Researcher – Plant Physiology

About the Job

Researcher 2 – Plant Physiology

St. Paul Campus, In-Person Position

College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS)

Reporting To:
Dr. Walid Sadok

Please note, this position is not eligible for H-1B or Green Card sponsorship. This position does not offer a STEM OPT training program.

A Research 2 position is available to support research that studies the physiology of crop plants in response to the environment to improve yield. Research will be conducted on a range of species including corn, soybean, wheat and other new crops for the region. Research will be conducted in controlled environment and field settings.

This is a full time appointment for 1 year.

Work Days:
Monday – Friday, with some weekends. Total Hours or % Appointment = 100% (40 hours/week). Position is one year with the possibility of following years of employment if performance is satisfactory and funding is available.

Work schedule is expected to be 9 am – 5 pm, with one hour lunch break, unless changes are necessary due to experimental needs of the project. Thus, occasional work may be necessary during early mornings and/or late evenings.

The incumbent must have excellent organizational and oral/written communication skills and must be proficient with Microsoft Office tools. This position requires the ability to work independently, multi-task, and creative problem‑solving is critical. The successful candidate is a key member of the team, s/he is expected to make intellectual and technical contributions to the group. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills are necessary for this position.

• Attend lab meetings and anticipate workflow. Communicate effectively progress and findings in a timely fashion.
• Help design experimental protocols and execute research experiments.
• Conduct background literature search on relevant topics, including methods and protocols.
• Prepare soils and other media, grow and maintain plants in greenhouse and growth chamber as needed (watering, fertilization, plant protection).
• Monitor and keep track of environmental conditions during growth and measurements.
• Perform measurements including plant gas exchange, water use, phenology, development, sampling of tissue, microscopy, image analysis and biochemical assays.
• Help monitor and train undergraduate student workers and other team members if needed.

• Manage and maintain equipment. Improve process efficiencies, trouble‑shoot equipment and sensors in collaboration with manufacturers and suppliers.
• Order supplies, maintain inventories and equipment, ensure compliance with safety, and regulatory reporting requirements.
• Keep detailed records of all experiments in laboratory notebooks, databases, spreadsheets and web‑based applications.

• Conduct routine data analysis to quantify crop response to its environment and test differences among species and varieties.
• Present data during lab meetings and other professional settings.

Pay Range: $29.60 - $30.80 per hour, depending on education/qualifications/experience

Time Appointment: 100% Appointment

Position Type:
Civil‑Service & Non‑Faculty Labor Represented Staff