Research Lab Technician II

at  USC

The University of Southern California (USC), founded in 1880, is located in the heart of downtown L.A. and is the largest private employer in the City of Los Angeles. As an employee of USC, you will be a part of a world-class research university and a member of the “Trojan Family,” which is comprised of the faculty, students and staff that make the university a great place to work.
As a community of Dornsife College “we are committed to the creation, preservation, and communication of fundamental knowledge in all its forms…as well as a lifelong passion for learning and a commitment to the betterment of society.” The academic mission of Dornsife College can only be realized to its fullest potential when we build and protect a representative, equitable, inclusive culture of scholarship for students, faculty, and staff. This is not done through initiatives but by embedding these values into the everyday interactions, relationships, policies, and practices of the College. What is required is a seamless integration of the tenets of equity and inclusivity into every facet of academic life. If we want our scholars, staff, and students to be able to give their very best, we must create an academic environment that portends success.
Success is possible when every member of the Dornsife community owns their role as a steward of the culture in which we learn, research, and work; when we believe that it is because of who we are that we are able to do what we do: achieve excellence, together.
Achieving a robust and inclusive academic culture requires more than just the completion of a task, but includes that person’s capacity to contribute positively to the relationships and culture of their office or department. Therefore, any applicant seeking to advance the mission of Dornsife College should also be assessed on their capacities beyond the technical elements of their work, and demonstrate an understanding of their impact on others, and to articulate how they contribute positively to those around them.
The USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences is seeking a Research Laboratory Technician II in the Department of Biology, Marine and Environmental Biology Section. The largest and oldest of the USC schools, USC Dornsife functions as the academic core of the university, offering courses and advancing knowledge across the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences.
The core scientific mission of the Marine and Environmental Biology section is to understand environmental organisms, with an emphasis on marine taxa, their interactions in complex ecosystems, and the emergent properties of the communities that result from these interactions. We are a globally recognized center for the study of the structure and dynamics of microbial ecosystems and for the conservation and enhancement of living marine and other environmental resources.
The advertised position provides general laboratory assistance to support research activities. Conducts research experiments in accordance with laboratory and safety protocols. Performs assignments which are non-routine and vary in complexity with minimal direction. Compiles data and computes results for a variety of research procedures, tests and techniques.

Lab-specific position responsibilities: The Research Lab Technician II will be responsible for microbiological cultivation and culture collection management, multi-omics bioinformatics analyses, and genome sequencing of cultures. Cultivation duties will include media preparation, handling cultures in liquid and solid media, use of a liquid handling robot, flow cytometry for growth measurements, and data management. Bioinformatics analyses can include genome and metagenome assembly, read recruitment, integration of transcriptomic and genomic data, 16S rRNA gene analyses, and metabolomic data analyses.

• Prior experience in laboratory research, and specifically culturing of microorganisms, is required;
• Bioinformatics experience is preferred, but not required;
• A Bachelor’s degree in microbiology or a related field is preferred.

Hourly range: The hourly rate range for this position is $24.23 - $30.32. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.
This is a grant funded position.

• Prior experience in laboratory research, and specifically culturing of microorganisms, is required;
• Bioinformatics experience is preferred, but not required;
• A Bachelor’s degree in microbiology or a related field is preferred