Lab & Greenhouse Technician

Kelly Services; Indianapolis (IN); On-site; USD 29,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

Kelly Services is seeking a Lab & Greenhouse Technician Contractor in Indianapolis for hands-on plant and soil material handling, setup and breakdown of studies, and daily lab/greenhouse operations. The role involves moving plant materials, preparing inoculum, applying chemicals, and maintaining clean facilities.

The position emphasizes active work in lab and greenhouse environments, with required aseptic practices, safety training, and physical tasks throughout the day.

Qualifications

• Background in Biology, Plant Pathology, Plant Science, or related discipline preferred.
• 1–2 years in lab, greenhouse, plant science, agricultural, or research experience may substitute degree requirements.
• Aseptic technique in sterile conditions is required.
• Knowledge of plant science and handling plant material is essential.

Responsibilities

• Handle and move plant/soil materials, organize and dispose of samples.
• Set up plant studies by placing plants into trays/pots and tagging.
• Move plant materials on carts and assist with breakdown and disposal.
• Work directly with plants in greenhouse environments, moving trays and cutting flats into pots.
• Prepare media, solutions, tubes, and bottles per procedures.
• Inoculate and harvest stock; prepare inoculum for plant studies.
• Maintain sterile conditions and handle fungal cultures.
• Clean and sterilize glassware and equipment using an autoclave.
• Safely handle fungicides and other chemicals per protocols.

Skills

Hands-on plant & soil handling

Plant tagging & setup

Greenhouse support

Aseptic technique

Media preparation

Inoculum & fungal culture

PPE & PAPRs

Autoclave operation

Chemical handling & disposal

Lab & greenhouse housekeeping

Independent & collaborative work

Education

Biology/Plant Science background

Tools

Autoclave

Job description

Lab & Greenhouse Technician Contractor

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.

Pay & Schedule

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

Location : Laboratory and greenhouse environment

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

The Role:

As a Lab & Greenhouse Research Technician Contractor, you’ll support daily research operations involving hands‑on plant and soil material handling, plant study setup and breakdown, media preparation, inoculum preparation, chemical applications, and facility upkeep. Responsibilities rotate to provide variety and continued hands‑on engagement.

Plant & Soil Material Handling:

Handle, move, organize, tag, weigh, bag, and dispose of plant and soil materials used in research studies. This position involves substantial physical handling of samples and plant material rather than primarily performing bench‑based testing or analytical work.

Plant Study Setup:

Prepare research studies by placing plants into trays and pots, tagging plants, arranging materials, and assisting with research applications.

Plant Mobility & Breakdown:

Mark plants for mobility studies and breakdowns, move plant materials onto carts, and support downstream handling and disposal activities.

Greenhouse Work:

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.

Media Preparation:

Prepare research media, specified solutions, tubes, and bottles according to established procedures.

Inoculum & Culture Work:

Assist with inoculating and harvesting stock, prepare inoculum for plant studies, and support large‑pot and leaf‑disc projects.

Fungal Culture Handling:

Prepare, maintain, harvest, and store fungal cultures under sterile conditions while following contamination‑control procedures.

Glassware & Equipment:

Clean and rinse glassware and laboratory equipment and sterilize materials using an autoclave.

Chemical Handling:

Safely handle and apply fungicides and other research‑related chemicals in accordance with established protocols.

PPE & Safety Compliance:

Properly wear and use required Personal Protective Equipment, including Powered Air‑Purifying Respirators (PAPRs), for chemical and other hazardous tasks.

Chemical Storage & Disposal:

Maintain proper chemical labeling, storage, and disposal practices in accordance with safety guidelines and regulatory requirements.

Housekeeping & Physical Work:

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.

Waste Management:

Empty and replace hazardous and non‑hazardous waste containers appropriately.

Facility Maintenance:

Scrub Growth and Dew Rooms and stock laboratories and greenhouses with necessary supplies.

This position should not be viewed as a traditional laboratory technician role centered on sitting at a bench and performing tests or analytical measurements. The majority of the work 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.

The successful candidate should be comfortable being physically active throughout the workday and working directly with plants, soil, trays, pots, carts, and other research materials.

Qualifications

• Education: Background in Biology, Plant Pathology, Plant Science, or a related scientific discipline preferred.
• Experience: One to two years of relevant laboratory, greenhouse, plant science, agricultural, or research experience may substitute for degree requirements.
• Aseptic Technique: Required experience working in sterile conditions and following aseptic practices.
• Plant Science: Knowledge of plant science and experience handling plant material are essential.
• Hands‑On Experience: Comfortable with physical handling of plants, soil, trays, pots, carts, samples, and research materials.
• Fungal Culture Experience: Experience preparing, maintaining, inoculating, harvesting, and storing fungal cultures is strongly preferred.
• Safety Knowledge: Familiarity with contamination prevention, chemical handling, fungal‑culture safety procedures, PPE, and waste disposal practices.
• Work Style: Proven ability to work effectively both independently and within a small, collaborative professional team.
• Attention to Detail: Ability to carefully follow procedures, maintain accurate labeling and organization, and complete hands‑on work in laboratory and greenhouse settings.
• Physical Work: 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.

Core 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.

As part of our promise to talent, Kelly supports those who work with us through a variety of benefits, perks, and work‑related resources. Please note: The following benefits reflect Kelly's general offerings. Eligibility may vary by assignment, location, and job type. Kelly offers eligible employees voluntary benefit plans including medical, dental, vision, telemedicine, term life, whole life, accident insurance, critical illness, a legal plan, and short‑term disability. As a Kelly employee, you will have access to a retirement savings plan, service bonus and holiday pay plans (earn up to eight paid holidays per benefit year), and a transit spending account. In addition, employees are entitled to earn paid sick leave under the applicable state or local plan. Click here (https://www.mykelly.com/help-support-working-with-kelly-us/#Benefits) for more information on benefits and perks that may be available to you as a member of the Kelly Talent Community.

Why Kelly ® Science & Clinical?

Kelly Science & Clinical is your connection to premier scientific and clinical companies looking to hire industry experts just like you. Our team creates expert talent solutions to solve the world’s most critical challenges. Every day, we match science professionals with dream jobs that fit their skills, interests, and career goals—it’s the way we think job searching should be. Nearly 100 percent of our science recruiters have a professional background and education in science, so we know a thing or two about the science market and how to get your expertise noticed.

About Kelly

Work changes everything. And at Kelly, we’re obsessed with where it can take you. To us, it’s about more than simply accepting your next job opportunity. It’s the fuel that powers every next step of your life. It’s the ripple effect that changes and improves everything for your family, your community, and the world. Which is why, here at Kelly, we are dedicated to providing you with limitless opportunities to enrich your life—just ask the 300,000 people we employ each year.

Kelly is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified employees and applicants regardless of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and we take affirmative action to recruit, employ, and advance qualified individuals with disabilities and protected veterans in the workforce. Requests for accommodation related to our application process can be directed to the Kelly Human Resource Knowledge Center. Kelly complies with the requirements of California’s state and local Fair Chance laws. A conviction does not automatically bar individuals from employment. Kelly participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S.

Kelly may use AI-powered tools during the recruitment and hiring process. For full details, including how Kelly uses AI, your rights, and how to request a reasonable accommodation, visit the Recruitment Artificial Intelligence Notice (https://www.kellyservices.com/hubfs/myKelly/Resources/Employment_Policies/Recruitment-Artificial-Intelligence-Notice.pdf?hsLang=en) .

Kelly Services is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affluent Action employer. We welcome, value, and embrace diversity at all levels and are committed to building a team that is inclusive of a variety of backgrounds, communities, perspectives, and abilities. At Kelly, we believe that the more inclusive we are, the better services we can provide. Requests for accommodation related to our application process can be directed to Kelly’s Human Resource Knowledge Center. Kelly complies with the requirements of California’s state and local Fair Chance laws. A conviction does not automatically bar individuals from employment.