Production Associate General Interest

Overview

Please note that this is a general interest posting. Our Soil Science team is growing and evolving, and new Production Associate roles open up regularly. If you’re interested in future opportunities with us, please submit a general interest application. While this is not tied to a specific opening, our team reviews these applications and will contact you if a role becomes available that may be a good fit.

Join Earth Optics as a Production Associate!

Our mission is to be the leading soil information company, delivering maps that growers, farmers, ranchers, and other stakeholders use to cost-effectively increase yields and improve soil health and the climate. We are creating a future where traditional sampling methods are obsolete.

At Earth Optics, we combine cutting-edge genomic analysis, data science, microbiology, and remote sensing to revolutionize agriculture. Our unified mission is to help farmers and ranchers sustainably increase their yields and feed the growing world through all things soil.

We are a growing company with a passion for soil health, innovative technologies, and supporting all within the food value chain. We currently have ~100 individuals spread across 30 states and 2 countries, and they come from all walks of life, industries, and experiences. We are deeply focused on building the future of AgTech and sustainability and helping the world see soil differently.

Production Associate will join our Emeryville, CA Lab team to impact our mission through individual contributor responsibilities. As a Production Associate at our Emeryville, CA lab, you will be responsible for performing daily soil processing tasks according to standard operating procedures (SOPs). You will ensure safe, efficient, and compliant handling of samples and analytical equipment. This role requires good organizational skills, adaptability in a fast-paced environment, and collaboration with coworkers located on- and off-site to support sustainable and data-driven agricultural practices.

Good communication skills are essential to ensure proper synchronization between other labs, and upstream and downstream departments and processes.

We have certain criteria across all our hires at Earth Optics, no matter the position or team. Regardless of the role, our team embraces learning, craves collaboration, and is driven by a fast-paced environment. If you resonate with our values and goals, we encourage you to apply—even if you don t meet every requirement. You could be the perfect fit for this role or future opportunities.

• Job Type: Part-Time, Non-Exempt, Temporary to Permanent after 90-days based on performance and business needs
• Schedule:
  
  Monday through Friday, 8am-5pm PT or as workload requires
• Work Location:
  
  This is an onsite position in our Emeryville, CA office and laboratory
• Travel:
  Less than 5% of the time
• Compensation: $25.00 per hour

• Maintain a clean and organized work environment
• Maintain high throughput sample processing expectations
• Receive and sort samples according to the analysis ordered
• Operate standard and sensitive lab equipment (carbon analyzers, ICPs, FIAs, centrifuges, pH robots, etc.)
• Track project/sample status to ensure all samples receive the correct analyses within the given turnaround time
• Perform regular analytical quality assessment and instrument maintenance
• Handle high-temperature materials (360 C+) (PPE provided)
• Organize (label, package, store) processed samples into extensive soil library
• Analytical data entry into computer systems

• Adhere to safety guidelines and regulatory requirements

(Your qualifications)

• Bachelor’s degree in any related technical field or 1 year of full time laboratory experience
• Experienced in operating complex laboratory instrumentation, performing maintenance, and analytical quality assessments
• Ability to track multiple projects at a time to ensure samples are on track for analyses in time and quality
• Demonstrates ability to multitask and work efficiently in a fast-paced environment
• Maintains exceptional reliability through consistent…