ARM Seeks Lead Mentor for Aerosol Precursor Measurements

Published: 18 May 2026

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) User Facility is seeking an instrument lead mentor (technical lead) for ground-based aerosol precursor measurements deployed as part of ARM’s Aerosol Observing Systems (AOS).

ARM operates a suite of aerosol precursor instruments across five observatories: Southern Great Plains (SGP), Eastern North Atlantic (ENA), and all three ARM Mobile Facilities (AMF1/AMF2/AMF3). As noted in the table below, these measurements include carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3), and sulfur dioxide (SO2).

ARM is also reviewing the addition of nitrogen oxide (NOx) measurements to the suite of aerosol precursor instrumentation, and it is anticipated that management of these measurements will be included in this mentorship call.

(Note: The call does not include aerial-based measurements.)

A table shows carbon monoxide, ozone, and sulfur dioxide instrumentation that is available at the SGP, ENA, AMF1, AMF2, and AMF3. Carbon monoxide instrumentation is not available at the SGP, and sulfur dioxide instrumentation is not available at the ENA and AMF2. Those are the only exceptions. — This table of ARM aerosol precursor instrumentation deployed with each observatory indicates vendor, model, and date procured. ARM’s North Slope of Alaska (NSA) observatory does not have any aerosol precursor measurements and is excluded from the table.

Roles and Responsibilities

The successful candidate shall follow all lead mentor roles and responsibilities defined in ARM’s documents for mentors from universities or national laboratories. These include but are not limited to:

reviewing all instrumentation and processes with the existing mentor team to ensure a smooth transition
developing a plan for advancing ARM’s aerosol precursor measurements based on feedback from ARM’s aerosol measurement science constituent group and the broader scientific community
developing technical specifications for the procurement of new instrumentation
preparing and testing systems for deployment
coordinating with the lead AOS mentor team on proposed changes/modifications to the hardware and software associated with aerosol precursor measurements
manage the ongoing operation, calibration, and data quality assessment of the aerosol precursor measurements.

Aerosol Observing Systems at ARM's Southern Great Plains atmospheric observatory — ARM seeks an instrument lead mentor (technical lead) for ground-based aerosol precursor measurements deployed as part of its Aerosol Observing Systems (AOS). At the Southern Great Plains Central Facility near Lamont, Oklahoma, ARM instruments are located in the AOS to the right. The AOS to the left is used for guest instrumentation. Photo is by Nicki Hickmon, Argonne National Laboratory.

As noted in point 2 in the list above, the new mentor(s) will be expected to develop a plan for the future of ARM’s aerosol precursor measurements. This plan is expected to include the continued operation of many current ARM aerosol precursor instruments but may include updating processes, improving calibration methods, and procuring new instruments. The plan can include the deployment of additional measurements such as CO at the SGP and NOx more broadly in ARM using commercially available, field-ready systems.

In addition, it is anticipated that the mentor(s) will review industry standards for these measurements, such as recent Environmental Protection Agency approvals for the implementation of Nafion dryers for O3 measurements, as well as develop calibration standards and processes traceable to industry standards.

Application Process and Deadline

To apply for this position, prospective candidates should provide a technical proposal for how they will carry out the functions described above and an accompanying cost proposal. Proposals should also include a description of appropriate experience with these instrumentation and/or measurements (CO, O3, SO2, NOx) and a CV for every member of the proposed team.

For this proposal, candidates should also describe their plan to implement NOx measurements in ARM, starting with the AMF3 deployment to Alabama’s Bankhead National Forest and expanding to other AMF deployments in the future as appropriate, in addition to any modifications they would propose making to existing measurements.

By the application deadline of Monday, June 15, 2026, all interested candidates should email ARM Instrument Operations Manager Adam Theisen with their proposal package and include the following: