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:

Mar 01, 2026

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Position Duration:

Expected to Continue Until Aug 31, 2026

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Location:

UT MAIN CAMPUS

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Job Details:

General Notes

The assignment term is six (6) months from the date of hire. This assignment may renew contingent upon job performance, progress towards research goals, and new funding acquisition. This position will be stationed at the University of Texas at Austin, in Austin, Texas; and will involve occasional travel to multiple field locations.

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

Purpose

Work on experiments studying switchgrass ecology, physiology, and genomics. This involves a combination of plant propagation and greenhouse work, the maintenance and completion of field experiments, basic molecular biology, and lab processing of field samples.

Responsibilities

• Assist in the establishment, maintenance, and completion of switchgrass field experiments at multiple field locations.

• Driving a UT owned or personally owned vehicle is an essential function of the position.

• Assist in the collection, processing, and analysis of plant samples harvested from field experiments.

• Utilize a variety of scientific instruments to collect data from field experiments.

• General lab tasks and routine equipment maintenance.

• Be primarily responsible for collecting Near Infrared Spectroscopy data on field samples. This includes milling, packing, collecting spectral data from the NIRS machine, and data post processing.

• Assist with field projects and sample processing pipelines related to microbial plant association experiments.

• Assist with managing all greenhouse and growth chambers associated with the Juenger lab work in multiple experimental areas.

Required Qualifications

• BA or BS in ecology, biology, agronomy, or related field. Must have passed laboratory or research skills courses related to degree.
• Must possess an independent, organized, and motivated attitude.
• Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience with field research.
• Experience including plant propagation, field plot establishment and maintenance, plant physiological measurements, tissue characterization, and sample preparation for nutrient analysis are preferred skills.
  

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

$40,000 + DOE

Working Conditions

• May work in all weather conditions

• May work in extreme temperatures

• May work around standard office conditions

• May work around chemicals

• Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation

• Use of manual dexterity

• Climbing of stairs and/or ladders

• Lifting and moving (Field work may require lifting and moving supplies/equipment weighing 50 pounds.)

Work Shift

• Experimental protocols will require a non-standard work schedule. Work may involve long days and short weeks, working evenings, morning and/or weekends. This position is a mixture of field and laboratory-based investigation. It requires some overnight travel to field sites and work outside in all seasons.

Required Materials

• Resume/CV

• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor

• Letter of interest

Importantfor 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 thatALLRequired Materials have been uploaded. Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers:As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left-hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questionspresented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.

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Employment Eligibility:

Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.

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Retirement Plan Eligibility:

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

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Background Checks:

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

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Equal Opportunity Employer:

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer,complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

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Pay Transparency:

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information.

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Employment Eligibility Verification:

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form. You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States. Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment. Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

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E-Verify:

The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university's company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:

• E-Verify Poster (English and Spanish) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (English) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]

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Compliance:

Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.

The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.