Research Engineering​/Scientist Assistant

Job Posting

Title:

Research Engineering/ Scientist Assistant

Hiring Department: Department of Integrative Biology

Position Open To: All Applicants

Weekly Scheduled

Hours:

40

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

Earliest

Start Date:

Mar 01, 2026

Position Duration: Expected to Continue Until Aug 31, 2026

Location: UT MAIN CAMPUS

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.

Work on experiments studying switch grass 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.

• Assist in the establishment, maintenance, and completion of switch grass 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.

• 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.

• 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.

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).

$40,000 + DOE

• 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.)

• 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.

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

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 that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded.

Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

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…