Open Rank Research Professor - Water Sciences Lab Director
- Employer
- The University of Nebraska–Lincoln
- Location
- Lincoln, NE
View more categoriesView less categories
- Employment Type
- Full Time
- Institution Type
- Four-Year Institution
Job Details
Open Rank Research Professor - Water Sciences Lab Director
Department:Water Center-2225
Requisition Number:F_260016
Posting Open Date:04/20/2026
Application Review Date: (To ensure consideration, please submit all application materials before review date):07/15/2026
Open Until Filled:Yes
Description of Work:The Water Sciences Laboratory (WSL), is a core research facility at the University of Nebraska, administered by the Nebraska Water Center, part of the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute (DWFI) and the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR).
With a 100% administrative research apportionment, this 12-month (calendar year) non-tenure track, renewable appointment will have a 3-5 year initial appointment based on rank at time of hire. The position reports to the Nebraska Water Center director and leads all WSL activities, supervising a laboratory manager and technical staff, while supporting staff and users in day-to-day facility operations. This position is located in Lincoln, Nebraska, and will be affiliated with an academic unit in IANR to ensure the incumbent has a pathway to promotion conforming to UNL policies and guidelines. To learn more about Lincoln, please visit About Lincoln | Nebraska.
Position Responsibilities
- Demonstrate strong communication skills, vision, and leadership to further the WSL mission to provide advanced, high quality, defensible results for water and environmental research
- Seek out and develop relationships with external stakeholders and faculty from the university system to support joint research and service projects, enhancing laboratory services to meet user requirements while implementing practical ways to maintain quality and improve operation efficiency.
- Actively collaborate on publications, contracts and grant opportunities, and work with the Nebraska Water Center staff to promote the facility widely to potential users on and off campus.
- Mentor laboratory users and staff to ensure timely processing of client samples, facilitate problem-solving, and assist the laboratory manager in implementing a robust quality assurance program using a new laboratory information management system.
- Prepare annual facility reports to the Office of Research and Innovation which integrate fiscal and technical input from an administrative advisory board, laboratory user group, and business office staff.
In addition to the above-described duties, the individual will be expected to accept committee assignments, reporting responsibilities, and other special ad hoc assignments as requested at the administrative unit, college/division, institute, and/or university level.
Recognizing that collaboration and participation in teams enhances creativity, innovation, impact, and a sense of belonging, the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR) and the Water Sciences Laboratory in the Nebraska Water Center are committed to creating learning, research, and Extension programming environments where the unique contributions of each individual are acknowledged and valued. Consistent with the University’s N2025 Strategic Plan, we see every person and every interaction as important to our collective wellbeing and our ability to deliver on our mission.
The University of Nebraska does not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and/or political affiliation in its programs, activities, or employment. See https://equity.unl.edu/notice-nondiscrimination/. Minimum Required Qualifications:
- Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry, Engineering, Environmental, Geological, or Materials Science.
- Experience conducting scientific research, developing analytical or isotopic methods, operating and troubleshooting mass spectrometry-based equipment.
- Track record of relevant research publications showcasing advanced analytical techniques.
- Specialty in environmental sciences, water quality, and/or analytical method development commensurate with a research assistant professor or higher.
- Experience managing laboratory operations, quality assurance, planning, or project management.
- Proven ability to communicate and collaborate with faculty and stakeholders across multiple disciplines and organizations.
Lincoln, NE
Criminal History Background Check Required:No
How to Apply:Click “Apply for this Job” and then “Faculty Application.” Complete the application and attach the following documents:
- Letter of interest (2-page maximum) that describes your
- Qualifications for the job.
- Anticipated contributions in this role.
- Experience working in an advanced analytical laboratory.
- Anticipated contributions to creating inclusive environments in which every person and every interaction matters. See https://go.unl.edu/ianrguide for guidance in writing this statement.
- Curriculum vitae.
- Contact information for three professional references.
Jodi Mackin, IANR Human Resources
jmackin1@unl.edu
Faculty Non-Tenure Leading
Job Type:12 Month (Faculty Only)
Position funded by grant or other form of temporary funding?:No
Organizational Location:Default Location
Organization
Working at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
For 150 Years, A Leader in Higher Education
Always a place of high ambition, University of Nebraska was one of the first institutions west of the Mississippi River to award doctoral degrees - the first was granted in 1896. The University of Nebraska established the world's first undergraduate psychology laboratory. The discipline of ecology was born here, and the campuses reflect that tradition, being recognized as botanical gardens and arboreta. An early institutional interest in literature and the arts provided the foundations for today's Prairie Schooner literary magazine, for the University of Nebraska Press, and for the Sheldon Museum of Art, which houses one of the world's most significant collections of 20th century American art.
Today, Nebraska is one of the nation's leading teaching institutions, and a research leader with a wide array of grant-funded projects aimed at broadening knowledge in the sciences and humanities. Nebraska is also a land-grant university and a member of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU). The university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
Benefits
The University of Nebraska offers an extensive benefits package that includes health, life, disability and long term care insurance; retirement accounts; tuition reimbursement for employees and their spouses and dependent children; and reimbursement accounts for health care and dependent day care. Leave policies are designed to help employees deal with personal or family events or crises.
Diversity and Inclusion
In the spirit of the phrase "Every Interaction Matters", UNL has an enacted commitment to diversity and inclusive excellence for our faculty, staff, and students. On our campus, diversity and inclusion are important priorities. Examples include: Husker Dialogues, which is an event that helps first-year students focus on diversity and inclusion and practice handling difficult conversations around difference; three Chancellor's Diversity Commissions that are charged with informing and advising the Chancellor and addressing issues of constituent campus communities; and the establishment of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion whose leader operates at the Vice Chancellor level. At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, we strive for excellence in all that we do. True excellence requires that each individual be able to work and learn in an atmosphere of respect, dignity, and belonging. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion requires each of us to continuously ensure our interactions are respectful, protect free speech, and inspire academic freedom.
About Lincoln
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is located in an up-and-coming and safe city of 300,000 people that has many of the cultural and entertainment benefits of a much larger city, with the feel of a friendly Midwestern community. The Pinnacle Bank Arena, opened in 2013, routinely hosts major touring acts. A buzzing entertainment district, the Railyard, connects the arena area to the Historic Haymarket. Cuisines from all continents provide the entree to dynamic urban nightlife and a wide variety of ways to enjoy time with friends. Nebraska's City Campus is one with Lincoln's city center, as it has been since the university was founded.Lincoln has more parkland per capita than Austin, Texas; Portland, Oregon; and all but a handful of U.S. cities. The well-manicured Pioneers Park, the native woods of Wilderness Park and the open grassland of Nine-Mile Prairie are each within a 10-minute trip from campus. Connecting many of these parks is an extensive trails network.
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