Job Specification

Purpose of Position :

Working in a team environment and under the team leadership of a research scientist provide field, laboratory and analytical expertise for the
development of new understanding and tools related to the hydrology of Ontario, riverine processes, and status of water resources as it pertains to the
management of water resources for the health of aquatic ecosystems, water supply, and public safety.

Duties / Responsibilities :

1. Assist in the planning and participate in the delivery of hydrology field and laboratory research projects by:
Actively participating in field and laboratory projects including planning, preparation, delivery, and sample processing;
Assist with developing field sampling procedures including the selection of field sampling sites and locations;
Conducting field and laboratory studies using specialised equipment and gear (e.g. pressure transducers, acoustic Doppler velocimeters, Doppler river
profilers, turbidity sensors etc.);
Investigating new and emerging monitoring technologies;
Maintaining vehicles and field and laboratory equipment and supplies, including purchasing and arranging repair, to ensure programs operate without
interruption.
Contribute to the preparation of work plans and making logistical arrangements;
Monitoring expenditures to ensure approved budget allocations are not exceeded;
Acting as a crew leader and providing training to field and laboratory staff, students and partners;
Assist with preparing and securing approvals and authorizations to conduct needed research (e.g. partnership agreements, etc);
Provides input to research scientist and analytical hydrologist so as to ensure a safe working environment in compliance with H&S obligations under
MNRF policies and acts a supervisor under the Occupational Health and Safety Act;
2. Conducts data processing, statistical analyses, prepares data summaries, and contributes to technical reports and manuscripts for publication in
primary scientific journals by:
Under the direction of a research scientist and analytical hydrologist, collect data and maintain quality control during data processing, management and
analysis by being directly responsible for the completeness, accuracy, validity, and safe, secure storage of data records;
Contribute to the creation of programs for efficient data analysis, particularly for time series data;
Conducting spatial analysis using geographical information systems;
Undertaking statistical analyses and data summaries (e.g. descriptive statistics, simple and multivariate statistics) using statistical packages and
programming languages (e.g. R and Matlab) including summary tables and graphs;
Assisting in model development (conceptual and numerical) and programming (e.g. Matlab);
Contributing to technical reports, progress reports, and project summaries;
Contributing to peer-reviewed research publications;
Presenting research at MNR meetings, scientific meetings, workshops, symposia, and conferences.
Conducting literature reviews in support of research planning and experimental design;
Trains contract staff, students and collaborators on data entry, preparation of presentations and reports, and the general use of computer resources.
The incumbent shall, while in the workplace, conduct themselves in compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulations, and any
workplace policies, procedures, or practices as directed by their immediate supervisor, report and hazards of which they are aware to their immediate
supervisor, report all work related injuries and illnesses to their immediate supervisor.

Staffing and Licencing :

Valid Class 'G' Driver's Licence or equivalent as recognized by the Province of Ontario.
Valid Pleasure Craft Operator Card or higher certification (or ability to obtain one).
Ability to travel to remote locations frequently and for multiple days.
Physical ability to handle heavy equipment and work under adverse weather conditions.

Knowledge :

Knowledge of scientific hydrologic principles, concepts and practices and their application to water management in order to conduct data analyses, and
deliver field and laboratory programs in hydrology;
Knowledge of riverine processes and environmental flow methods and the linkages between hydrologic processes and aquatic ecology in order to
conduct data analyses, and to contribute to scientific reports and manuscripts;
Demonstrated knowledge of hydrological field sampling and monitoring methods in order to design and implement field programs;
Demonstrated knowledge of experimental design and statistical methods and tools in hydrology to analyze data and to contribute to scientific reports
and manuscripts;
Knowledge of worker responsibilities as outlined in the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulations.

Skills :

Demonstrated ability to deliver laboratory projects and field projects in rivers and lakes under varying environmental conditions in order to ensure data
quality and that work is done safely;
Demonstrated ability to operate specialized sampling equipment (e.g. pressure transducers, acoustic Doppler velocimeters, Doppler river profilers,
turbidity sensors etc.) to ensure data quality and that work is done safely;
Demonstrated computer skills with statistical, geographic information systems, computer programming, word processing, spreadsheet, database
development, and presentation software to manage complex datasets and information, and to conduct statistical analysis and modeling;
Analytical skills and experience working with data and information, programming languages to analyze data including statistical analyses and modeling;
Ability to prepare written material for publication as presentations, technical reports, and/or primary scientific literature;
Strong organizational to manage multiple projects concurrently, solve problems, and work with other staff and partners to meet required deliverables;
Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to communicate scientific information clearly and concisely with staff, the public, outside agencies, and research
collaborators with tact and good judgment.

Freedom of Action :

Under the direction of the Coordinator, Aquatic Ecosystem Unit, with supervision provided by the Research Scientist, this position works within the
procedural controls of Ministry and government policies, legislation, associated manuals, guidelines, directives and established practices and
procedures;
Results are formally reviewed in annual performance appraisal where target achievement is based on mutually agreed upon performance measures;
Provides updates to Research Scientist and other team members through regular meetings, discussions and periodic reviews, to deal with problem
areas;
Targets and performance are regularly reviewed with the Aquatic Research Coordinator and Research Scientist and adjusted due to unforeseen
priorities and workload changes;
Direct supervision by Research Scientist is received as required for technical soundness of work;
Works in team environment and is required to accept responsibility for actions taken and work carried out;
Makes decisions on activities by identifying requirements, establishing resource needs, and following technical standard operating procedures;
Situations not covered by Ministry policies or normal operating procedures are reviewed and recommended course of action is discussed with Manager
or Research Scientist.