What are the responsibilities and job description for the Research Lab Specialist position at Virginia Tech?
Job Description
Research Lab Specialist is responsible for the day-to-day operations to ensure efficient lab activities including organization and maintenance. This position is responsible for developing safety plans and certifications and to adhere and enforce health and safety regulations in the lab. Responsible for ordering and managing lab supplies, reagents as well as research supplies to include maintaining cell lines, glycerol stocks and mouse colonies.
Individual will also conduct complex, multi-step laboratory procedures based on written protocols and oral instruction using molecular biological, microbiological or genetic techniques.
Individual must be able to learn and employ a wide variety of experimental techniques including but not limited to PCR, electrophoresis, sequencing, tissue culture, transformations, and blot analysis.
Individual is expected to maintain a detailed notebook, tabulate and graph data, and interpret results on all procedures.
Individual will be expected to read relevant scientific literature as suggested by the investigation and to identify relevant facts, techniques, and procedures from the primary literature
Required Qualifications
Bachelors degree in science related field
Practical experience in a molecular biology laboratory setting
Preferred Qualifications
Strong organizational, time management, and communications skills are essential
N/A
Pay Band
Pay band 3, Salary: commensurate with experience
Overtime Status
Non-Exempt: Eligible for overtime
Appointment Type
Restricted
Salary Information
Commensurate with experience
Hours per week
40
Review Date
8/5/2026
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 Gabrielle Derusha at derusha@vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.
Research Lab Specialist is responsible for the day-to-day operations to ensure efficient lab activities including organization and maintenance. This position is responsible for developing safety plans and certifications and to adhere and enforce health and safety regulations in the lab. Responsible for ordering and managing lab supplies, reagents as well as research supplies to include maintaining cell lines, glycerol stocks and mouse colonies.
Individual will also conduct complex, multi-step laboratory procedures based on written protocols and oral instruction using molecular biological, microbiological or genetic techniques.
Individual must be able to learn and employ a wide variety of experimental techniques including but not limited to PCR, electrophoresis, sequencing, tissue culture, transformations, and blot analysis.
Individual is expected to maintain a detailed notebook, tabulate and graph data, and interpret results on all procedures.
Individual will be expected to read relevant scientific literature as suggested by the investigation and to identify relevant facts, techniques, and procedures from the primary literature
Required Qualifications
Bachelors degree in science related field
Practical experience in a molecular biology laboratory setting
Preferred Qualifications
Strong organizational, time management, and communications skills are essential
N/A
Pay Band
Pay band 3, Salary: commensurate with experience
Overtime Status
Non-Exempt: Eligible for overtime
Appointment Type
Restricted
Salary Information
Commensurate with experience
Hours per week
40
Review Date
8/5/2026
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 Gabrielle Derusha at derusha@vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.