Research Assistant

Texas A&M AgriLife Research; Overton (TX); On-site; USD 32,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance

12–15 days of annual paid holidays

Paid sick leave and vacation

Automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System

Job summary

A leading agricultural research organization in Overton, Texas, is looking for a Research Assistant to manage the beef productive physiology laboratory. The successful candidate will conduct assays, supervise students, and assist in animal husbandry. Requires a B.S. in a relevant field, effective communication skills, and a willingness to embrace training. A comprehensive benefit package, including health insurance and paid time off, is offered.

Qualifications

• Understanding and experience with livestock handling estrous synchronization protocols or willingness to be trained.
• Experience and training in the use of radioisotopes or willingness to be trained.
• Experience in molecular biology and/or cell culture is desirable.
• Experience with radioisotopes or willingness to be trained.
• Molecular biology and/or cell culture experience desired, RIAs familiarity a plus.
• Strong interpersonal relations and ability to work with diverse team.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and conduct endocrine assays and tissue culture.
• Maintenance of inventory and purchasing of supplies.
• Prepare chemical solutions and train students in laboratory procedures.
• Supervise and train graduate/undergraduate students in lab procedures.
• Assist in blood/tissue collection and related animal husbandry activities.
• Collaborate with principal investigators, students, and staff.

Skills

Effective communication

Interpersonal relations

Ability to multitask

Laboratory skills

Education

B.S. in a relevant field

Master of Science degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

About Texas A&M AgriLife

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 and 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.

Click here to learn more about how you can be a part of AgriLife and make a difference in the world!

Job Title

Research Assistant

Agency

Texas A&M Agrilife Research

Department

Overton

Proposed Minimum Salary

Commensurate

Job Location

Overton, Texas

Job Type

Staff

Position Information

We are seeking a Research Assistant in the AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Overton responsible for managing the beef productive physiology laboratory and performing quantitative analysis of blood sera for hormones using radioimmunoassay procedures.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and conduct endocrine assays, tissue culture, extraction of DNA and RNA, and protein gel electrophoresis.
• Maintenance of inventory and purchasing of supplies and equipment.
• Prepare chemical solutions.
• Train and supervise graduate and undergraduate students in safe laboratory procedures.
• Assist in blood and tissue collection, animal surgery, and experiment‑related animal husbandry procedures.
• Responsible for working with a variety of scientists, including principal investigators, graduate students, and technical support staff.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• B.S. in a relevant field. An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.
• Must be able to communicate effectively (verbal and written) and use computer applications (including Microsoft Office).
• Understanding and experience with livestock handling estrous synchronization protocols or willingness to be trained is required.
• Experience and training in the use of radioisotopes or willingness to be trained is required.
• Experience in molecular biology and/or cell culture is desirable, as is experience performing RIAs.
• Must possess effective interpersonal relations skills.
• Ability to establish effective working relationships.
• Ability to multitask and work cooperatively with others.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master of Science degree.
• One year of related experience.
• Experience in molecular biology techniques such as RNA/DNA isolation, small RNA sequencing, and real‑time RT‑PCR is desired.

What You Need To Know

Salary: Compensation for this position is commensurate based on the selected candidate’s qualifications.

Why Work at Texas A&M AgriLife?

When you choose to work for Texas A&M AgriLife, you become part of an organization that is an established leader in agriculture and life sciences with a wide range of capabilities to meet the needs of our statewide, national, and international constituents.

In addition, Texas A&M AgriLife offers a comprehensive benefit package including the following:

• 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.

Applicant Instructions

Applications received by Texas A&M AgriLife must either have all job application data entered or a resume attached. Failure to provide all job application data or a complete resume could result in an invalid submission and a rejected application. We encourage all applicants to upload a resume or use a LinkedIn profile to prepopulate the online application.

All positions are security‑sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.

Equal Opportunity/Veterans/Disability Employer.