Zooarchaeology Research Assistant

University of British Columbia; Vancouver; On-site; CAD 37,000 - 39,000; Part time

Job summary

University of British Columbia in Vancouver seeks a Zooarchaeology Research Assistant to assist with inventory and care of the zooarchaeology collection in the Laboratory of Archaeology. You will help coordinate sessions, maintain supplies, and record data under supervision.

The role requires attention to detail, the ability to follow SOPs, and a commitment to ethical handling of materials. Prior experience with lab environments is preferred.

Qualifications

• High school graduation and a minimum one year of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own
• Demonstrates a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Responsibilities

• Perform inventory and care duties for the zooarchaeology collection housed in the Laboratory of Archaeology.
• Coordinate session meetings and maintain supplies.
• Assist with submitting and recording inventory data following SOPs and lab protocols.
• Adhere to guidelines concerning the integrity and respectful treatment of results and participants.

Skills

Detail-oriented

Interpersonal skills

Multitasking

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Education

High school diploma

Bachelor's degree in Anthropology

Tools

MS Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Presentation software

Job description

Staff - Union

Job Category

CUPE 116

Job Profile

CUPE 116 Hourly - Research Assistant /Technician 1

Job Title

Zooarchaeology Research Assistant

Department

Research | Alaica | Department of Anthropology

Compensation Range

$27.07 - $28.40 CAD Hourly

Posting End Date

September 29, 2026

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date

April 30, 2027

There are 3 vacancies for this position.

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Job Summary
With direction from the supervisor, Dr. Aleksa Alaica, will perform inventory and care duties for the zooarchaeology collection housed in the Laboratory of Archaeology. Assists with coordinating session meetings, maintaining supplies, performing anatomical assessments, record data, and care for the storage of data.

Organizational Status

Works under the direction of the Principal Investigator of the Multispecies Archaeology Research Group (MARG). Interacts with student researchers and other members of the research team.

Work Performed

• Assists in organizing, preparing and undertaking collection assessments, which includes photocopying and preparing forms.

• Contacting and scheduling appointments with research group members, volunteers, honours students, and visiting researchers.

• Running participants through standards of operation (SOPs); recording inventory data. All components follow set lab protocols.

• Adheres to guidelines concerning the integrity and respectful treatment of results and participants.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
Errors in the laboratory would result in the loss or contamination of samples, the vast majority of which have been collected from archaeological sites and are of high cultural value and irreplaceable. Errors can result in safety hazards, as well as result in loss of time and will create delays in the busy operations of the facility. MARG as part of the Department of Anthropology the MARG Research Assistant is responsible for ensuring that these collections are analyzed according to MARG. Errors could have financial, legal, ethical, and other consequences for MARG, LOA and UBC and could damage relationships with the provincial government, descendent communities, the academic community, and the general public.

Supervision Received

The lab director provides direct supervision. Written and/or verbal protocols for all procedures will be provided.

Supervision Given
None.

Minimum Qualifications
High school graduation and a minimum one year of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own

• Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline, preferably in Anthropology.

• Experience as a coordinator position within research working in social sciences research.

• Knowledge of MS-Word, Excel, Powerpoint, & Presentation software.

• Able to grasp things quickly & able to learn with minimal instruction.

• Able to multitask; comfortable working in a research environment that involves many projects.

• Very detail-oriented & accurate; able to stay on top of many details simultaneously.

• Calm, patient, flexible - able to work quickly to meet sudden deadlines.

• Very strong interpersonal skills.

• Computer and data analysis skills (Word processing, EXCEL, Reference Manager or RefWorks, R Studio).

• Effective interpersonal and organizational skills.