[ES_JOBS_NET] Project Vesta Hiring Director of Research

[April Eason]

Director of Research Location: Remote

Project Vesta is a USA-based company and research organization with a
mission to remove billions of tons of excess atmospheric carbon dioxide
through Coastal Enhanced Weathering(CEW) of olivine. Enhanced weathering is
a nature-based negative emission approach that accelerates the weathering
rate of naturally occurring silicate minerals. When ground to the size of
beach sand, olivine weathers thousands of times faster than would naturally
occur in ultramafic rocks, leading to significant CO2 sequestration from
the atmosphere on human timescales. Project Vesta currently employs 10
full-time scientists and engineers including 8 Ph.D. level researchers in
geochemistry, oceanography, and ecology. We are conducting laboratory,
mesocosm, and pilot experiments at locations across the USA and
internationally to determine if CEW can be a safe, effective, and
affordable means of permanently sequestering excess atmospheric CO2.

Job Description

We are seeking to hire a Director of Research with a background in aqueous
geochemistry, marine geochemistry, biogeochemistry or a related field, as
well as extensive experience in field/laboratory research, designing and
managing multi-stakeholder projects, and science communication. This
position will report to the VP of Scientific Research to help lead the
global scientific research program and the world’s first field trials of
Coastal Enhanced Weathering.

Various aspects of the role will involve the design, development, and
management of scientific teams executing multiple research projects with
various collaborators, as well as concurrent field trials involving
numerous stakeholders. Research projects consist of both in-house and
external collaborators and include modeling, laboratory, and field studies.
At times, various aspects may also include fieldwork, laboratory studies,
research synthesis, data interpretation, contributions to grant writing,
and scientific writing. This role will also engage with numerous
non-scientific stakeholders including community members, regulatory
agencies, governmental officials, and the press.

This position will also act as a senior scientist and technical liaison
between the pilot site deployment and scientific teams. Aspects of this
part of the position include working with coastal engineers and regulatory
agencies to help design olivine deployments that optimize for both safety
and maximal carbon capture rates. Tasks will include but are not limited to
supporting deployment design, science communication, stakeholder engagement
(e.g. community members, NGOs, governmental officials, regulators, media),
partnership relations (e.g. academic collaborators), and project
management. This individual must thrive in a fast-paced, interdisciplinary
environment while simultaneously contributing to multiple projects.

This is a remote position with an expectation to travel for stretches of
time (for days to weeks) to field sites, laboratories, conferences, or
important stakeholder meetings. We are seeking an individual with a strong
background in aqueous biogeochemistry or geochemistry with marine carbonate
geochemistry as a strong plus. This individual must also have at least 3
years of experience in project management. Experience working in coastal
settings is a strong plus.

This is a remote position but the ideal candidate will reside in a time
zone compatible with US Eastern Time.




The responsibilities of this position include:

   -

   Designing, developing, and executing research and deployment strategies
   in support of the VP of Scientific Research
   -

   Project managing interdisciplinary teams of scientists, engineers, and
   other stakeholders to advance programs and field deployments safely and
   efficiently
   -

   Where necessary, conducting hands-on, field-based research in coastal
   oceanography with an emphasis on seawater and porewater geochemistry
   including carbon, nutrient, and trace metal cycling.
   -

   Supporting in the management of academic collaborations and industry
   partnerships.
   -

   Analyzing geochemical, biogeochemical, and physical data and helping to
   develop predictive models for olivine weathering and carbon sequestration.
   -

   Providing thoughtful and evidence-based insight to the project team
   about how to advance our mission in an ethically and scientifically robust
   manner.
   -

   Contributing to research and funding proposal writing.
   -

   Reporting progress and results to other researchers, the project team,
   and industry partners.
   -

   Presenting at conferences and workshops relevant to the project.
   -

   Co-leading the management of research activities and actively
   contributing to research outputs in order to meet project milestones.
   -

   Serving as a liaison between Project Vesta and non-scientific, external
   stakeholders (NGOs, governmental officials, community members, regulatory
   agencies, and the press)


The ideal candidate can easily fulfill the responsibilities of this
position described above and has the following qualities and experience:

Personal

   -

   A deep sense of dedication to combating the climate crisis.
   -

   Ability and passion to learn quickly and solve challenges independently
   and creatively.
   -

   A commitment to harmonious and productive collaboration.
   -

   Professionalism under all circumstances.
   -

   Meticulous attention to detail in planning and procedure.
   -

   Enthusiasm for the Project Vesta mission and ethos.
   -

   Dedication to fair and equitable treatment of all individuals on the
   team.
   -

   Excitement and enthusiasm to assist in meeting the challenges of running
   a first-of-a-kind field pilot experiment, including developing relevant
   protocols and methods as required.


Minimum Qualifications

   -

   Ph.D. in Aqueous Biogeochemistry or Geochemistry.
   -

   Three years of experience project managing interdisciplinary teams of
   scientists, engineers, and/or other stakeholders.
   -

   Extensive experience conducting fieldwork, including in-water and
   boat-based activities.
   -

   Expertise in working with and organizing datasets.
   -

   Strong scientific writing skills in English.
   -

   Demonstrated ability to work independently.
   -

   Demonstrated technical expertise in one or more of the following areas:
   field sampling, (bio)geochemistry, analytical geochemistry.
   -

   Contribution to at least 5 or more peer-reviewed publications.
   -

   Extensive experience communicating science to non-scientific, layperson
   audiences.
   -

   Ability to travel for brief periods of time (1-2 weeks) a few times
   (2-3) per year.


Desirable Qualifications


   -

   Experience with the marine carbonate system
   -

   Experience with marine pore water and/or sediment analysis
   -

   Experience performing high-precision measurements of carbonate
   geochemistry
   -

   Experience operating in-situ marine sensors
   -

   Experience working in NGO, government, or industry settings.


Employment Terms


   -

   Competitive salary and benefits



For more information or to apply, please email jobs@ <jobs at projectvesta.org>
vesta.earth. Applications should consist of a single document or PDF file
containing a (1) cover letter (2) academic CV and (3) professional resume
s. Please include names and contact information of three references.

Equal Opportunity Employer: We celebrate diversity and demand equal
opportunity employment. We are committed to building a team that represents
a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills- because reversing
climate change is going to require a diverse and unprecedented workforce.
The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.
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