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Title

Technical-scientific Assistant for Huinay Scientific Field Station (Chilean Patagonia)

Posted
Reference HSFS2016-01  (Please mention Stopdodo/Environment Jobs in your application)
Sectors Hydrology, Hydrogeology, Water Resources
Location Chile - America South
Town/City Huinay
Salary Additional Information 550000$ start salary
Type Temporary / Contract / Seasonal
Status Full Time
Level First Level
Deadline 25/03/2016
Company Name Huinay Scientific Field Station
Contact Name Vreni Haussermann, Francine Beaujot
Telephone 0056652280368
Email huinayresearch@gmail.com
Website Further Details / Applications
Huinay Scientific Field Station logo
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Description

We are looking for one technical-scientific assistant for the Huinay Scientific Field Station in Chilean Patagonia. The job is for a six months trial period beginning as soon as possible. You should be open to stay at least two years. We are ideally looking for technicians with biological knowledge capable in the following areas:

 Key abilities:

  • fluent in English

  • excellent diving skills (>200 dives) and experience with cold-water (dry suit) diving and diving in difficult conditions, dive master certification or equivalent would be ideal

  • able to communicate in Spanish at a level proficient enough to send emails and make phone calls

We cannot consider applicants without these key abilities!

 

In addition he/she should:

  • be an open, communicative, easy-going and nature-loving person who has no problems or rather enjoys living in an isolated and rainy place and is able to adapt to new situations.

  • be self motivated and able to deal with the difficulties of living in a small remote place with few people.

  • be organized and good at multi-tasking since it is necessary to simultaneously keep track of many different record logs, sampled specimens, the small library etc.

  • be friendly but at the same time able to demonstrate authority when enforcing the station rules to visitors and other people. Some intercultural experience and being above a certain age generally makes this easier.

  • have technical understanding and basic skills to take care of laboratory equipment (microscope, binoculars, aquaria, etc.) and diving equipment (compressor, tanks, regulators, cameras etc.).

  • be scientifically inclined and have an interest and understanding of ecology and taxonomy. Ideally, knowledge of or interest in invertebrates and their sampling and preservation is preferred, but please keep in mind that this is not a research position!

  • be flexible, patient and should be able to improvise. Experience in developing countries or, even better, in South America is of advantage.

  • have basic computer skills (Windows XP/7, MSOffice). System administrative skills are of big advantage.

  • Have a driving license and ideally should have experience in driving small motor boats; A Chilean boat license officially is necessary for this but this can also be done in Chile.

 

In general the assistants are in charge of and keep track of the day to day scientific activities at the field station and represent the scientific staff for visiting scientists, tourists and other visitors, during the absence of the staff biologists. They are in charge of keeping the database updated, keeping track of all ongoing projects, and training and supervise interns. They should be able to work quite independently, but follow the guidelines given by the scientific director/managing scientist and ask for feedback when major decisions have to be made.

 

The specific work tasks include:

  • assisting the scientific director/managing scientist in miscellaneous tasks and projects when required but also be able to foresee and resolve problems and work independently. We have 5 ongoing scientific projects plus long-term monitoring of the benthic communities.

  • supervising interns.

  • maintaining laboratory and diving equipment (daily care and evening checks when visitors are present, general maintenance, minor and simple repairs).

  • being the main contact person for visiting scientists by, for example answering general questions by e-mail ahead of the visits, requesting and administrating required forms, explaining logistics and infrastructure at the station, explaining lab rules, organizing the boat trips for scientists and generally helping to ensure that their lab work and daily life goes as smoothly as possible.

  • Touring visitors and explaining the scientific work and projects, these tours could also be non-scientific as many tourists visit in the summer.

  • entering information in databases or supervising while interns do so (data includes literature, biology, oceanographic data and special observations in the Comau fjord).

  • preserving, logging, photographing and mailing of samples (ie. specimens).

  • administering information about visiting scientists (boat trips, rented equipment, time of stay, questionnaires, pictures) and keeping all visitor and publication information up to date.

  • accompanying visiting scientists on dive trips (of course not all visitors dive). Showing and explaining dive sites nd ensuring that diving and sampling rules are respected (but the assistant is not required to guide scientific dives).

  • operating and maintaining the compressor.

  • helping with the acquisition and maintenance of equipment which involves searching for distributors, asking for prices quotes, tracking orders, organizing repairs, reporting complaints when necessary.

 

We offer:

  • 550.000 CLP/ month (at the moment $780 USD) for the first 6 months, 650.000 CLP/month (at the moment $928 USD) from month 7 to 12, and another raise after one year -10% tax -7% health insurance -3% retirement insurance, the latter one can partially be reimbursed for foreigners when leaving the country (remark: general health insurance is pretty good in Chile and there is an additional health insurance for work related accidents and diseases).

  • reimbursement of expenses for an additional dive accident insurance like DAN or equivalent (this insurance is mandatory for anyone diving at Huinay Scientific Field Station and must be contracted by the diver prior to dive activities at the station).

  • Free lodging and food on the station and free transport from and to Hornopiren on regular boat trips. You can also take the ferry that runs twice a week for approximately $3 USD. There are no expenses while you are at the station.

  • 4 days off for every 11 days of work and 20 days of vacation days (Monday through Friday) each year.

 

You can find more information on the website http://www.huinay.cl or ask Francine ("Research Assistant" ). 

 

We are looking forward to your applications consisting of (1) the application form (ask the research assistants for it), (2) a cover letter explaining your personal incentive to apply at Huinay Scientific Field Station and why you think you are qualified for the job, and (3) a CV (no longer than 4 pages). Please list 3-5 references that are able to speak of your abilities to deal with difficult and unknown situations, rather than just your professional abilities. Please do not send reference letters until you are asked for them. We will contact references for the short listed applicants only. Please send the full application to huinayresearch@gmail.com.

Information about the Huinay Foundation:

The Huinay Foundation is a private Foundation that is operating a scientific field station in Chilean Patagonia. Huinay Scientific Field Station was inaugurated in 2001 and is situated 100 km south of Puerto Montt, in the fjord Comau; it is the only scientific station in a Chilean fjord. The surroundings are characterized by steep mountains and volcanoes. Almost 6000 mm annual precipitation gives rise to extremely lush vegetation characterized by extra-tropical rain forests.



The small village of Huinay neighbors the scientific field station and has approximately 15 inhabitants. Huinay can only be accessed by a 1-1.5 hour boat-trip (speed boat) from Hornopiren. The closest amenities, besides some small shops and a rural hospital in Hornopiren, are located in Puerto Montt, a 3 to 4 h drive or bus trip from Hornopiren.



Knowledge of organisms and ecological functioning of the fjord ecosystems is very poor in Chilean Patagonia, especially in the marine environment. The goal of the station is, besides carrying out some long term projects, to attract national and international projects which help to fill this existing gap.

To accomplish this, the field station has basic infrastructure: a dry and a wet laboratory, diving and lodging facilities (8 rooms for up to approximately 16 scientists/assistants/interns).

 

Projects involve all kinds of terrestrial and marine base-line research. Ongoing projects include for example counseling for the establishment of a network of marine protected areas. In this context we are mainly promoting inventory studies of the fjord ecosystems and we generally organize at least one expedition to remote areas of the fjord region each year.

In 2010 we finished a major project, a scientific field guide for marine benthic fauna of Chilean Patagonia (see www.PatagoniaMarina.info).

 

We have telephone and internet access via satellite and power supply by a hydroelectric plant. We have two permanent technical-scientific assistants, and one GIS/database assistant. The assistants are supervised and report to two biologists in charge of the scientific operation who are approximately a one week a month on the station, but can be contacted practically at any time. Besides these two scientists (the scientific director and a research coordinator) and their assistants, the permanent staff consists of the an administrator, administrative assistant, one person in charge of the greenhouse, two boat captains, 1-2 people in charge for cooking and cleaning, and approximately 3 auxiliary administrative workers. We have 1-2 interns at any time at the station who help the scientific-technical assistants. Scientists can visit throughout the year, but most visit between December and April (in the last years we had approximately 15 groups with a total of 40-50 scientists yearly)





 

 

 

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