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Job title:              Research Lab Technician

Job location:      Magnolia, TX 77355

Job type:              Full-Time

Compensation: DOE with full benefits

Job Category:    Laboratory

Company Overview

The liner division of Magnolia Gardens Nursery invites applications for the position of Research Lab Technician to work in its plant tissue culture facility. Candidate must be able to work individually or as a team with other lab technicians and lab management to ensure that laboratory protocols and methods run efficiently and correctly, while at the same time assist in developing and evaluating new methods.

We are willing to train the right people, so the candidate must display excellent communication skills, be ready to learn, be efficient, well organized, flexible and able to deliver high quality results on time. This position is a hands-on lab-based role which requires the ability to concentrate and pay strict attention to details.

Job description:

The Distribution Coordinator will oversee a small greenhouse team to guarantee daily work duties are assigned and completed. This position will be responsible for all greenhouse inventory control through cycle counts and detailed
reporting. This position will also direct weekly outbound and daily inbound shipments to ensure all orders are shipped and received in full. The position requires a detail-oriented approach to ensure that inventory is properly maintained and recorded to be shipped to customers. Among other duties, the assistant grower will work with the head grower and production team as needed in the greenhouse.

 Responsibilities: 

• Apply standard laboratory techniques and safe practices 
• Plant initiation, production and maintenance of tissue cultured plants using proper aseptic technique 
• Perform general lab maintenance and housekeeping per department procedures 
• Cleaning glassware and other laboratory utensils 
• Preparation of culture media 
• Moving cultures to and from the growth room with accurate placement 
• Monitoring lab environmental conditions 
• Collection and analysis of data, 
• Compilation and presentation of reports and protocols 
• Inventory control 
• Must be detail oriented and able to adapt quickly to changes. 
• Ability to communicate well with all personnel in the company. 
• Must be patient, able to manage repetitive tasks, and have the ability to maintain a sense of flexibility/adaptability towards changing priorities. 

Qualifications: 

• Associate degree or Certificate – Laboratory assistant with two (2) years laboratory experience preferred 
• Authorized to work in the U.S. 
• Positive attitude and ability to learn quickly 
• Adaptable to changing processes 
• Self-driven professional with great work ethic 
• Ability to lift 40 pounds 
• Ability and willingness to work on feet or sitting at the lab bench for 8-10 hours a day 
• Are organized, enthusiastic and dynamic. 
• Have a keen eye for detail and are motivated by creating the highest quality of tissue cultured plants 
• Must be patient, able to manage repetitive tasks, 
• Enjoy working with others as a member of a team and striving for the best results 
• Spanish knowledge is helpful but not essential. 
• Strong computer skills. Ability to use Word, Excel and Power point is critical. 
• Other duties as assigned. 

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in biology, horticulture, chemistry, or another related field. 
•  One 1 (one) to two (2) years laboratory experience 
• Experience with and knowledge of aseptic technique 
• Knowledge of different aspects of plant tissue culture including: o Plant initiation, production and rooting of tissue cultured plants 
  • Formation of crop schedules 
  • Selection of appropriate media for optimal plant culture growth 
  • Tracking of plant growth and development through all stages of in-vitro growth 
  • Maintaining good quality control (QC) over all crops 

Working Conditions & Physical Requirements 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to meet the following standards: 

• May be required to work weekends, off-shifts, and overtime as required. 
• Work with and around pressurized tanks, housings and equipment, which are connected by piping and pumps and serviced by pressurized steam, water, air and cleaning/sanitizing chemicals systems. 
• Don gowning in the form of hospital scrubs, coveralls and safety toe footwear with shoe covers multiple times per shift. 
• Don lab coats as well as safety glass/goggles, gloves (nitrate or latex) multiple times per shift. 
• Handle and work with hazardous materials and chemicals per OSHA guidelines. 
• Use hearing protection and dust masks as required. 
• Utilize keyboard and mouse to interact with process automation systems as well as email. Word processing/spreadsheets and other online computer systems. 
• Manipulation of process equipment, connections and raw materials may require bending and reaching as well as repetitive twisting gripping hand motions. Where mechanical stress or pressure can be transmitted to the palm and fingers during hand tool use, especially when large forces must be exerted. Forces should not exceed 22 pounds/inch. 
• Attendance is mandatory. 

Applications including a cover letter and detailed CV can be emailed to [email protected]