Research Technician

Research Technician

Join the Cotton Genetics and Breeding Lab and contribute to research that advances cotton genetics, genomics, and plant breeding. As a Research Technician, you will provide essential technical and operational support across field, greenhouse, growth chamber, laboratory, and seed-processing environments. Working alongside faculty, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and collaborators, you will help ensure research activities are conducted safely, accurately, and efficiently while supporting the development and evaluation of improved cotton breeding materials.

• Research Operations & Technical Support
• Support cotton genetics and breeding research by preparing field plots, greenhouse materials, and controlled-environment facilities for planting, phenotyping, harvesting, and research trials.
• Perform mechanical and manual planting, harvesting, ginning, acid-delinting, seed processing, and sample preparation while advancing and maintaining breeding populations through controlled crosses and self-pollination activities.
• Collect, measure, and record phenotypic and experimental data from field, greenhouse, growth chamber, and laboratory studies to support ongoing research projects.
• Data Management & Research Compliance
• Maintain accurate electronic records for phenotypic data, seed inventories, experimental documentation, and research activities using tools such as Excel and Google Sheets.
• Prepare and maintain documentation related to chemical storage, sample tracking, laboratory safety, and equipment use while ensuring compliance with institutional research and Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) requirements.
• Equipment, Facilities & Resource Management
• Operate, maintain, and perform basic troubleshooting of field equipment, laboratory instruments, ginning and acid-delinting machinery, irrigation tools, and state vehicles.
• Manage research resources by organizing seed stocks, supplies, greenhouse and field materials, and laboratory inventories to support efficient research operations.
• Collaboration & Field Operations
• Travel to research stations and off-campus facilities to assist with experimental setup, plot layout, planting, crop maintenance, data collection, and harvest activities.
• Coordinate daily research activities with cooperating scientists, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, research station staff, collaborators, and visiting scientists to support timely project completion and effective program operations.

• Conduct ginning and acid-delinting of seed cotton; catalog, store, and prepare seed samples for field, greenhouse, and growth chamber planting.
• Travel to research stations and off-campus facilities to support field and nursery operations, including experimental design, plot layout, field marking, and planting.
• Perform mechanical and manual planting, harvesting, and seed processing of cotton in field plots, greenhouses, and controlled environments.
• Coordinate planting, breeding, harvesting, and seed processing activities with students, postdoctoral researchers, collaborators, and research station personnel.
• Prepare and maintain field plots and greenhouse materials, including envelopes, stakes, pots, growth media, reagents, and chemical solutions required for experiments.
• Conduct cotton breeding activities, including making crosses, selfing flowers, phenotyping plants and plots, and preparing samples for analysis.
• Collect, observe, measure, and record phenotypic and experimental data from field, greenhouse, growth chamber, and laboratory settings.
• Develop, maintain, catalog, and share digital records (e.g., Excel or Google Sheets) for phenotypic data, seed inventories, supplies, and equipment.
• Operate, maintain, and perform basic troubleshooting of field equipment, ginning and acid-delinting machinery, laboratory tools, and state vehicles.
• Prepare and maintain documentation related to chemical storage, sample tracking, laboratory safety, and equipment use.
• Ensure compliance with environmental health and safety regulations and institutional research compliance guidelines across all facilities.
• Manage program resources, including seed stocks, supplies, tools, equipment, greenhouse and field materials, and vehicles, following established protocols.
• Assist and work collaboratively with students, postdocs, visiting scientists, collaborators, and stakeholders to support research activities and compliance at work sites.

Minimum Experience/Education
- Demonstrated possession of the competencies necessary to perform the work.

Preferred Qualifications
- Previous experience performing cotton or other plant breeding or biology activities, including controlled crosses, selfing, phenotyping, planting, harvesting, and maintaining plant populations. Experience operating and performing routine maintenance or troubleshooting of agricultural, field, greenhouse, laboratory, ginning, or seed-processing equipment. Experience collecting, organizing, and managing…