Research Engineering/ Scientist Assistant

Job Posting Title:

Research Engineering/ Scientist Assistant

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Hiring Department:

Department of Marine Science

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Position Open To:

All Applicants

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Weekly Scheduled Hours:

40

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FLSA Status:

Non-Exempt

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Earliest Start Date:

Jan 19, 2026

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Position Duration:

Expected to Continue Until Aug 31, 2026

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Location:

PORT ARANSAS, TX

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Job Details:

General Notes

This position will work with the Dunton and Erdner labs to assist with field and experimental studies associated with seagrass, marsh, and algal systems. The purpose of this role is to assist the lab with duties that include sample processing and inventory, data management, and instrument maintenance.

Position located in Port Aransas, Texas. Only applicants authorized to work in the United States will be considered.

Responsibilities

• Field sampling of coastal waters from shore, by small boat, and on oceanographic cruises. Includes emergent and submergent vegetation along the entire Texas coast and other wetland sites as assigned via boat, hiking, swimming, and wading through mud and water in wetland habitats.
• Assist with in situ photosynthetic incubations.
• Process plant and sediment cores for organic matter, moisture content, dissolved pore water components, nutrients, chlorophyll, TSS, CHN and isotopic analysis, sediment grain size, and algal epiphyte enumeration and identification.
• Computer data entry, data QA/QC, some basic and preliminary data analysis.
• Assist with additional research related duties related to lab (sieving and sorting of biological material), field (instrumentation deployment), and K12 outreach activities.
• Laboratory work includes DNA extractions, PCR, and preparation of samples for sequencing.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in marine, biological, or environmental sciences, or a closely related field.
• General knowledge of local habitats, particularly coastal waters, and wetlands along with associated flora and ecosystem processes.
• Strong organizational and computer skills (MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).
• Experience with gas analysis (methane, oxygen) and in situ photosynthesis
• Basic hiking and swimming ability.
• Experience with DNA extraction from environmental samples
• Experience with preparing samples for sequencing, including PCR amplification and reaction cleanup.
• Knowledge of DNA sequence analysis using specialized software e.g., Geneious

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with vegetation identification and field sampling methodology.
• Boat operating skills and comfort in aquatic habitats (wetlands and open water).
• Experience with analyses of sediment/water biogeochemistry and plant ecophysiology.
• Experience with grades K-8 outreach.
• Shipboard experience on research vessels on science cruises (> 7 days)

Driving Required

This job requires a class "C" operator's driver's license. The applicant selected must provide a current three-year driving record from the current state of residence. Employees who are required to have a CDL are subject to drug and alcohol testing (pre-employment, post-accident, reasonable suspicion, random, return-to-duty, and follow-up drug and alcohol testing).

Salary Range

$35,000k + depending on qualifications

Working Conditions

• May work in all weather conditions.
• Will work in estuarine waters (temp range 12-35 degrees C) at 1-3 m depths.
• May work in extreme temperatures.
• May work around chemical fumes.
• Will work around standard office conditions.
• Will work around chemicals.
• May work around electrical and mechanical hazards.
• Will work in muddy coastal wetlands.
• Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation.
• Manual dexterity required
• Climbing stairs.
• Lifting, moving, swimming.

Required Materials

• Resume/CV
• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
• Letter of interest

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure tha