Laboratory Technician 2 (Internal Employment Opportunity)

OSU Oregon State University; Newport (RI); On-site; USD 29,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

Oregon State University in Newport, Oregon seeks a Laboratory Technician 2 to support the Cooperative Institute of Marine Resources and Ecosystem Studies (CIMERS). This full-time, limited-duration position involves field sampling aboard a research vessel and laboratory work.

You will analyze biophysical data, develop visualization tools in R/Python, manage data in Access, and contribute to understanding links between climate variability and marine productivity.

Qualifications

• Two years of experience performing routine analytical tests and lab procedures or equivalent.
• Experience collecting biophysical data at sea is a plus.
• Knowledge of R and/or Python for data visualization.

Responsibilities

• Participates in oceanographic surveys aboard research vessels and assists with lab work.
• Processes oceanographic data and co-develops indicators.
• Uses R or Python to visualize complex oceanographic data.
• Handles water sample processing for chlorophyll extraction.
• Enters data into Microsoft Access after review.

Skills

Data analysis

Laboratory procedures

R / Python coding

Sea sampling

Education

Bachelor's degree in marine sciences

Tools

Microsoft Access

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Department

Division of Research and Innovation

Job Summary

This is an Internal Employment Opportunity. This recruitment will be used to fill one full-time, Laboratory Technician 2 position for the Cooperative Institute of Marine Resources and Ecosystem Studies (CIMERS) at Oregon State University (OSU). This position is located in Newport, Oregon. This is a limited duration appointment expected to last approximately 8 months from the appointment begin date.

Key Responsibilities

• Participates in, and help prepares for, oceanographic surveys on research vessels to sample nutrients, phytoplankton and zooplankton, and conducts experiments at sea and in the lab.
• Processes oceanographic data and co-develops physical and ecological indicators.
• Uses R or other coding language to develop and streamline data visualization of complex oceanographic data.
• Processes water samples for extracted chlorophyll.
• Enters final, reviewed data into Microsoft Access database.
• Analyzes biophysical data to understand biophysical drivers of zooplankton distribution and abundance.
• The Laboratory Technician will work with a multidisciplinary team of researchers—from Oregon State University (OSU), the Cooperative Institute of Marine Resources and Ecosystem Studies (CIMERS), and NOAA Fisheries—to understand the connectivity between climate variability and marine ecosystem productivity.
• The incumbent will be part of a team that maintains a relatively high-frequency (biweekly to monthly) 25+ year time series of physical, chemical, and biological oceanographic metrics collected along the continental shelf and slope (2 – 46 km from shore) off Newport, OR.
• The incumbent will be expected to spend up to 40 days at sea over multiple research surveys 1 – 14 days in length.
• This position contributes to our understanding of the linkages between biogeochemical cycling, phytoplankton, and zooplankton production and diversity.
• Much of the effort of this position will be sampling at sea and working with zooplankton data to understand how changing ocean conditions affect zooplankton distribution and abundance for fisheries.
• The Laboratory Technician will also help us develop data visualization tools to synthesize multiple data streams at once to understand complex biophysical patterns across trophic levels.
• These efforts contribute to understanding how ocean ecosystem indicators are related to salmon survival and other higher trophic levels.

Required Qualifications

• Two years of experience performing routine, standardized analytical tests and laboratory procedures in accordance with well-defined written instructions and high school courses in chemistry, biology, mathematics, or any course which included laboratory work; OR An equivalent combination of training and experience.

Additional Qualifications

• One year of experience collecting biophysical data at sea or a Bachelor’s degree in marine biology and/or oceanography.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Oceanography or Marine Biology, at sea field experience aboard oceanographic vessels, coding skills in R and/or Python.

Working Conditions

The position involves collecting samples aboard a research vessel which can occur in adverse conditions, during off hours and/or for up to 20 days at sea per trip and up to two trips per year. Salary Range: $20.98 - $31.63. Anticipated Start Date: 2026-10-12. Anticipated End Date: 2027-06-30. When applying, please keep in mind this posting will close at 11:59 pm the night before the posted "end date". Applications MUST be submitted prior to this deadline. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability, protected veteran, and other protected status. OSU will conduct a review of the National Sex Offender Public website prior to hire. OSU is a fair chance employer committed to inclusive hiring. We encourage applications from candidates who bring a wide range of lived experience including involvement with the justice system.

Background Check

If this position has “critical or security-sensitive” responsibilities and/or driving duties and you are selected as a finalist, your initial job offer will be contingent upon the results of a job-related pre-employment check (such as a background check, motor vehicle history check, sexual misconduct reference check, etc.). Background check results do not automatically disqualify a candidate. Take a look at our Background Checks website including the for candidates section for more details. If you have questions or concerns about the pre-employment check, please contact OSU’s Employee and Labor Relations team at [e-mail].

Accommodations

You are not required to note the presence of a disability on your application to receive an accommodation. Please request any reasonable accommodations as early as possible in the application and search process. Requests may be directed to the hiring unit, or to the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access at [phone].

Compliance & Equal Opportunity

OSU’s Title IX Coordinator is the Executive Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access (EOA). For information on OSU’s nondiscrimination policy and procedures, including how to report information about conduct that may constitute discrimination or make a complaint of sex discrimination under Title IX, contact EOA by phone: [phone], email: [e-mail], mail/location: 330 Snell Hall, Corvallis OR 97331, or visit EOA’s website: eoa.oregonstate.edu. Know Your Rights Oregon Family Leave Act: Department of Labor Family and Medical Leave Act.

About OSU

Oregon State University is a dynamic community of dreamers, doers, problem-solvers and change-makers. We don’t wait for challenges to present themselves — we seek them out and take them on. We welcome students, faculty and staff from every background and perspective into a community where everyone feels seen and heard. We have deep-rooted mindfulness for the natural world and all who depend on it, and together, we apply knowledge, tools and skills to build a better future for all.

FACTS:
Top 1.4% university in the world
More research funding than all public universities in Oregon combined
1 of 3 land, sea, space and sun grant universities in the U.S.
2 campuses, 11 colleges, 12 experiment stations, and Extension programs in all 36 counties
7 cultural resource centers that offer education, celebration and belonging for everyone
100+ undergraduate degree programs, 80+ graduate degrees plus hundreds of minor options and certificates
35k+ students including more than 2.3k international students and 10k students of color
217k+ alumni worldwide

For more interesting facts about OSU visit: https://oregonstate.edu/about

Locations

Oregon State has a statewide presence with campuses in Corvallis and Bend, the OSU Portland Center and the Hatfield Marine Science Center on the Pacific Coast in Newport. Oregon State’s beautiful, historic and state-of-the-art main campus is located in one of America’s best college towns. Corvallis is located close to the Pacific Ocean, the Cascade mountains and Oregon wine country. Nestled in the heart of the Willamette Valley, this beautiful city offers miles of mountain biking and hiking trails, a river perfect for boating or kayaking and an eclectic downtown featuring local cuisine, popular events and performances.

Total Rewards Package

Oregon State University offers a comprehensive benefits package with benefits eligible positions that is designed to meet the needs of employees and their families including: Medical, Dental, Vision and Basic Life. OSU pays 95% of premiums for you and your eligible dependents. Free confidential mental health and emotional support services, and counseling resources. Retirement savings paid by the university. A generous paid leave package, including holidays, vacation and sick leave. Tuition reduction benefits for you or your qualifying dependents at OSU or the additional six Oregon Public Universities. Robust Work Life programs including Dual Career assistance resources, flexible work arrangements, a Family Resource Center, Affinity Groups and an Employee Assistance Program. Optional lifestyle benefits such as pet, accident, and critical care insurance, giving you peace of mind and the support you need to thrive in all aspects of your life. Future and current OSU employees can use the Benefits Calculator to learn more about the full value of the benefits provided at OSU.

Harassment and Discrimination

At Oregon State University, no qualified person shall, solely by reason of disability, be denied access to, participation in, or the benefits of, any program or activity operated by the University. If requested, OSU will provide reasonable accommodation to applicants in order to provide access to the application, interviewing and selection process. You are not required to note the presence of a disability on your application to receive an accommodation. Please request any reasonable accommodations for disability as early as possible in the application and search process. Requests may be directed to the hiring unit, or to the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access at [phone]. See Request an Accommodation Procedures for the OSU policy. Oregon State University, in compliance with state and federal laws and regulations, including Title IX and its regulations, does not unlawfully discriminate and prohibits discrimination in any education program or activity that it operates, including in academic admissions and employment. The university prohibits unlawful discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin (including ancestry and ethnicity), citizenship, marital or family status, pregnancy or related conditions, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status / service in the uniformed service, or any other status protected by law or OSU policy. Inquiries about Title IX may be referred to OSU’s Title IX Coordinator, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (link to https://ocrcas.ed.gov/contact-ocr), or both. OSU’s Title IX Coordinator is the Executive Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access (EOA). For information on OSU’s nondiscrimination policy and procedures, including how to report information about conduct that may constitute discrimination or make a complaint of sex discrimination under Title IX, contact EOA by phone: [phone], email: [e-mail], mail/location: 330 Snell Hall, Corvallis OR 97331, or visit EOA’s website: eoa.oregonstate.edu. Know Your Rights Oregon Family Leave Act: Department of Labor Family and Medical Leave Act: