What are the responsibilities and job description for the Laboratory & Research Specialist position at Virginia Tech?
Job Description
The Crop Physiology Lab at Virginia Tech’ s Tidewater Agricultural Research and Extension Center (TAREC), in Suffolk, VA, is inviting applications for a Laboratory & Research Specialist position. The successful candidate will serve as the Manager of a multi-state project on faba bean winter production in the Mid-Atlantic region. The project includes areas of breeding, phenomics, genomics, agronomics, economics, food science and engineering.
Successful candidate is expected to be creative, self-motivated and problem solving, and demonstrate evidence of technical writing. The position requires travel frequently to the testing sites in Virginia and occasionally in North Carolina, Maryland, and Delaware. The position is located at the TAREC in Suffolk, VA, and available for two years, with one year offered initially and renewed thereafter based on the appointee’ s performance. The position can start as soon as Dec 2025.
Virginia Tech is unable to sponsor applicants for work visas for this position.
Required Qualifications
- Must have a Bachelor's degree in agronomy, crop science, or related agricultural field or equivalent education and experience; general knowledge of crop production.
- Ability to work in an agricultural setting during the entire growing season and during adverse weather conditions.
- Experience with field equipment.
- Demonstrated experience to work independently and in a team.
- Demonstrated experience with preparing tables in Microsoft Excel and Word.
- Licensed to operate a motor vehicle.
Preferred Qualifications
- Moderate to heavy lifting.
- Must be able to work in the field conditions during entire growing season.
- Safe driving license.
Pay Band
3
Overtime Status
Non-Exempt: Eligible for overtime
Appointment Type
Restricted
Salary Information
$53,000 - $55,000; commensurate with experience
Hours per week
40 hours per week
Review Date
January 15, 2026
Additional Information
The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.
About Virginia Tech
Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including Blacksburg, the greater Washington, D.C. area, the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke, sites in Newport News and Richmond, and numerous Extension offices and research institutes. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $650 million in research annually.
Virginia Tech endorses and encourages participation in professional development opportunities and university shared governance. These valuable contributions to university shared governance provide important representation and perspective, along with opportunities for unique and impactful professional development.
Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, ethnicity or national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or military status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law.
If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Dr. Maria Balota at mbalota@vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.
Each agency within the Commonwealth of Virginia is dedicated to recruiting, supporting, and maintaining a competent and diverse work force. Equal Opportunity Employer
Salary : $53,000 - $55,000