Lab & Greenhouse Technician

About the Role

Join a collaborative four-person research team supporting laboratory and greenhouse studies. This is a highly hands-on position focused on the physical handling, preparation, movement, and disposal of soil and plant materials—not a traditional bench laboratory testing role. The successful candidate will spend significant time working with plants, soil, trays, pots, carts, greenhouse materials, and research applications, while also performing supporting laboratory tasks. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys active, hands-on work, has experience with plant material and aseptic techniques, and is comfortable working in both laboratory and greenhouse environments.

Candidates should be prepared for frequent lifting, moving, washing, cleaning, setup, breakdown, and handling of plant and soil samples as part of daily research activities.

Responsibilities

• Handle, move, organize, tag, weigh, bag, and dispose of plant and soil materials used in research studies.
• Prepare research studies by placing plants into trays and pots, tagging plants, arranging materials, and assisting with research applications.
• Mark plants for mobility studies and breakdowns, move plant materials onto carts, and support downstream handling and disposal activities.
• Work directly with plants in greenhouse environments, including moving trays and carts, cutting flats into individual pots, handling plant material, and maintaining organized work areas.
• Prepare research media, specified solutions, tubes, and bottles according to established procedures.
• Assist with inoculating and harvesting stock, prepare inoculum for plant studies, and support large-pot and leaf-disc projects.
• Prepare, maintain, harvest, and store fungal cultures under sterile conditions while following contamination-control procedures.
• Clean and rinse glassware and laboratory equipment and sterilize materials using an autoclave.
• Safely handle and apply fungicides and other research-related chemicals in accordance with established protocols.
• Properly wear and use required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including Powered Air-Purifying Respirators (PAPRs), for chemical and other hazardous tasks.
• Maintain proper chemical labeling, storage, and disposal practices in accordance with safety guidelines and regulatory requirements.
• Wash and move carts, clean work areas, cut flats into individual pots, bag and weigh plant material for disposal, and maintain clean laboratory and greenhouse benches and floors.
• Empty and replace hazardous and non-hazardous waste containers appropriately.
• Scrub Growth and Dew Rooms and stock laboratories and greenhouses with necessary supplies.

This position involves hands-on support of plant and soil research, including moving and organizing plant materials, setting up and breaking down studies, handling samples, preparing inoculum, applying chemicals, cleaning equipment and facilities, and maintaining research areas.

Qualifications

• Background in Biology, Plant Pathology, Plant Science, or a related scientific discipline preferred.
• One to two years of relevant laboratory, greenhouse, plant science, agricultural, or research experience may substitute for degree requirements.
• Required experience working in sterile conditions and following aseptic practices.
• Knowledge of plant science and experience handling plant material are essential.
• Comfortable with physical handling of plants, soil, trays, pots, carts, samples, and research materials.
• Experience preparing, maintaining, inoculating, harvesting, and storing fungal cultures is strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with contamination prevention, chemical handling, fungal-culture safety procedures, PPE, and waste disposal practices.
• Proven ability to work effectively both independently and within a small, collaborative professional team.
• Ability to carefully follow procedures, maintain accurate labeling and organization, and complete hands-on work in laboratory and greenhouse settings.
• Willingness and ability to perform routine physical tasks such as moving carts and plant materials, washing equipment, handling soil and plant material, and maintaining laboratory and greenhouse spaces.

Skills

• Hands-on plant and soil material handling
• Plant tagging, tray setup, potting, movement, breakdown, and disposal
• Greenhouse and plant research support
• Aseptic technique and sterile laboratory practices
• Media, solution, tube, and bottle preparation
• Autoclave operation and basic laboratory equipment use
• Inoculum preparation and fungal culture maintenance
• Safe handling and application of fungicides and related chemicals
• Proper use of PPE, including PAPRs
• Chemical labeling, storage, waste handling, and disposal
• Strong laboratory and greenhouse housekeeping practices
• Dependability, motivation, organization, and attention to detail

What Makes Someone Successful

The strongest candidates are highly motivated, reliable, safety-focused, and comfortable with active, hands-on work. Success in this role requires someone who enjoys working directly with plants and research materials, can follow established procedures carefully, maintains sterile conditions when required, and is willing to perform the physical tasks necessary to set up, maintain, move, and break down research studies. This role is best suited for a person who takes pride in working with plants and soil, keeping research spaces clean and organized, supporting studies from setup through breakdown, and contributing wherever hands-on help is needed.

Benefits

• Voluntary benefit plans including medical, dental, vision, telemedicine, term life, whole life, accident insurance, critical illness, and a legal plan.
• Access to a retirement savings plan.
• Service bonus and holiday pay plans (earn up to eight paid holidays per benefit year).
• Transit spending account.
• Paid sick leave under the applicable state or local plan.

Pay

Pay Rate: $22/hr

Schedule

• Monday–Friday, with a 7:00–7:30 a.m. start time due to early research activities.
• Saturday: Approximately 2 hours one Saturday per month.

Contract: One-year assignment with potential annual extensions based on performance.

Location: Laboratory and greenhouse environment.