Greenhouse and Field Research Assistant

Staff - Non Union

Job Category
Non Union Technicians and Research Assistants

Job Profile
Non Union Salaried - Research Assistant /Technician 4

Job Title
Greenhouse and Field Research Assistant

Department
Plant Care Research Support | Plant Care Services

Compensation Range
$5,538.94 - $6,497.44 CAD Monthly

Posting End Date
October 8, 2026

Note:

Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date

Ongoing

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students.

Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Job Summary
Responsible for technical activities and record keeping at the Totem Field Station and South Campus greenhouse belonging to Plant Care Services. Supervises work-learn students in greenhouse and provides technical guidance to all staff and students at the Totem Field Station. Ensure excellent conditions and support for the researchers with respect to their scientific experiments. Performs technical duties involving all aspects of greenhouse and field work including growing crops, early detection of pests, biological and chemical pest control and maintaining equipment and supplies using clearly defined procedures.

Oversees maintenance of equipment, ordering of supplies and solves all infrastructure issues including programming of greenhouse climate control systems and Rain Bird irrigation software. Oversees and coordinates space for research projects taking place at Totem Field by carefully organizing resources and optimizing use of space. Makes technical recommendations. Ensures security of staff and users at all times.

Organizational Status
Reports to the Plant Care Services Research Manager. Will provide supervision to work-learn students in greenhouses and technical guidance to technical staff at Totem Field Station. Will provide updates to Platform Manager concerning the operations of Totem Field Station. Works with a variety of internal and external users. Plant Care Services is a shared research platform of the VP Research & Innovation portfolio.

Work Performed
Responsible for technical activities and record keeping at the Totem Field Station and South Campus greenhouse belonging to Plant Care Services. Supervises work-learn students in greenhouse and provides technical guidance to all staff and students at the Totem Field Station. Ensure excellent conditions and support for the researchers with respect to their scientific experiments. Performs technical duties involving all aspects of greenhouse and field work including growing crops, early detection of pests, biological and chemical pest control and maintaining equipment and supplies using clearly defined procedures.

Oversees maintenance of equipment, ordering of supplies and solves all infrastructure issues including programming of greenhouse climate control systems and Rain Bird irrigation software. Oversees and coordinates space for research projects taking place at Totem Field by carefully organizing resources and optimizing use of space. Makes technical recommendations. Ensures security of staff and users at all times.

Scientific and Technical Duties

Troubleshoots complex automated software and hardware systems regulating climate control for heating, lighting, venting and CO2 enrichment within Plant Care Services housing dozens of different projects at any given time.

Ensures safe operation of all greenhouse and field equipment at South Campus greenhouse and Totem field.

Oversees proper irrigation and fertilization of plants, excellent monitoring of pests, safe handling of chemicals such as fertilizers, pesticides and biological control agents, climate control including temperature, lighting, ventilation and shading.

Oversees record keeping for scientific research data acquisition.

Diagnoses symptoms of environmental stress and applies appropriate remediation strategies.

Demonstrates greenhouse techniques and trains graduate and undergraduate students and staff.

Oversees instruction and training to all new users at the Totem Field location.

Develops standard operation procedures for the greenhouse.

Develops experiment protocols and safety procedures.

Administration Duties

Determines work procedures based on daily needs, and allocates tasks at the Totem Field Station.

Allocates and…