Laboratory Research Assistant II

Location: Port Aransas

Job Posting Title

Laboratory Research Assistant II

Hiring Department

Department of Marine Science

Position Open To

All Applicants

Weekly Scheduled Hours

40

FLSA Status

Non-Exempt

Earliest Start Date

Feb 02, 2026

Position Duration

Expected to Continue Until Jan 30, 2027

Location

PORT ARANSAS, TX

Job Details

A Laboratory Research Assistant position is available to work with Dr. Kelly Dorgan at The University of Texas Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas, TX, starting in February 2026 (negotiable). Research in the lab integrates ecology, biomechanics (including engineering theory and methods), and invertebrate behavior, morphology and physiology with engineering theory and methods, including development of new instrumentation. This position is intended for a recent graduate (BS) looking to gain research experience before graduate school and will involve field and lab work as well as helping to manage the lab, including purchasing and organizing supplies.

The technician will process sediment samples, sort and help identify benthic invertebrate samples, conduct field work in local estuaries and potentially on longer research cruises. The technician may also have opportunities to analyze and synthesize data, work on instrument development and trouble‑shooting, and help set up a new innovation workshop.

Responsibilities

• Experimental design, trouble‑shooting, and data analysis
• Infauna sample sorting (under a microscope)
• Processing of sediment samples in lab
• Field work to collect infauna and sediments
• Other duties as assigned

Required Qualifications

• High School Diploma or equivalent
• Previous research experience in a relevant field
• Experience with field work
• Programming experience or willingness to learn programming

Preferred Qualifications

• BS in a relevant field (marine science, biology, geosciences, or other)
• Small‑boat operating experience
• Experience with invertebrates and use of microscopes
• Experience with Matlab, R, Arduino, Image

Salary Range

$31,200 + depending on qualifications

Working Conditions

• May work in all weather conditions
• May work in remote marine or estuarine field sites, under especially hot conditions
• May work around standard office conditions
• May work around chemicals
• May work around electrical and mechanical hazards

Required Materials

• Resume/CV
• Letter of interest
• Contact information for 3 work references; at least one reference should be from a former or current supervisor

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers

You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi‑select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded.

Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers

As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log‑in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application.

The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.

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…