Junior Specialist​/Grettenberger Lab

Position overview

Salary range:
A reasonable estimate for this position is $55,00

Application Window

Open date: February 2, 2026

Next review date: Monday, Feb 23, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time). Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.

Final date: Monday, Mar 9, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time). Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

Junior Specialist Position Description in the Grettenberger Lab
Department of Entomology and Nematology, UC Davis

NATURE AND PURPOSE
The position of Specialist has a narrow focus in a specialized area and provides technical or specialized expertise (e.g., with instrumentation and research equipment or with social science research methods) in the planning and execution of a research project. The Specialist stays apprised of emerging issues and problems and maintains technical competence in the designated area(s) of specialization. Within this defined area and when appropriate, the Specialist is expected to provide mentorship, facilitate teamwork and develop collaborative relationships with colleagues and to supply input into the planning of research and educational programs.

Normally, Specialists do not have Principal Investigator (PI) status but may obtain permission by exception and/or collaborate with a PI in preparing research proposals for extramural funding. The Specialist is evaluated for merit and promotion using three basic criteria outlined below.

Overview
We aim to hire a Junior Specialist, Step 1 to conduct research in arthropod integrated pest management and insect ecology. The Junior Specialist will contribute to a number of projects related to pest management in field and vegetable crops. This includes, but is not limited to, studies in cole crops, lettuce, rice, and cotton. Projects will be examining insecticide resistance levels and alternative management strategies for diamondback moth, efficacy of registered and experimental insecticides in cotton, biological control in lettuce for thrips and aphid management, and management of rice seed midge in rice.

The Junior Specialist will assist with studies examining pest management strategies for other pests addressed by the lab's research and extension program as appropriate. Primary duties will involve executing lab experiments, maintaining colonies of insects, setting up and deploying field trials, sampling and identifying insects, managing data, and summarizing and presenting results. The incumbent must be motivated, detail-oriented, and organized and able to conduct work independently in a professional environment, including working with scientific collaborators and industry cooperators.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES AND DESIGNATED AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Research (90%)
The incumbent of this position will be actively and significantly involved in publishable research activities through the following roles and duties:

• Assist with field sampling of diamondback moth populations for insecticide resistance studies and parasitoid surveys. Assist with deployment of mating disruption trials for diamondback moth and collection of field samples.
• Assist with greenhouse maintenance of diamondback moth populations and conducting lab assays to quantify insecticide resistance.
• Participate in laying out research plots for lettuce IPM field trials and sampling insects from these plots.
• Assist with field trials examining insecticide efficacy in cotton, which will include sprayer setup and calibration, assisting with applications, sampling arthropods from the plots, and processing insect populations.
• Assist the PI and other lab members with greenhouse studies.
• Help organize and maintain protocols, field records, and data.
• Assist the PI or other lab members in manuscript preparation, including but not limited to: reading academic literature, writing manuscript sections, and revising manuscripts based on conducted work.

Professional Competence (5%)
Present research at weekly lab meetings, extension meetings, regional entomology meetings, or national entomology meetings. Participate…