University Water Sciences Laboratory Director

Position Overview

The Nebraska Water Center, part of the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute (DWFI) and the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, is seeking a Water Sciences Laboratory (WSL) Director at the rank of assistant, associate, or full research professor.

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.

• Demonstrate strong communication skills, vision, and leadership for the WSL mission to provide advanced, high‑quality, defensible results for water and environmental research.
• Develop relationships with external stakeholders and the entire 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 operational efficiency.
• Coauthor publications and actively collaborate on contracts and grants, while working with the Nebraska Water Center to promote the facility 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.
• 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.

• Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry, Engineering, Environmental, Geological, or Materials Sciences.
• Experience conducting scientific research, developing analytical or isotopic methods, and 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.

The Water Sciences Laboratory (WSL) is a unique university core facility with a record of over 35 years of advancing the University of Nebraska’s water and environmental research programs, primarily supporting intensification of agricultural systems. With over $3.5 million in state‑of‑the‑art equipment, the WSL delivers over 200 custom and standard analytical methods for testing water, wastewater, and sediments designed to serve academic researchers, governmental water managers, and the private sector.

The lab’s continuously evolving analytical capabilities aim to accurately measure and evaluate agricultural and emerging contaminants in multiple compartments. Analytical methods support projects worldwide which help devise ways to evaluate contaminant occurrence and effects, while controlling and remediating contamination in agricultural settings. Thousands of samples are analyzed annually using state‑of‑the‑art technologies together with carefully implemented quality controls demonstrating the lab’s commitment to provide high quality defensible data.

The facility operates and maintains more than thirty major instruments, most based on advanced mass spectrometry technologies, and uses an extensive laboratory information management system (LIMS) to track sample metadata, quality controls, and report client results. It is currently implementing a new cloud‑based LIMS which will allow clients…