Research Technician; Soil and Water Conservation

0801860

Research Technician (Soil and Water Conservation)

Agriculture Research Development Program (ARDP)

srahman

The Agriculture and Natural Resources Information and Management (ANRIM ) lab in the College of Engineering, Science, Technology and Agriculture ( CESTA ) at Central State University is seeking a Research Technician to support field and laboratory operations for research projects related to soil and water conservation in agricultural and natural systems.

The selected candidate will be responsible for day-to-day field and laboratory work, including sample collection, sample processing, and equipment upkeep, and will be expected to multitask across several ongoing projects  candidate will provide hands‑on assistance to Research Associates, Postdoctoral Research Associates, and other lab personnel, helping to keep field and laboratory work on schedule. The successful candidate should be organized, detail-oriented, and comfortable prioritizing multiple tasks and requests in a fast‑paced research environment.

The candidate must be willing to learn field and laboratory protocols, instrumentation, and data collection methods relevant to the research program.

The position involves travel to selected field/study sites for data collection and sample retrieval.

• Travel to field sites to collect soil, water, and plant samples using standard and project‑specific protocols
• Set up, calibrate, and maintain field instrumentation and monitoring equipment (e.g., soil moisture sensors, water samplers, flow meters)
• Record field data accurately, including GPS coordinates, site conditions, and sample metadata
• Assist with the establishment and upkeep of field plots and research sites
• Transport, label, and log samples for return to the lab, maintaining chain‑of‑custody
• Follow safety protocols for fieldwork under varying weather and site conditions

• Process, prepare, and analyze soil, water, and plant samples following established laboratory protocols
• Multitask across multiple concurrent projects, balancing competing sample‑processing and analysis deadlines
• Perform routine calibration, cleaning, and preventive maintenance of laboratory equipment and instrumentation
• Track and maintain lab supplies, reagents, and consumables, and place restocking requests as needed
• Enter, organize, and quality‑check data generated from field and laboratory work
• Maintain accurate laboratory notebooks, sample inventories, and chain‑of‑custody records
• Help enforce lab safety procedures and maintain a clean, organized, and compliant workspace

• Provide hands‑on field and lab assistance to Research Associates, Postdoctoral Research Associates, and other research staff as project needs arise
• Coordinate scheduling of shared field and lab tasks across multiple researchers and projects
• Assist with basic data entry, organization, and summary tasks to support reports and manuscripts
• Support onboarding of new lab members on standard field and lab procedures
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the supervisor

• Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Environmental Science, or another related field (e.g., Soil Science, Natural Resources, Agricultural Engineering, Biology, Chemistry or a closely related discipline). Candidates with an associate degree in related fields will be considered if they have at least 2 years of experience following their associate degree in field or lab‑based responsibilities identified in the job description.
• Willingness and ability to perform physically demanding fieldwork in varying outdoor conditions
• Demonstrated…