Research Scientist/Engineer 1 - Job Code 11492
General Characteristics: This is the entry level of professional work requiring a bachelor's degree in an engineering or scientific discipline. Incumbents perform routine scientific or engineering work, evaluating, selecting and applying standardized scientific or engineering procedures and techniques to assignments with clear, specific objectives; assignments require investigation of a limited number of variables and few complex features. Limited exercise of judgment is required on details of work and in making preliminary selections and adaptations of alternatives. Requires work experience acquired at the technician level, or appropriate graduate level study. For training and development purposes, assignments may include some work that is typical of a higher level.
Knowledge: Knows the fundamental concepts, practices and procedures of a particular field of specialization; continues development of technical expertise and knowledge through experience and application.
Direction received: Works under limited supervision to complete assigned tasks/projects, demonstrating the ability to work independently. Supervisor screens assignments for unusual or difficult problems, and selects techniques and procedures to be applied on non-routine work. Receives close supervision on new aspects of assignments.
Typical duties and responsibilities: Using accepted methods and techniques, solves well-defined problems and performs specific and limited portions of broader projects, under technical guidance of an experienced scientist/engineer. Applies standard practices and techniques in specific situations, adjusts and correlates data, recognizes discrepancies in results, and follows operations through a series of related detailed steps or processes. Defines and improves practices from experiences on small projects. Conducts experiments/tests in the laboratory/field that include taking measurements and recording observations, collecting, compiling and processing data. Contributes data/findings for use in reports, documents, or oral/written presentations. Interacts in a collaborative manner with other team members to accomplish organizational goals; may provide ideas to improve efficiency at group level; networks primarily within own technical peer group. In the process of learning methods for planning, including assessment of cost, scope and schedule against plan; implements established systems/approaches for moderately difficult tasks. No defined role in identifying/securing research funding, however, successful performance of project related tasks provides support to on-going funding efforts.
Responsibility for directing others: May guide the work of peers, technicians or other support staff as necessary to achieve specific assignments.
Education requirement, minimum: Bachelor's degree in an appropriate field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Experience requirement, minimum: Up to one year's experience in a related area; some or all may be in relevant educational programs.