Research Engineering/Scientist Assistant – Fonken lab

Scientist @University of Texas at Austin posted 2 weeks ago

Job Description

Job Posting Title:

Hiring Department:

College of Pharmacy

Position Open To:

All Applicants

Weekly Scheduled Hours:

FLSA Status:

Non-Exempt

Earliest Start Date:

May 01, 2025

Position Duration:

Expected to Continue Until May 31, 2026

Location:

UT MAIN CAMPUS

Job Details:

General Notes

This position is for 12 months with the possibility of renewal. This position requires working flexible hours which may include weekends, evenings, or early mornings. It requires working with rodent models.

Must be in good physical condition and be able to lift a minimum of 30 pounds.

The position requires the employee to be able to spend time on their feet, standing, walking, or climbing on step-stools.

Purpose

The laboratory of Dr. Laura Fonken in the College of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Texas at Austin is recruiting a highly motivated individual to work as a research technician in a behavioral neuroimmunology research laboratory. This position is intended for recent Bachelor of Science graduates who are interested in gaining research experience prior to applying to graduate programs.

Responsibilities

Assisting with routine lab management

To ensure that lab is in working order. This includes assisting the lab manager with ordering and inventory of supplies and chemicals, disposing of chemicals, laboratory training, and maintaining a tidy/clean lab. The candidate is also expected to participate in regular group meetings and provide updates and progress reports on a weekly basis.

Rodent care and behavior

Perform research experiments in the fields of neuroimmunology, aging, and circadian biology. This includes working with rodents (e.g., injections, behavioral testing, etc) and performing cellular and molecular techniques. Experiments will include isolating cell populations from the brain and performing flow cytometry or culturing cells. Experiments will involve performing qPCR, Western blots, or ELISAs to assay for gene/protein expression changes. Experiments will also include brain sectioning, immunohistochemistry, bright field or confocal microscopy, and analysis of images with FIJI or Imaris software.

Other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in biology, biochemistry, neuroscience, life sciences, pharmaceutical sciences or related fields.
Less than 1 year of laboratory experience.
Proficiency with Excel and data management/analysis.
Excellent organizational and time-management skills.
Experience with a minimum of two of the following: immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, rodent brain anatomy, rodent behavioral procedures, confocal microscopy, bright field microscopy, molecular biology.

Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Preferred Qualifications

A strong combination of the required qualifications outlined above.
Proficiency with literature searches and science writing.

Salary Range

$35,000+ depending on qualifications

Working Conditions

Uniforms and/or personal protection equipment (furnished)
May work in extreme temperatures
May work around chemical fumes
May work around standard office conditions
May work around biohazards
May work around chemicals
May work around electrical and mechanical hazard
Working with animals
Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation
Use of manual dexterity
Climbing of stairs
Climbing of ladders
Lifting and moving

Work Shift

This full-time position requires working flexible hours which may include weekends, evenings, or early mornings.

Required Materials

Resume/CV
Letter of interest
A list of 3 professional references with their contact information; at least one must be from a supervisor

Important: You will be prompted to submit your Resume/CV in the first step of the online job application process. Then, any additional Required Materials as listed above will be uploaded in the My Experience section; you can multi-select the additional files or click the Upload button for each file. 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 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 Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

Background Checks:

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

Pay Transparency:

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

Employment Eligibility Verification:

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form. You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States. Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment. Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

E-Verify:

The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:

Compliance:

Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.

The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.