Small Fruits Field & Lab Aide

About the role

This position is located at the Hampton Roads Agriculture Research and Extension Center. The position assists faculty, staff, and graduate students with the maintenance of agricultural research plots and laboratory analysis. The position specifically focuses on working with strawberry and blackberry production.

Responsibilities

• Setting up research trials including marking research plots, bed making, fertilizer application, transplanting (10% of the time)
• Plot maintenance such as mowing, pruning, helping with setting row covers (20%)
• Harvesting berries in the field (40%)
• Data collection in the field and lab, which includes taking plant health ratings, plant canopy readings, measuring fruit sugar content, fruit size and fruit firmness (20%)
• Data entry in MS Excel (10%)

Requirements

• Basic computer skills
• Interest in plant sciences and ability to work outside in the field, regardless of the weather

Qualifications

• Prior field, lab and/or greenhouse experience is preferred

Skills

• None specified

Benefits

• Virginia Tech is unable to sponsor applicants for work visas for this vacancy.

Pay

• Pay Band 1

Schedule

• Overtime Status: Non-Exempt: Eligible for overtime
• Appointment Type: Restricted
• Salary Information: $16 per hour
• Hours per week: Approximately 29 hours per week/1500 hours per year

Review Date

• Review date begins September 13, 2026; open until filled

Additional Information

• The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.