[Taxacom] job announcement: technical-scientific assistants at Huinay Scientific Fieled Station (Patagonia) 1.11.2010, and new taxonomic identification guide "Marine Benthic Fauna of Chilean Patagonia"

Sat Oct 9 11:20:51 CDT 2010

Hello,

I would like to post this job announcement. I am looking forward to
interesting applications!

Please also have a look at www.PatagoniaMarina.info for our new
identification guide "Marine Benthic Fauna of Chilean
Patagonia"/"Fauna Marina Bentonica de la Patagonia Chilena".

Cheers,

Vreni

Job Announcement for a technical-scientific assistant

We are 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 Huinay with its approx. 25 inhabitants can only be
accessed by a 1-1.5 hour boat-trip (speed boat) from Hornopiren. Most
infrastructure - except some small shops and a rural hospital in
Hornopiren - is located in Puerto Montt, a 3 to 4 h drive or bus trip
from Hornopiren.

Knowledge on 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 own
projects- to attract national and international projects which help to
fill the existing gaps.

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

Projects involve all kinds of terrestrial and marine base-line
research but main focus is on the marine environment and 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 one expedition to remote areas of
the fjord region each year.

We recently 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 (rarely good
enough for voice or video skype) and power supply by a hydroelectric
plant. The assistants are supervised and report to two biologists in
charge of the scientific operation who are approximately a third of
the time on the station, but can be contacted practically at any time.
Besides these two scientists (the scientific director and a research
coordinator) the permanent staff consists of the two
scientific-technical assistants, an administrator, his wife (and
assistant), a replacement of the administrator, two boat captains, 1-2
persons in charge for cooking and cleaning, and approx. 3 auxiliary
administrative workers. We try to have 1-2 interns at any time at the
station who help the scientific-technical assistants. Scientists can
visit throughout the year, but mostly come between December and April
(in the last years we had approx. 15 groups with a total of 40-50
scientists yearly)

We are looking for two technical-scientific assistants (couple
applications are welcome) for approx. two years (can be longer, too),
beginning around January 20, 2011. We are ideally looking for
technicians with biological knowledge and interest with the following
abilities.

Key abilities:

-          fluent English

-          profound diving skills (>200 dives) and experience with
cold-water (dry suit) diving and diving under difficult conditions,
ideally at least dive master or equivalent

-          good Spanish knowledge (at least good conversation level
for phone calls and email conversation)

We cannot consider any candidates 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 to live in an isolated and
rainy place and be able to adapt to new situations

-          be self motivating and able to deal with difficulties of
living in a small remote place with few people

-          be an organized and multi-tasking-able person (it is
necessary to parallelly keep track of a lot of different tasks, of
sampled specimens, the small library etc.)

-          have a friendly but convincing way and be able to represent
authority e.g. to enforce our rules towards scientific visitors, hold
up in discussions against fishermen etc. (some intercultural
experience and being above a certain age generally makes this easier)

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

-          have a general scientific, biological (taxonomical) and
ecological interest and understanding (ideally knowledge of or
interest in invertebrates and their sampling and preservation). But
please keep in mind: This is not a research position!*

-          be flexible, patient and should be able to improvise
(experience in developing countries or better in South America is of
advantage)

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

-          Have a car driving license. Ideally have experience in
driving small motor boats; A Chilean boat license officially is
necessary for this but can also be made in Chile.

*: The work responsibilities can also be divided between the two
assistants so that one assistant is more technically and one more
scientifically oriented.

The assistants are in charge of and keep track of the day to day
scientific activity at this field station and represent the scientific
staff towards visiting scientists, tourists who come by etc. during
the absence of the staff biologists. They are in charge of database
work, keep track on ongoing projects, train and supervise interns etc.
They can and should work quite independent, but follow the guidelines
given by the scientific director/managing scientist and ask for
feed-back when major decisions have to be taken.

The work includes:

-          assisting the scientific director/managing scientist and
visiting scientists in miscellaneous tasks whenever required but also
be able to “see” and resolve problems and work independently.

-          supervising interns/trainee students

-          taking care of laboratory and diving equipment (daily care
and evening check when visitors are present, general maintenance,
minor and simple repairs)

-          being the main contact person for visiting scientists (e.g.
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 helping that lab work and daily life
goes smoothly) and redirect questions and requests when work fields or
competences of other staff members are addressed.

-          present the scientific infrastructure and work to visitors
and explaining ongoing projects (also non-scientific: in summer
regular tourist visits)

-          entering information in databases or supervise interns to
do so (literature, biological, oceanographic data and special
observations on the fjord Comau)

-          preserving, logging and shipping of samples (e.g.
specimens); possibly also taking pictures of collected specimens

-          administration of information about visiting scientists
(boat trips, rented equipment, time of stay, questionnaires, pictures
…); regularly sending updated information to the persons in charge of
the website,…

-          accompanying visiting scientists on dive trips (of course
not all visitors dive): showing and explaining dive sites and taking
care that diving and sampling rules are respected (but no dive
guiding)

-          operating and maintaining the compressor

-          help in the acquisition and maintenance of equipment
(search for distributors, ask for prices quotes, tracking orders,
organize repairs, emitting complaints when necessary etc.…

We offer:

-          480.000 CLP/ month (1000 US$) for the first 6 months and
580.000 CLP/month (1200 US$) from month 7 onward -10% tax -7% health
insurance -3% retirement ensurance, 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 (there arise no expenses
during the stay on the station). You can also take the ferry that runs
twice a week for approx. 3 US$

-          trip/flight back to the place of origin (if outside of
Chile) after termination of the work contract

-          4 days off for every 11 days of work (flexible handling is
possible and necessary; but days off cannot be accumulated for more
than 1 month) and 15 days of vacation days (Monday through Friday)
each year

-          flexible handling of daily work hours, but there are core
hours when at least one assistant should be available

You can find more information on the website http://www.huinay.cl

We are looking forward to your applications consisting of the filled
out form, 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 a CV (not longer than 4 pages).
Applications that do not include the asked documents cannot be
considered. You can ask for the form (as Word, Excel or pdf document)
at v.haussermann(ad)gmail.com. Please already list 3-5 possible
references, which will be necessary for applicants on the short list
(these referees should know you personally and mainly describe your
abilities to deal with difficult and unknown situations, rather than
pure professional abilities); please do not send them now! Please send
the application to v.haussermann(ad)gmail.com –

 replace (ad) with @ in the e-mail addresses!

It is necessary that the successful applicants apply for their work
visas prior to arrival at the station. Successful applicants will be
sent copies of the work contract which need to be signed and returned
for confirmation by a legal representative in order for you to apply
for a work visa. This process can take up to 8 weeks.

DEADLINE: 1.11.2010

--
!!NEW RELEASE!!  Marine Benthic Fauna of Chilean Patagonia -
illustrated identification guide
http://www.PatagoniaMarina.info

Dr. Vreni Häussermann
Director of the Huinay Scientific Field Station
Websites: http://vreni.anthozoa.info/homepagevreni/, www.anthozoa.com,
www.fjord-research.net
Field of work: taxonomy and biogeography of Chilean Anthozoa,
especially sea anemones
Present address: Casilla 1150, Puerto Montt
Phone: 0056-65-280368