Research Technician I – Field & Lab Support

About the role

The Research Technician I provides technical support for field, greenhouse and laboratory research focused on soil health, water conservation, cropping systems and agricultural sustainability in the Texas High Plains.

Key responsibilities

• Assist in establishing, maintaining and harvesting agronomic field trials.
• Collect soil, water, plant and environmental samples following established protocols.
• Install, maintain and monitor irrigation instrumentation and sensors.
• Operate agricultural equipment such as ATVs, pickups, tractors, planters and sprayers.
• Prepare soil, water and plant samples for laboratory analysis and operate standard lab equipment.
• Maintain laboratory inventories, order supplies and ensure proper organization.
• Enter, organize, verify and maintain research data using spreadsheets and databases.
• Support preparation of summaries, reports and research documentation.
• Travel to off‑station research sites and operate agency vehicles as required.

Required profile

• Works under general supervision and follows established research protocols.
• Demonstrates attention to detail in record‑keeping and sample handling.
• Willingness to travel to field sites across Texas and neighboring states.
• Ability to operate agency vehicles safely.

Required skills

• ATV operation
• Pickup truck operation
• Tractor operation
• Planter operation
• Sprayer operation
• Irrigation sensor installation
• Irrigation sensor monitoring
• Standard laboratory equipment operation
• Soil sample preparation
• Water sample preparation
• Plant sample preparation
• Data entry in spreadsheets
• Database management