Mesonet Director

Utah State University
Commensurate with experience, plus excellent benefits
United States, Utah, Logan
Dec 18, 2024
Mesonet Director Requisition ID: 2024-8590 # of Openings: 1 Location: US-UT-Logan Category: Other Position Type: Benefited Full-Time Job Classification: Exempt College: College of Agriculture & Applied Sc Department: Plants Soils & Climate Advertised Salary: Commensurate with experience, plus excellent benefits Overview The Utah Climate Mesonet is a regional weather network that includes 140 automated environmental stations that collect, archive, and disseminate over five million observations annually. Responsibilities include regular station visits, assess station reliability, and the need for instrument replacement/repair. The Director is responsible for data quality, sensor calibration, and maintenance of databases for historical metadata, and will supervise two full-time technicians, and temporary technicians / interns to maintain the network. The Mesonet Director (Researcher SR) will also aim to secure initial and ongoing operation including securing maintenance funding which also includes compiling progress, time and effort and inventory reports for those funding agencies. Responsibilities Supervise 2 to 3 weather station technicians in their efforts to 1.) operate and maintain approximately 140 instrument platforms in the Mesonet and 2.) quantity control data generated from these platforms, including reconstructing historical data to extend to the maximum period of record for each station. Design, construct and install instrument platforms. This requires working with private or government agencies to secure initial and ongoing operation including securing maintenance funding, selecting suitable station siting, and negotiating long-term access permissions. Instrumented platforms require equipment and supplies purchases from multiple suppliers. For example, more than 200 individual purchases per year are required to build and maintain the Mesonet. Station components are pre-assembled in the lab where devices are configured, loggers are programmed for their specific sensor suite and communication and logger outputs are tested. Program, maintain and monitor (daily) station communications to host servers. Outages to be resolved as quickly as possible as data that comes in more than 4 hours late does not receive financial compensation from our data buyer. Proficiency in using Campbell Scientific Loggernet software is required. It is critical to have the ability to read and write SAS software code whose post-harvest scripts auto-run to process raw logger files. Knowledge of how to configure and manage RF networks such as network interfaces, 900MHz and 2.4GHz radios and Cell modems also is a must. Track and manage approximately 100 Verizon and AT&T cell data plans. Write and modify datalogger programs as needed. Calculate platform power requirements and incorporate as needed. Track funding accounts and invoice for projects outside of Sponsored Programs. Maintain software licenses that require annual renewal. Monitor vehicle service and log and bill accounts for vehicle mileage usage. Arrange for sensor calibration services (CRN network, CSI, Apogee). Facilities to manage: Instrumentation lab with technician offices is currently housed at the USU Research Greenhouse. Other facilities include a heated storage closet, 3 non-climate-controlled storage areas and half a Motor Pool garage bay. Oversee the purchase and maintenance of vehicles and trailers. Currently the program has 3 pickup trucks and 3 utility trailers. The program also helps to maintain ATVs and snowmobiles which are needed to access installations at remote and or high elevation sites. Develop and implement quality control programs. Produce data check plots and tables to help identify bad data. Routinely check data for bad data, replace when appropriate and re-ingest into primary database. Work with IT programming team and climate faculty to develop data-driven value-added tools, products, and applications for Mesonet end-users and the public. Be available outside of normal work days and hours to assist technicians when they are working in the field. Remotely helping to troubleshoot problems, verify fixes and assure the platforms have remote connectivity. Review data after calibrations or sensor swaps to edit bad data and re-ingest into databases. Oversee annual dataset archiving and dataset turnovers (required at midnight New Year's Eve). Install any major logger program updates at the start of the new year. Maintain webserver, Loggernet server and PCs. Manage system backups on these devices. Fulfill data requests and questions. Provide support for the Mesonet Weather Network at agricultural exhibitions, presentations to visitors and other groups as needed. Assist with installation of weather stations, computers and other equipment if needed. Assist with providing information about the network to visitors and help with presentations as needed. Interact with the national Mesonet community. Administrative responsibilities (evaluations, training, inventories, etc.) Participate in American Association of State Climatologists and Synoptic Data activities (workgroups & workshops) Environmental monitoring project for PacifiCorp. Install, maintain and operate 2 to 3 eddy covariance stations in central Utah to generate evapotranspiration sums for irrigation management. Analyze logger generated fluxes into produce daily sums, which are website posted for the client. Backfill bad or missing data using various gap-fill strategies. Summarize growing season data for annual reports. Supervise / Oversee: The maintenance and servicing of the UCC vehicles in a workable and clean condition. Service vehicles on an appropriate schedule. Get repairs done when needed. Checking of oil, tires, and other vehicle conditions regularly. Plans for upgrades and improvements to the weather station network and associated IT infrastructure and website. Related duties and required for an evolving meteorological network. Qualifications Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor's Degree in meteorology, atmospheric science, or a related field plus 5 years of experience in the installation, maintenance, and repair of weather stations and associated equipment. An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered. Experience with programming and data analysis. Preferred Qualifications: Experience working with Campbell Scientific data acquisition systems Interest in evaluating new sensors and approaches to weather measurement. Strong organizational skills. Detail-oriented. Required Documents Along with the online application, please attach: Resume/CV to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under "Resume/CV" Name and contact information for 3 professional references to be entered into Candidate Profile Cover letter to be typed/pasted at the end of your application Document size may not exceed 10 MB. Advertised Salary Commensurate with experience, plus excellent benefits ADA Employees work indoors and are protected from weather and/or contaminants, but not, necessarily, occasional temperature changes. The employee is regularly required to sit and often uses repetitive hand motions. University Highlights Founded in 1888, Utah State University is Utah's premier land-grant, public service university, with a strong commitment to excellence, access, and inclusion, empowering people to lead successful lives of involvement, innovation, and impact. Utah State provides high-quality education to 27,500-plus students locations throughout the state, including at three residential campuses, eight statewide campuses, and 23 education centers. USU Online educates students from all 50 states and 55 countries. For over 25 years, USU Extension has served and engaged Utahns in all of Utah's counties. As an R1 research institution, Utah State is dedicated to advancing knowledge through research and scholarly activities, providing a high-quality undergraduate and graduate education at an affordable price. Utah State is committed to cultivating a community of inclusive excellence where all perspectives, values, cultures, and identities are acknowledged, welcomed, and valued. We seek to recruit, hire, and retain people from all walks of life who will champion excellence in education, research, discovery, outreach, and service. We believe that promoting a strong sense of community and belonging empowers and engages all members of USU to thrive and be successful. Forbes recognized our commitment to employees when they named Utah State the best employer in Utah in 2023. Learn more about USU. The university provides a Dual Career Assistance Program to support careers for partners who are also seeking employment. Additionally, USU is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. To request a reasonable accommodation for a disability, contact the university's ADA Coordinator in the Office of Human Resources at (435) 797-0122 or hr@usu.edu . About the Region U.S. News and World Report ranked Utah first for its strong economy, fiscal stability, education, and health care. Outstanding outdoor recreational opportunities abound throughout the state, including five national parks, 43 state parks and recreation areas, and 15 alpine ski resorts. The home of USU's main campus, Logan, is a city of 54,000-plus people in a picturesque mountain valley 80 miles north of Salt Lake City. The Logan metro area claimed the top spot in the Milken Institute's 2022 ranking for best-performing small cities in the nation. updated 04/2024 https://careers-usu.icims.com/jobs/8590/mesonet-director/job?in_iframe=1* Notice of Non-discrimination In its programs and activities, including in admissions and employment, Utah State University does not discriminate or tolerate discrimination, including harassment, based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other status protected by University policy, Title IX, or any other federal, state, or local law. The following individuals have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the application of Title IX and its implementing regulations and/or USUs non-discrimination policies: Executive Director of the Office of Equity Matthew Pinner, discrimination@usu.edu, Distance Education Rm. 401, 435-797-1266 Title IX Coordinator Matthew Pinner, titleix@usu.edu, Distance Education Rm. 404, 435-797-1266 Mailing address: 5100 Old Main Hill, Logan, Ut 84322 For further information regarding non-discrimination, please visit https://equity.usu.edu/, or contact: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 800-421-3481, OCR@ed.gov U.S. Department of Education, Denver Regional Office, 303-844-5695, OCR.Denver@ed.gov Copyright 2024 Jobelephant.com Inc. All rights reserved. Posted by the FREE value-added recruitment advertising agency jeid-2a70a7320bb38a488fc92b548efc1690