Research Engineering/ Scientist Associate I, II, or III

The University of Texas at Austin; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 45,000 - 53,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Texas at Austin is seeking a Lab Manager in the Molecular Biosciences department in Austin, TX. The role focuses on maintaining lab operations, culture preparation, and safety oversight, with opportunities to participate in limited research tasks for long-term growth.

Ideal candidates will have a biology/chemistry background, at least 1–2 years of lab experience, strong organizational skills, and proficiency with Excel.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a scientific or technical field, preferably biology or chemistry.
• Minimum of 1–2 years laboratory work experience; undergraduate research acceptable.
• Basic computer skills including Excel spreadsheets; able to work independently.
• Excellent organizational and time-management skills with minimal supervision.

Responsibilities

• Maintain day-to-day lab operations, culture plates, glassware, and stock solutions.
• Monitor consumables stocks and place orders as needed.
• Maintain lab collections of strains, cell lines, and plasmids; manage databases.
• Serve as lab safety officer and ensure compliance with EHS regulations.
• Assist with research tasks and report progress in weekly meetings.

Skills

Excel spreadsheets

Independent work

Time management

Lab safety

Education

Bachelor’s degree in science/tech

Tools

PDMS microfabrication

Cell culture techniques

Laboratory safety procedures

Job description

Job Posting Title

Research Engineering/ Scientist Associate I, II, or III

Hiring Department

Molecular Biosciences

Position Open To

All Applicants

Weekly Scheduled Hours

40

FLSA Status

Exempt from FLSA

Earliest Start Date

Immediately

Position Duration

Expected to Continue Until Sep 07, 2027

Location

AUSTIN, TX

Job Details

Lab manager for the Dickinson laboratory. The person filling this position will be responsible for basic laboratory organization and upkeep tasks. This is not primarily a research position, but a well-qualified applicant will have the capacity to take on some assigned research tasks as time allows. An ideal applicant will be seeking a long-term position; we provide opportunities for long-term growth and career advancement within the lab manager role, and we value candidates who want to develop strong interpersonal relationships and contribute to a positive lab culture. This position is not a good fit for candidates seeking to gain short-term research experience before applying to graduate school.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for all day-to-day tasks required to maintain a smoothly running laboratory. This includes preparing C. elegans culture plates and other medium and stock solutions; washing and stocking glassware; and general cleaning and upkeep.
• Monitors stocks of lab consumables and places orders for new materials as needed or requested by other lab members.
• Maintains the lab’s collections of C. elegans strains, cell lines, and plasmids. This includes freezing and thawing stocks and maintaining databases.
• Serves as lab safety officer, ensuring compliance with EHS regulations.
• Performs research tasks as assigned to assist lab members in completing experiments.
• Attends weekly group meetings to report on the status of lab upkeep.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a scientific or technical field, preferably in biology or chemistry.
• Minimum of 1-2 years laboratory work experience. Undergraduate research experience is acceptable but full-time laboratory experience is preferred.
• Basic computer skills including comfort with building and maintaining Excel spreadsheets.
• Excellent organizational and time-management skills; ability to complete tasks independently with minimal supervision is essential.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience working with C. elegans in a laboratory setting.
• Prior experience working with mammalian tissue culture cells.
• Experience with basic soft-lithography microfabrication (PDMS).
• Programming skills, especially in Java or MATLAB.

Salary Range

• RESA I: $45,000 + depending on qualifications
• RESA II: $49,000 + depending on qualifications
• RESA III: $53,000 + depending on qualifications

Working Conditions

• Personal protection equipment (furnished)
• May work around chemical fumes
• May work around standard office conditions
• May work around biohazards
• May work around chemicals

Required Materials

• Resume/CV
• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
• Letter of interest

Employment Eligibility

Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.

Retirement Plan Eligibility

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

Background Checks

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

Pay Transparency

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

Employment Eligibility Verification

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form. You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States. Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment. Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

E-Verify

The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:

• E-Verify Poster (English and Spanish) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (English) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]

Compliance

Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.

The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.