Research Technician

Position Function:

Assist and implement research projects through collaboration between Mississippi State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services at the South Farm Aquaculture Facility.

Salary Grade: 11

Please see Staff Compensation Structure or Skilled Crafts and Service Maintenance Compensation Schedule for salary ranges. For salary grade UC, these positions are "Unclassified" and salary ranges are determined by the hiring department.

Department Profile:

Mississippi State University is a top-ranked research institution and the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture (WFA) has a strong applied focus in wildlife conservation and management. The 35-member faculty within the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture leads one of the most productive research programs in the Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine at Mississippi State University. The department is well-known for its highly collegial and interdisciplinary faculty, post-doctoral fellows, research and extension associates that help make the department one of the premier institutions for applied wildlife and fisheries science in the nation. As one of the fastest growing undergraduate programs in the region, our 300 undergraduate students concentrate in wildlife agriculture science, human-wildlife interactions, conservation biology, wildlife veterinary medicine, conservation law enforcement, and wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture science. The department also houses 60 graduate students across a variety of programs. For additional information see extension.msstate.edu/natural-resources/wildlife and www.cfr.msstate.edu/wildlife

Area of Specialization:

Fisheries and Wildlife

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Assistance to USDA APHIS WS principal investigators and MSU MAFES/FWRC principal investigators on research projects at the South Farm Aquaculture Facility
2. Provide support to normal facility operations, animal management and experimental
management.
3. Fish and animal care in a laboratory and aquaculture environment. Feeding and cleaning tank systems and animal holding facilities on a regular basis. Checking fish and potentially birds or other experimental animals for behavior and health.
4. Assisting and managing experimental preparation and implementation. Inventory of needed supplies and ordering or picking up local supplies as needed. Planning for experimental sampling needs and labelling of vials, containers, etc.
5. Working in a team environment and individually.
6. Data collection, entry and management using spreadsheet software such as Excel
7. Potential assistance with data analysis using statistical software such as JMP, SAS and R
8. Conducting sample analyses on analytical equipment under supervision from principal investigators
9. Facility and equipment maintenance and coordination with MSU Physical Plant as needed

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in fisheries, natural resources, or related field. Experience may be substituted for the education requirement at a rate of one (1) year of relevant experience per year of required education.

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience with: research process, data collection and analysis, statistical software, laboratory
analytical equipment, water quality testing, fish and animal husbandry, inorganic chemistry,
writing scientific articles

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Strong verbal and written communications skills.

Working Conditions and Physical Effort

Occasional and/or light lifting required. Working in a wet laboratory, animal facility, and
occasionally outdoors. Exposure to seasonal changes in temperature at these facilities, as
well as working indoors and with fish in tank systems.
Job frequently requires sitting, hearing, talking, handling objects with hands, and lifting up to
10 pounds.
Job occasionally requires standing, walking, reaching and lifting up to 50 pounds.

Instructions for Applying:

Apply via https://explore.msujobs.msstate.edu/cw/en-us/listing/ and submit resume and cover letter. Send unofficial transcripts with social security numbers redacted to Peter Allen, peter.allen@msstate.edu

Restricted Clause:

Position is contingent upon funding availability.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

MSU is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, sex, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, pregnancy, gender identity, status as a U.S. veteran, and/or any other status protected by applicable law. We always welcome nominations and applications from women, members of any minority group, and others who share our passion for building a diverse community that reflects the diversity in our student population.