Research Engineering/ Scientist Assistant

Job Posting Title:

Research Engineering/ Scientist Assistant

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Hiring Department:

Department of Integrative Biology

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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:

Jun 01, 2024

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Position Duration:

Expected to Continue Until Nov 30, 2024

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Location:

UT MAIN CAMPUS

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Job Details:

General Notes

Initial assignment is for 6-months from hire date, renewable for additional 6-month periods based upon job performance and funding acquisition.

Security sensitive; criminal background checks conducted on selected candidate. Hiring decision is contingent upon applicant clearing background requirements.

Purpose

Assist Principal Investigator (PI) and lab members with experiments, data curation, and basic bioinformatics analyses.

Responsibilities

• Assist graduate students, research scientists, and faculty members with specific research experiments related to plant-microbiome interactions. This will often involve working with plants grown in growth chambers, greenhouses, and the field. Experiments may involve studies evaluating synthetic microbial communities and studies engineering microbial communities for improved plant growth. Specific tasks may include isolation and cultivating plant associated microbes, molecular cloning, functional studies of plant genes by analyzing mutants, using established protocols to extract genomic DNA or total RNA in a high throughout manner, and preparing libraries using these samples for next generation sequencing (including tag-seq and itags procedures). Driving is an essential function.

• Assist with data archiving, filtering, and basic bioinformatics analyses when possible.

• Place orders for equipment and consumables; reorder common-use consumables when they are running low; arrange proper waste disposal and pickup; defrost freezers as necessary; keep a catalog of orders; keep a catalog of items in freezer. Help maintain a safe and clean lab work environment.

• Help ensure lab's compliance with biosafety and fire codes. Arrange shipments of biological materials involved in research. Contribute to lab outreach activities. Attend weekly lab meeting.

• Train and supervise undergraduate assistants; provide lab safety training for new lab members.

Requires Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in molecular biology, biology, evolutionary biology or related field. Ability to communicate clearly, maintain a laboratory notebook and present results graphically and oral. Relevant experience and education may be substituted as appropriate.

Preferred Qualifications

At least one year of biology research experience at the undergraduate level. Experience in a molecular lab. Demonstrated ability to carry out research. Experience with basic data processing and bioinformatics. Communication skills for interaction and documentation functions. Familiarity with Excel and Google sheets.

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. If not currently a Texas resident, a Texas driver's license must be obtained within 30 days of becoming a Texas resident. 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

$31,200 + depending on qualifications

Working Conditions

• Uniforms and/or personal protection equipment (furnished)

• May work in all weather conditions

• May work in extreme temperatures

• May work around chemical fumes

• May work around standard office conditions

• May work around biohazards

• May work around chemicals

• Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation

• Use of manual dexterity

• Climbing of stairs

• Climbing of ladders

• Lifting and moving

Work Shift

• Flexible: 40/hours/week is required, and most of this time should be during normal business hours (e.g., 8:00 am - 5:00 pm), although numbers of hours/day and days/week can be negotiated and may change depending on what projects are being pursued.

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 conting