi-week period.

Interested candidates must include a resume and cover letter to be considered for this position.

This is a one-year fixed term position with the possibility of renewal dependent on programmatic need and budgetary availability.

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa.

About Us
The Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability strives to create a future when humans and nature thrive in concert and in perpetuity. The school is made up of a three-part structure to drive global impact: Our academic departments and programs educate students and create new knowledge across areas of research that are crucial for advancing the long-term prosperity of the planet and people; Institutes bridge scholarship at Stanford and beyond, bringing multiple viewpoints to bear on urgent challenges; The Sustainability Accelerator drives new policy and technology solutions through a worldwide network of partners who work with our teams to develop solutions at a global scale. The school is dedicated to creating and supporting a community with the richness of experience and background needed to create solutions that benefit all people, particularly those most affected by environmental damage and climate change.

For more information on the school, click here.

The Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment works to advance global sustainability through new knowledge and practical, fair solutions to pressing environmental challenges. As part of the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, the Woods Institute provides an interdisciplinary research hub for scholars from all seven schools at Stanford. Offering targeted research incentives as well as convening, education, and leadership programs, the Woods Institute supports faculty, researchers, and students as they investigate and advance solutions to critical climate, environment, and sustainability challenges. Working on campus and around the globe, the Woods Institute and its hosted centers and programs combine cutting edge scholarship, diverse partnerships, and deep engagement across sectors and disciplines to advance just, practical solutions for people and the planet.

The Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions (COS) catalyzes research innovation and action to improve the health of the oceans for the people who depend on them the most. COS capitalizes on Stanford's broad expertise in ocean science and in the many other disciplines crucial to developing ocean solutions including engineering, computer science, political science, design, and business. Our core team of researchers and fellows partner with other research institutions, national and international non-governmental organizations, businesses and governments, as well as established and emerging leaders in the data revolution.

The Environmental Biomolecular Engineer (Research Technician)--under the direction of Drs. Collin Closek and Halleh Balch--will develop a flow-through chemical process that enables whole water samples to be used for hybridization assays to detect environmental DNA (eDNA) and small molecule metabolites in a scalable, compact, and field-deployable platform. The role will assist in sample processing, sequencing, validation tests, contribute to communicating results and expanding stakeholder partnerships. The role provides the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in novel application of eDNA monitoring to real-world scientific challenges in biodiversity and conservation. The Environmental Biomolecular Engineer (Research Technician) will also gain valuable experience in team-based problem-solving in an international, interdisciplinary research environment. This project builds on established collaborations between the Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions, ongoing research in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, and Palau's International Coral Reef Center (PICRC), the entity charged with research and outreach for the Palau National Marine Sanctuary.

Your Responsibilities will include:

• Conduct a landscape assessment of available technologies and miniaturization prospects
  
• Design a waterproof chemical handling flow-through system
  
• Test and optimize technologies for high-performance flow-through system
  
• Perform seawater eDNA extractions, PCR, and sequencing library preparation
  
• Conduct Oxford Nanopore Sequencing
  
• Analyze resulting data

* - The job duties listed are typical examples of work performed by positions in this job classification and are not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Specific duties and responsibilities may vary depending on department or program needs without changing the general nature and scope of the job or level of responsibility. Employees may also perform other duties as assigned.