What are the responsibilities and job description for the Research Associate Malt Quality Lab position at Montana State University - Office of Student Engagement?
Position Details
Position Information
Announcement Number STAFF - VA - 27113 For questions regarding this position, please contact:
Hannah Uhlmann
hannah.uhlmann@montana.edu
406-994-6599
Classification Title Research Professional Working Title Research Associate Malt Quality Lab Brief Position Overview
This is a full-time professional position as a Research Associate for the Barley, Malt & Brewing Quality Lab, part of the Barley Breeding research project at MSU. Primary duties will be to aid in the daily measurement of malt quality for the Breeding Program, stakeholders, and student projects. Our lab plays a critical role for the malting and brewing/distilling industries, directly providing data to farmers, maltsters, and beverage producers. The successful applicant will integrate into a fast-paced team environment, have excellent attention to detail, organizational and communication skills.
Position Number 4C0675 Department Plant Sciences Division College of Agriculture/MAES Appointment Type Professional Contract Term Fiscal Year Semester If other, specify From date If other, specify End date FLSA Exempt Union Affiliation Exempt from Collective Bargaining FTE 1.0 Benefits Eligible Eligible Salary Salary commensurate with experience, education, and qualifications. Contract Type LOA If other, please specify Recruitment Type Open
Position Details
General Statement
The Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathologyhas 28 tenure track faculty including plant pathologists, plant breeders, plant physiologists, horticulturalists, entomologists, cereal chemists, and plant molecular biologists. The Department has state-of-the-art laboratory and plant growth facilities. Field research facilities are available both on campus and at seven MAES Research Centers located strategically throughout the state. The Department offers both MS and PhD degrees in Plant Pathology and Plant Science. There are currently 20 thesis MS graduate students and 30 Ph.D. graduate students and more than 150 undergraduate students in the Department. https://plantsciences.montana.edu
Duties and Responsibilities
The Research Associate will directly support the Barley, Malt & Brewing Quality Lab director by conducting daily tasks, including:
Generally, this position is a Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm schedule. However, our team maintains a rotating early shift (typically 7am-3pm) to accomplish the required daily work. Shifts longer than 8 hours are infrequent but sometimes necessary for task completion. Occasionally there may be a weekend task that needs covering, but we keep these brief and minimal.
This job description should not be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements, but a general description of the job. Nothing contained herein restricts Montana State University’s rights to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.
Physical Demands
This position has supervisory duties? No
Posting Detail Information
Number of Vacancies 1 Desired Start Date Position End Date (if temporary) Open Date Close Date Applications will be:
Screening of applications will begin on October 8, 2026; however, applications will continue to be accepted until an adequate applicant pool has been established.
Special Instructions
This position is not eligible for new sponsorship.
EEO Statement
Montana State University is an equal opportunity employer. MSU does not discriminate against any applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, political ideas, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, national origin, physical or mental disability, or any other protected class status in violation of any applicable law.
In compliance with the Montana Veteran’s Employment Preference Act, MSU provides preference in employment to veterans, disabled veterans, and certain eligible relatives of veterans. To claim veteran’s preference, please complete the veteran’s preference information located in the Demographics section of your profile.
Applicant Documents
Required Documents
Supplemental Questions
Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).
Position Information
Announcement Number STAFF - VA - 27113 For questions regarding this position, please contact:
Hannah Uhlmann
hannah.uhlmann@montana.edu
406-994-6599
Classification Title Research Professional Working Title Research Associate Malt Quality Lab Brief Position Overview
This is a full-time professional position as a Research Associate for the Barley, Malt & Brewing Quality Lab, part of the Barley Breeding research project at MSU. Primary duties will be to aid in the daily measurement of malt quality for the Breeding Program, stakeholders, and student projects. Our lab plays a critical role for the malting and brewing/distilling industries, directly providing data to farmers, maltsters, and beverage producers. The successful applicant will integrate into a fast-paced team environment, have excellent attention to detail, organizational and communication skills.
Position Number 4C0675 Department Plant Sciences Division College of Agriculture/MAES Appointment Type Professional Contract Term Fiscal Year Semester If other, specify From date If other, specify End date FLSA Exempt Union Affiliation Exempt from Collective Bargaining FTE 1.0 Benefits Eligible Eligible Salary Salary commensurate with experience, education, and qualifications. Contract Type LOA If other, please specify Recruitment Type Open
Position Details
General Statement
The Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathologyhas 28 tenure track faculty including plant pathologists, plant breeders, plant physiologists, horticulturalists, entomologists, cereal chemists, and plant molecular biologists. The Department has state-of-the-art laboratory and plant growth facilities. Field research facilities are available both on campus and at seven MAES Research Centers located strategically throughout the state. The Department offers both MS and PhD degrees in Plant Pathology and Plant Science. There are currently 20 thesis MS graduate students and 30 Ph.D. graduate students and more than 150 undergraduate students in the Department. https://plantsciences.montana.edu
Duties and Responsibilities
The Research Associate will directly support the Barley, Malt & Brewing Quality Lab director by conducting daily tasks, including:
- Sample intake, organization, and preparation.
- Barley & malt quality analysis, including operation of various pieces of equipment, such as NIR analyzer, CLP malters, Buhler & Perten mills, Pfeuffer friabilimeter, IEC mash bath, Anton Paar densitometer, UV-Vis Spectrophotometer, and Fisher Scientific Gallery analyzer
- Data collection, organization, maintenance, analysis and reporting, including upkeep of Quality Control logs
- Maintain laboratory cleanliness and maintenance
- Support research, including project development and novel idea generation as well as supervising and empowering undergraduate and graduate research projects
- Contribute to and submit research publications
- Uphold lab safety protocols
- Interact with the public through lab tours and present findings at industry meetings and conferences
- Bachelor’s in plant science, food or malt quality analysis, chemical analysis or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Experience generating, managing & reporting data.
- Experience in lab environments requiring organization and time management.
- Laboratory research experience.
- Masters in plant science, food or malt quality analysis, chemical analysis or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Experience generating data specifically for malt or food industries.
- Agricultural experience.
- Experience with genetic markers.
- Attention to detail.
- Work both independently and collaboratively with co-workers.
- Effective written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Organizational and time management skills.
- Flexibility adapting to evolving lab needs.
- Follow food safety and cleanliness requirements
- Follow all university rules and policies.
- Self-motivation for providing accurate and timely results for lab clientele.
Generally, this position is a Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm schedule. However, our team maintains a rotating early shift (typically 7am-3pm) to accomplish the required daily work. Shifts longer than 8 hours are infrequent but sometimes necessary for task completion. Occasionally there may be a weekend task that needs covering, but we keep these brief and minimal.
This job description should not be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements, but a general description of the job. Nothing contained herein restricts Montana State University’s rights to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.
Physical Demands
- We keep our lab at a high level of cleanliness, however we do work with grain and dust in the air that can be bothersome to some.
- This position can be fast paced, and is often active for much of the day.
This position has supervisory duties? No
Posting Detail Information
Number of Vacancies 1 Desired Start Date Position End Date (if temporary) Open Date Close Date Applications will be:
Screening of applications will begin on October 8, 2026; however, applications will continue to be accepted until an adequate applicant pool has been established.
Special Instructions
This position is not eligible for new sponsorship.
EEO Statement
Montana State University is an equal opportunity employer. MSU does not discriminate against any applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, political ideas, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, national origin, physical or mental disability, or any other protected class status in violation of any applicable law.
In compliance with the Montana Veteran’s Employment Preference Act, MSU provides preference in employment to veterans, disabled veterans, and certain eligible relatives of veterans. To claim veteran’s preference, please complete the veteran’s preference information located in the Demographics section of your profile.
Applicant Documents
Required Documents
- Resume
- Cover Letter
Supplemental Questions
Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).