Research Engineering/Scientist Associate I

Overview Job Posting Title: Research Engineering/Scientist Associate I Hiring Department: Department of Integrative Biology Position Open To: All Applicants Weekly Scheduled Hours: 40 FLSA Status: Exempt Earliest Start Date: May 01, 2026 Position Duration: Expected to Continue Until Apr 30, 2027 Location: UT MAIN CAMPUS Job Details: General Notes The assignment term is 12-months from the date of hire. Renewals for additional one-year periods may be possible, contingent upon job performance, progress towards research goals, and funding. Benefits Competitive health benefits (employee premiums covered at 100%, family premiums at 50%) Voluntary Vision, Dental, Life, and Disability insurance options Generous paid vacation, sick time, and holidays Teachers Retirement System of Texas, a defined benefit retirement plan, with employer matching funds Flexible spending account options for medical and childcare expenses Free rides on all UT Shuttle and Austin CapMetro buses with staff ID card For more details, please see: and Must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis for any employer without sponsorship. This position is security sensitive; criminal background checks conducted on selected candidate. Hiring decision is contingent upon applicant clearing background checks. Position Purpose We are seeking a motivated and detail-oriented Laboratory Technician to join our research team studying plant-microbe interactions. The successful candidate will conduct laboratory and greenhouse experiments aimed at understanding how bacteria and fungi influence plant growth and health. Experiments may include evaluating natural microbial communities, synthetic microbial communities and engineering microbial communities to improve plant growth. Specific tasks may involve isolation and cultivation of plant-associated microbes, microbial gene manipulation and molecular cloning, DNA extraction from plant and microbial samples, PCR and gel electrophoresis, and preparation of sequencing libraries. Additional responsibilities include maintaining strict sterile techniques for microbial culturing and plant inoculation experiments; culturing bacteria and preparing media and reagents; maintaining accurate laboratory records and databases; managing laboratory supplies and equipment; and ensuring compliance with safety and biosafety protocols. The technician will collaborate closely with researchers and students to support ongoing projects and contribute to a collaborative, team-oriented research environment. Responsibilities Assist graduate students, research scientists, and faculty members with 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 throughput manner, and preparing libraries using these samples for next generation sequencing. Assist with data archiving, filtering, and basic bioinformatics analyses when possible. Ensure the laboratory adheres to compliance standards, biosafety regulations, and fire safety codes. Arrange shipments of biological materials involved in research. Contribute to lab outreach activities. Attend weekly lab meetings. Manage and coordinate lab resources including maintaining a clean workplace, organizing and maintaining freezers, stocking reagents, etc. Driving a UT owned or personally owned vehicle is an essential function of the position. Supervise and train undergraduate students to conduct laboratory and greenhouse experiments. Qualifications Required: A bachelor's degree in Microbiology, Plant Biology, Molecular Biology, Microbial Ecology, or a closely related field in biological sciences is required. Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate. Preferred: Laboratory research experience is preferred. 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. Salary $35,568 + 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 standard office conditions May work around biohazards May work around chemicals Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation Use of manual dexterity Lifting and moving Work Shift Flexible: 40 hours/week is required, and most of this time should be during normal business hours (e.g., 9:00am-5:00pm), 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 Notes for Applicants 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 that ALL Required 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, you must log in to Workday, update sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. The information will be pulled into your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. You must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above. ---- Legal and Compliance 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. 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. Background Checks: A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position. Equal Opportunity Employer: The University of Texas at Austin is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer 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. Pay Transparency: The University will not discriminate against employees or applicants for discussing pay. However, there are restrictions on disclosing pay information to others without appropriate access. Employment Eligibility Verification: If hired, you will be required to complete the federal I-9 form and present documents to prove identity and work authorization. Documents must be provided no later than the third day of employment. E-Verify: UT Austin uses E-Verify for new hires. For more information, see the E-Verify posters available. ---- Compliance Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Clery Act. If this position is identified as Campus Security Authority, you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. #J-18808-Ljbffr Phase2 Technology