Research Assistant I

Michigan Geological Survey (via Western Michigan University) https://wmich.edu/geologysurvey Posted: 4/09/2024, hiring now for positions starting Late April/Early MayHiring Project Manager Manager: Sophia White, sophia.f.white@wmich.edu The Michigan Geological Survey (MGS) is seeking qualified and skilled individuals for a research assistant position. REMOTE WORK. This is great opportunity for anyone in earth and environmental sciences, looking to bolster their resume or work a flexible schedule while doing something that directly impacts the health of their community. You can learn more about the Triage project, and virtually meet some of our current team members on the Michigan Geological Survey YouTube channel. What is the Triage Project? : https://youtu.be/We707jUNE_o Meet the Triage Team : https://youtu.be/uHeGracK3_8 Storymap: https://arcg.is/1ynu9y0

Background MGS is currently working on a project for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE), Water Resource Division (WRD) in response to state-wide PFAS contamination concerns. During initial response to said concerns, it was found that a significant portion of water well location data in the state’s database was errored, and that a wealth of historical data had yet to be digitized. This inaccuracy and lack of data made it difficult to not only produce a variety of reliable hydrogeological maps, but to simply locate a water well for field testing. These issues gave rise to the grant-funded MGS Triage project. The primary goal of the Triage project is to validate and bolster the existing Wellogic water well database-- that can support generating more accurate and reliable water resource data including hydrogeologic maps for all the state programs, consultants and stakeholders. The MGS Wellogic Triage data entry and correction project has a data quality standard in order to provide the highest quality baseline data for groundwater information for the State of Michigan, a health and safety standard to support the Wellhead protection program. Duties and Responsibilities Triage project team are staff members who review all well locations, county by county, in the Wellogic database for location accuracy. The second component is the input of historic scanned water well logs dating from approximately 1950 to 2003. This review of scanned logs includes both the identification and correction of errored data and entering historic scanned records into the Wellogic online database. This position involves the use of an array of online maps, tools, and resources, and requires the exercise of critical judgement and diligence to validate and enter data with accuracy and efficiency. Staff are responsible for reporting their progress, logging their performance, and reporting inaccuracies in the preexisting data. Qualified staff may also contribute to the production of geologic cross-sections, static water level maps, groundwater flow maps, and other hydrogeologic maps using ArcGIS. Staff are graded on a number of parameters, including productivity and accuracy of data entry. Staff are reviewed monthly and are directly compared to their peers. The Triage Wellogic data entries are also evaluated monthly by the EGLE WRD staff, to maintain the highest quality of data corrections and entries to the Wellogic database. Everyone will be provided support and training to meet the project goals, accuracy, and reasonable productivity. All staff are reviewed every three months and weekly training support sessions are provided. Attendance of remote Bi-weekly team meetings is required to discuss the process and methods to be productive and efficient. Hours Part time (20-25 hours per week) Pay Starting pay is $14 per hour. There exists the opportunity to incrementally increase your hourly rate based on performance and length of time on the Triage team upon meeting or exceeding the team performance standards, up to $16 per hour. Location The Michigan Geological Survey functions through the Michigan Geologic Repository for Research and Education in Kalamazoo, Michigan. However, the available position is for remote work. There are seasonal opportunities for field work experience on a variety of other short-term projects. These opportunities exist on a first come, first serve basis for qualified team members.

We are only able to hire those with permanent residence in Michigan, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, New York, Texas, Virginia, and Washington. Job Requirements and Preferred Experience Minimum 60 credits towards a bachelor’s degree in geology, GIS, or related field GIS (ArcMap and ArcPro) and hydrogeology experience preferred Data entry experience preferred Proficiency in Microsoft Office products, specifically Excel and Word Possession of at least two monitors/screens Access to reliable, high speed internet Availability to attend biweekly, virtual meetings Professional demeanor and strong communication skills Computer which is good working order Ability to work distraction-free from home Ability to maintain clerical work All candidates will have to pass an employment data entry test to confirm they have the required skills. Advantages Remote work Flexible schedule—staff select their times ranges. Must complete minimum 20 hours/week Excellent resume builder for anyone seeking a career in geological, hydrogeological, or environmental sciences Potential opportunity for gaining field experience Periodic rewards for high quality and productivity, such as gift cards/certificates Opportunity to network with professionals in your field Benefits No health care benefits or overtime pay can be offered at this time.