Vacancy Notice No. 2005/702
Position and Grade: Laboratory Head (P-5)
Organizational Unit: Marine Environmental Studies Laboratory
IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories
Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications
Duty Station: Monaco
Issue Date: 12 December 2005
Application Deadline: 13 February 2006
Type/Duration of Appointment: Fixed term extra-budgetary, 2 years (subject to a probationary period of 1 year)
CCOG Code: 1.J.06.f

Organizational Setting
The IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories (IAEA-MEL) in Monaco is one of five divisions in the Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications and its general purpose is to provide the Agency's Member States with a source of competence in marine pollution, marine radioactivity and diagnostic isotopic applications to the world's oceans. The IAEA-MEL laboratories operate with a workforce of 13 scientists and around 30 technical and support staff, typically hosting 6-8 postgraduate students and many visiting fellows at any one time. The Marine Environmental Studies Laboratory is one of three laboratories. Its main objective is to provide expertise in marine contamination by non-radioactive substances.

The IAEA-MEL purpose-built laboratories are located in the Principality of Monaco, on the Mediterranean coast of France, near the border with Italy. Monaco's mild climate and splendid scenery have made it an ideal place to work. Detailed information on IAEA-MEL is available on the laboratories website at http://www-naweb.iaea.org/naml/default.asp.

Assignment
Under the general supervision of the IAEA-MEL Director, the Laboratory Head will develop and manage research programmes and services in marine environmental pollution by non-radioactive substances. These activities will incorporate the use of nuclear and isotopic analytical techniques and will be funded from the Agency's Regular Budget, technical cooperation programmes and from extrabudgetary partnerships.

In particular to:
  • manage the Marine Environmental Studies Laboratory, currently comprising three Professional and four General Service staff, and the associated laboratory;
  • secure the necessary extrabudgetary funds from external sources to cover the costs of collaborative projects to provide staffing and project implementation funding;
  • initiate and coordinate programmes on marine pollution in collaboration with other international organisations such as UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme), IOC/UNESCO (Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), GEF (Global Environment Facility), and UNDP (United Nations Development Programme), or under international projects sponsored by bodies such as the European Union;
  • initiate and develop new technical support programmes including training, equipping, analytical quality, reference materials and marine pollution surveys, for the benefit of Member States, with existing and new co-funding partners;
  • develop and apply new methods for the determination of priority and emergent trace toxic contaminants in seawater, sediments and marine biota, and to address marine pollution challenges;
  • collaborate with other scientists in MEL to integrate stable- and radio-isotopic techniques to quantify the sources, fluxes, fate and contamination history of toxic organic and heavy metal pollutants in the marine environment;
  • publish reports, manuals and international peer reviewed scientific papers arising from the above work, and to represent IAEA-MEL at international meetings.

Education and Experience
  • PhD in marine chemistry, chemical oceanography or organic/inorganic pollution.
  • At least 10 years of post-doctoral laboratory and field experience addressing marine pollution issues.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
  • Knowledge of modern trace analytical systems, the application of stable isotopes in ocean biogeochemistry and the use of radionuclides in pollution budgets.
  • Comprehensive knowledge of ocean biogeochemical processes affecting the transport, fate and impacts of contaminants in the marine environment.
  • Knowledge of marine ecotoxicology and contaminant modelling.
  • Knowledge of emergent contaminants of marine environmental concern.
  • Knowledge of international pollution conventions.
  • Leadership and project management skills at the international level.
  • Proven track record in international multidisciplinary collaborations and the securing of external funding.
  • Outstanding publication record in international peer-reviewed journals and books.
  • Fluency in written and spoken English. Knowledge of other official languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish) an advantage.

NOTE: This is not an established Agency post. It is a fixed term extrabudgetary position of a continuing nature, but the duration of appointment will be subject to the availability of funds.

Remuneration
The Agency offers an attractive remuneration package including a tax-free annual net base salary starting at US $70 742 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance), a variable post adjustment which currently amounts to US $28 085*, dependency benefits, rental subsidy, diplomatic status, education grant, relocation and repatriation expenses; 6 weeks' annual vacation, home leave, pension plan and health insurance.

How to apply to the IAEA

* Subject to change without notice

Applications from qualified women and candidates from developing countries are encouraged

Applicants should be aware that IAEA staff members are international civil servants and may not accept instructions from any other authority. Staff members may be assigned to any location. The IAEA retains the discretion not to make any appointment to this vacancy, to make an appointment at a lower grade or to make an appointment with a modified job description or for shorter duration than indicated above. Testing may be part of the recruitment process.