Database Developer (Research Associate II)

Location: NPS, Southeast Regional Office in Atlanta, GA
Salary: $50,000-$56,000, DOE
Closing Date: September 15, 2006

Appointment Term: Full-time for two years with the possibility of extension depending upon funding and performance. The position is funded entirely from federal sources under the NPS Cooperative Agreement.

Overview:
The Southeast Coast Network (SECN) is part of the National Park Service, Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Program. The I&M Program is responsible for conducting natural resource inventories and developing and implementing long-term ecological monitoring for about 270 units of the National Park Service. The Southeast Coast Network contains twenty parks, seventeen of which contain significant and diverse natural resources. In total, SECN parks encompass more than 178,000 acres of federally-managed land across North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. For more information on the Southeast Coast Network, please see: http://www1.nature.nps.gov/im/units/secn/

This position will serve as a database programmer in support of SECN programs, under the direction of SECN staff. The incumbent develops, documents, and maintains a variety of databases and applications for managing and analyzing natural resource (e.g. physical, chemical and biological) data and information. Database and application development occurs primarily in Microsoft Access and/or SQL server and follows general design guidelines developed by the National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring Program and the SECN conceptual object model. The incumbent also develops “front-end” applications to facilitate the rapid entry and quality control of monitoring data and to facilitate data querying and reporting for different end-user groups.

The incumbent’s primary duties will include:
• Design tables, queries, forms and reports in MS Access and/or SQL Server to work within the SECN conceptual object model framework and support long-term ecological monitoring protocols
• Develop custom queries and applications using Visual Basic/VBA and/or SQL to assist in data querying, analysis and dissemination, including: designing interactive forms, designing dynamic queries and reports, and all necessary testing and debugging to ensure overall functionality and ease of use.
• Ensure the security of all databases and assist in the development of quality assurance and quality control procedures to assess data quality prior to migrating provisional (working) data into SECN data repository
• Document all fields and code created and contribute to the development of user manuals and other guidance documents in support of SECN data management efforts
• Provide technical support to users and ensure that databases are updated to remain compatible with current software versions.
• The incumbent also works closely with the SECN Remote Sensing Specialist to establish links between tabular and spatial data, and works closely with SECN Ecologists to establish links between database and statistical software.

Additional duties may include:
• Participate in conferences, training sessions and workshops related to I&M data management.
• Participate in SECN data mining efforts.
• Perform other duties related to SECN monitoring programs as assigned.

Application Process:

Submit: (1) letter of interest; (2) current resume; (3) names, addresses, and phone numbers of three references; and (4) copy of college transcripts to: Sherry Caldwell ([Click here for email]), CSU-NPS Coordinator, National Park Service, 1201 Oakridge Drive, Suite 150, Fort Collins, CO 80525.

Applications will be considered until the position is filled; however, applicants should submit applications by September 15, 2006 for full consideration.

Condition of Employment: The individual will be required to pass a federal Security Assurance Check because the job is in a federally occupied building.

Colorado State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, age, color, religion, national origin, gender, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status or disability. The University complies with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, related Executive Orders 11246 and 11375, Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 402 of the Vietnam Era Veteran's readjustment Act of 1974, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as amended, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Civil Rights Act of 1991, and all civil rights laws of the State of Colorado. Accordingly, equal opportunity of employment and admission shall be extended to all persons and the University shall promote equal opportunity and treatment through a positive and continuing affirmative action program. The Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity is located in 101 Student Services. In order to assist Colorado State University in meeting its affirmative action responsibilities, ethnic minorities, women and other protected class members are encouraged to apply and to so identify themselves.

Colorado State University is an EEO/AA employer, E.O. office: 101 Student Services.
REQUIREMENTS
Requirements:
• B.S. in Computer Science, Information Technology, a closely related field or equivalent combined education and experience.
• A minimum of 2 years of professional design and development experience with the VB/VBA programming language in MS Access 97 or later – including the development of tables, queries, forms, reports, macros and modules to support a variety of professional desktop applications.
• Demonstrated experience with data conversion between formats and/or software platforms and data quality assurance procedures in populating relational databases.
• Demonstrated experience in developing SQL database queries.
• Demonstrated experience in oral and written communication of application development, data management and instruction/training topics such as documenting code, user guides, instructional exercises, standard operating procedures and other guidelines.

Desired Attributes:
• Demonstrated experience in managing complex relational databases (natural resource-related preferred).
• A background in a biological science or natural resource field.
• ColdFusion and/or .NET development experience.
• Ability to provide technical support via phone or e-mail.