Research Associate

Texas A&M • Bushland, TX

49d • Onsite

About The Position

The Research Associate provides quasi-independent, technical support for research activities requiring an advanced level of knowledge in small-grains breeding. The Research Associate will be a member of the small-grains breeding team at the Texas A&M AgriLife High Plains Research and Extension Center in Canyon, TX, with primary focus on dual-purpose winter wheat and subsidiary focus on triticale for forage. The primary responsibilities will be to assist with greenhouse, growth chamber, seed processing, and field operations and to conduct independent research to improve research protocols. The Research Associate will be expected to operate research and field equipment, facilitate and oversee the work of graduate students, and guide other lab/field personnel in research.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant field.
• Two years of related professional experience.
• Must obtain within six months of hire date a Texas Department of Agriculture pesticide applicator’s license, and maintain licensure.
• Must obtain and maintain a Texas driver's license.
• Must obtain within six months of hire date a FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certification, and maintain biennial certification.
• Demonstrated experience with operating and maintaining seed processing and small-plot field planting and harvest equipment.
• Ability to use power tools and forklift safely and effectively.
• Ability to connect, load, haul, unload bumper-pull and gooseneck trailers safely.
• Advanced skills using Microsoft Office and similar software to create databases, perform statistical analyses, summarize and present data, and perform other, related tasks.

Responsibilities

• Plant, manage, and harvest breeding experiments in greenhouses, grow rooms, and growth chambers.
• Plant, manage, and harvest wheat-breeding nurseries and yield trials in the High Plains and Rolling Plains field trials. This will involve towing plot machinery on trailers with pickups and independently driving an agency vehicle on highways and farm roads to perform trial maintenance and collect data.
• Independently operate and maintain tractors, planters, small plot combines, irrigation systems, and other related machinery, including equipment with GPS guidance systems.
• Collect, organize, analyze, and report data accurately and efficiently. Data collection will include operating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), on-combine weigh systems, and electronic field books.
• Evaluate the multiple-location data, make status recommendations on nursery entries, and co-author wheat cultivar releases and Extension publications.
• Process grain samples after harvest, including seed cleaning, inventory, storage, and disposal.
• Prepare seed for planting, including organizing trials, applying seed treatments, and packaging and labeling seed.
• Provide ongoing, day-to-day guidance to undergraduate and/or graduate students and other technical or field staff as delegated by the wheat breeder.
• Coordinate activities with and provide mutual support to other research and Extension projects as requested.
• Other related duties as required, including (but not limited to) vehicle maintenance and records, facility maintenance and repair, and purchasing supplies and equipment.

Benefits

• Health, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance with Texas A&M AgriLife contributing to employee health and basic life premiums
• 12-15 days of annual paid holidays
• Up to eight hours of paid sick leave and at least eight hours of paid vacation each month
• Automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas
• Employee Wellness Initiative for Texas A&M AgriLife

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level