Primary Purpose: The Centre for Hydrology at the University of Saskatchewan is seeking a Research Technician to support monitoring in the Global Water Futures Observatories research projects. This position is based at the USask Coldwater Laboratory, Canmore, Alberta with work primarily conducted in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. This will be a full-time, term position with a targeted start date of October 1, 2025. Starting salary is commensurate with abilities and experience.
Typical Duties or Accountabilities:
- Organizing and conducting field work for the Canadian Rockies Hydrological Observatory of the Global Water Futures Observatories;
- Keeping orderly and accessible records of field equipment, experimental field notes and records, experimental plans;
- Managing and maintaining GWFO laboratories, field sites, and vehicles;
- Purchasing, and maintaining scientific equipment for field and laboratory studies;
- Assisting with annual reporting of GWFO;
- Organizing, archiving, updating, graphing and QA/QC scientific data;
- Contributing to the communications and visibility of the Coldwater Laboratory, GWFO, experiments, personnel and students;
- Training research staff and students as to proper experimental techniques, protocols and activities, and safety in mountains and on glaciers; and
- Other duties specified by Professor Pomeroy.
Education: Completion of a post-secondary degree (BSc or higher) in physical environmental sciences or engineering with a specialization in hydrological or related sciences.
Required Experience you bring: hydrometeorological fieldwork; retrieving data from field dataloggers; quality assurance and control of hydrometeorological data; computer programming, operating ATV’s, snowmobiles and driving/towing with a 4×4 truck; working on up to 20 m meteorological towers; logistics and safety in wilderness outdoor operations; glacier travel and rescue, backcountry skiing, and high mountain travel.
Skills:
Ability to:
- organize fieldwork to meet scientific goals and objectives in a cost effective, quality assured manner.
- work independently with a minimum of supervision;
- supervise staff and students in the field;
- maintain meteorological, snow and hydrological sensors and mechanical equipment including trucks and snowmobiles,
- manage observed and telemetered data on Windows-based computers using various data retrieval and database programs;
- program and retrieve field data from Campbell Scientific dataloggers and remote telemetry systems; and
- snowshoe, backcountry ski, travel on glaciers, travel in avalanche zones safely and work outdoors for long days in adverse conditions in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
- communicate regularly with researchers part of the Global Water Futures Observatories team.
Personal Suitability: Must demonstrate effective interpersonal relationships, reliability, integrity, alertness, physical fitness and cooperativeness. Must display initiative and good judgement in decision-making and capability to troubleshoot complex measurement systems in the field.
Conditions of Work: Applicants must hold a valid full driver’s license and be able to operate various types of vehicles. Valid First Aid and CPR certificate required. Comfortable working in remote wilderness environments, utilizing mountaineering expertise and tower climbing experience preferred but not required.
Department: Geography and Planning
Status: Term 6 months with the possibility of extension
Employment Group: Research Positions – Non-union
Full Time Equivalent (FTE): 1
Salary: The salary range, based on 1.0 FTE, is $31.39 – 43.96 per hour. The starting salary will be commensurate with education and experience.
Salary Phase/Band: Salary Band 7
Posted Date: 9/10/2025
Closing Date: 10/7/2025
Number of Openings: 1
