Laboratory Operations Assistant (Contractor)

The Laboratory Operations Assistant will collaborate with the laboratory manager to enable the R&D team to make the most of our facility and equipment. In addition, they will coordinate with the R&D team to assist with experimental setup, processing and results analysis, with a focus on horticulture and edaphology. Successful applicants embody stellar technical skills, and hold the capacity to navigate and resolve uncertainty. They have demonstrated sound scientific approaches and are process-driven in their work; exemplify a passion for systems-based thinking with a wide range of potential applications for their work; personify an appreciation for engineering, science, and art; and seek synergy between biology and technology in research, practice, and direct industrial utility.

Core responsibilities

• Aid with inventory management, organization, basic maintenance, and general housekeeping of the laboratory.
• Manage the purchasing process for lab consumables in close collaboration with the Finance team, vendor representatives, and R&D teams. 
• Continually improve site operations by streamlining existing processes and helping generate new ones. 
• Help implement experiments in both lab and field environments (e.g. preparing soil, germinating plants, maintaining growth, planting/creating/maintaining field experiments).
• Assist with data collection in the lab and in the field.
• Maintain plant growth of a variety of species in environmental chambers.
• Maintain high-quality documentation of processes and data in the forms of physical/electronic lab notebooks, internal databases, code comments, etc.
• Partner with a multidisciplinary team of professionals, including biologists, engineers, and designers, across scientific and design pursuits.
• Communicate ideas, work, and progress clearly.

Qualifications & Competencies

• Bachelor’s degree in biology, chemistry, or related field. Preference for a degree related to horticulture, botany, plant science, or ecology.
• 1-2 years of laboratory experience.
• Preferred experience growing a wide range of plants and working with a variety of ecosystems (terrestrial, marine, etc.)
• Ability to perform basic troubleshooting on scientific equipment.
• Willingness to complete necessary certifications, training, and other regulatory requirements. 
• Must be able to stand, sit, and walk for extended periods of time; the position requires the ability to lift and carry laboratory equipment and supplies weighing up to 50 pounds.
• Independent, self-motivated, detail-oriented, accurate, and highly organized.
• Strong commitment to the team; maintains positive working relationships with diverse people, including internal team and external partners.
• Embodies ethics and integrity in all work with impeccable scientific integrity, respecting both company and broader community policies in all conduct.

This is a temporary contract position with the possibility of becoming a full-time employee.