Technician I

About the role

Texas A&M AgriLife is comprised of the following Texas A&M University System members: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University, Texas A&M Forest Service, Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory. As the nation’s largest most comprehensive agriculture program, Texas A&M AgriLife brings together a college and four state agencies focused on agriculture and life sciences within The Texas A&M University System. With over 5,000 employees and a presence in every county across the state, Texas A&M AgriLife is uniquely positioned to improve lives, environments and the Texas economy through education, research, extension and service.

The Grunwald lab is seeking an ambitious and highly motivated technician to support the research and outreach activities of the laboratory. A successful candidate will work in a collaborative environment to provide technical support for molecular plant pathology research conducted on plant pathogens of emerging biosafety concern: from developing molecular detection technologies to evaluating the biological risk of seedborne pathogens and including conducting grower/producer surveys to assess the preparedness of agricultural systems to biological threats.

Responsibilities

• Conducts experiments and technical procedures.
• Solves research problems and collects data.
• Reviews literature on potential procedures and experiments.
• Modifies procedures to suit specific research needs.
• Orders scientific supplies and equipment.
• Research and catalogs reference materials requiring subject‑matter theory.
• Assists with planning and supervising technical operations.
• Assists personnel involved in a series of controlled‑environment or analytical experiments.
• Writes and/or edits scientific materials for publication, requiring academic knowledge.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Two years of lab experience in molecular biology techniques, including molecular cloning, DNA purification, RNA purification, DNA sequencing, and gel electrophoresis.

Skills

• Knowledge of laboratory equipment, scientific apparatus, and computer equipment.
• Ensure attention to detail.
• Able to multitask and work cooperatively with others.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Qualifications

• Experience working with different PCR techniques (conventional and quantitative).
• Familiarity in “next‑generation” sequencing workflows, including bioinformatic analysis.
• An understanding of current research in plant pathology and molecular diagnostics.
• Well organized, self‑motivated, and have excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Proficient in or familiar with data analysis using computational platforms, e.g., R or Python.

Benefits

• Health, dental, vision, life and long‑term disability insurance with Texas A&M AgriLife contributing to employee health and basic life premiums.
• 12‑15 days of annual paid holidays.
• Up to eight hours of paid sick leave and at least eight hours of paid vacation each month.
• Automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.
• Employee Wellness Initiative for Texas A&M AgriLife.

Location: College Station, Texas | Type: Staff