Research Technician

Job Description

The Moss Lab at Virginia Tech is seeking a 1500-hr wage research technician to assist with day-to-day laboratory operations, preliminary experiments, and field excursions. In addition to overseeing animal husbandry (culturing fruit flies and maintaining amphibians in temperature-controlled incubators), the selected candidate will contribute to multiple projects in the early stages of development, most revolving around thermal ecology. Tasks are varied and include reviewing behavioral videos, running metabolic experiments, and accompanying lab members to the field to assist with coverboard and enclosure surveys. The selected candidate will also analyze a digitized acoustic dataset as part of a larger publication in preparation. The position is restricted to 12 months and is ideal for someone who seeks additional training and exposure to a range of laboratory and field techniques before moving on to graduate school or an industry position. A Bachelor's degree and some technical experience in a laboratory setting outside of coursework is required. Additional required and preferred qualifications listed below.

The Moss Lab is committed to promoting diversity at Virginia Tech and to fostering an inclusive and welcoming community.

Required Qualifications

• Prior technical experience working in a biology laboratory, outside of coursework

• Hands-on experience culturing and breeding Drosophila fruit flies

• Knowledge of proper laboratory procedures, including procedures involving vertebrate animals

• Excellent organization and record-keeping skills (including proficiency in Microsoft Excel)

• Comfortable working in both field and laboratory settings

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Biology or related discipline

• Valid Driver's License and experience operating a pick-up truck

• Experience working in both local and remote fieldwork settings

• Demonstrated interest in ecology and evolutionary biology, including some familiarity with scientific literature

• Experience using the software, Audacity

Pay Band

2

Appointment Type

Regular

Salary Information

$17 - $20, commensurate with experience

Review Date

June 24, 2024

Additional Information

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

About Virginia Tech

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including the Innovation Campus in Northern Virginia; the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke; sites in Newport News and Richmond; and numerous Extension offices and research centers. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $500 million in research annually.

Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or military status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law.

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Dreama Price at dreama@vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.