Research Associate - Molecular Biology

Location: College Station, Texas, United States; full-time, onsite staff position.

Company

Texas A&M AgriLife Research is part of Texas A&M AgriLife, a statewide agriculture and life sciences organization focused on education, research, extension, and service.

What you will do

• Design, plan, conduct, and coordinate molecular biology experiments from field and farm sample intake through extraction, sequencing, quality control, and data delivery.
• Apply and help optimize protocols for nucleic acid extraction, sequencing library preparation, targeted molecular assays, and quantitative PCR across environmental, animal, and food samples.
• Prepare next-generation sequencing libraries, operate nanopore and other laboratory platforms, troubleshoot routine run issues, and maintain instruments.
• Perform quality control, maintain sample inventories and chain-of-custody records, and process sequencing metrics through basecalling, demultiplexing, and read quality assessment.
• Prepare data packages, methods descriptions, figures, reports, manuscripts, and funding proposal materials.
• Train and supervise undergraduate and graduate students and coordinate timelines, supplies, and results with researchers, collaborators, and the lab manager.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in life science, chemistry, or a related field, plus two years of related professional experience in molecular biology, molecular diagnostics, or a closely related field.
• Bench experience with nucleic acid extraction, quantitative PCR or next-generation sequencing library preparation, and nucleic acid quality control.
• Familiarity with standard molecular biology laboratory equipment and the ability to follow and apply established protocols.
• Ability to use computers and applicable software to manage data, perform statistical analyses, and present results.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks, work cooperatively with laboratory staff, students, and collaborators, and maintain consistent records and sample chain of custody.
• Clear written communication, including detailed laboratory records and technical summaries.

Nice to have

• Master’s degree in molecular biology, microbiology, biochemistry, or a related field.
• Experience with nanopore or short-read sequencing platforms, quantitative PCR or digital PCR, and environmental, animal, or food samples, including low-biomass or inhibitor-rich samples.
• Familiarity with command-line tools for basecalling, demultiplexing, and read quality assessment, plus automated liquid handling systems.
• Experience working under biosafety level 2 conditions.
• Contributions to peer-reviewed publications or funding proposals and experience training or mentoring students in laboratory methods.

Culture & Benefits

• Grant- or contract-funded position; continued employment depends on ongoing funding and satisfactory performance.
• Training is provided on laboratory instruments, workflows, and data management practices.
• Health, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability insurance with employer premium contributions.
• 12–15 paid holidays, up to 8 hours of sick leave per month, and at least 8 hours of vacation per month.
• Automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas, wellness programs, and professional development through Aspire, LinkedIn Learning, and internal programs.

Hiring process

• Submit complete application data or a complete resume; incomplete applications may be rejected.
• Required documents: CV or resume, cover letter, and list of references.
• Employment is contingent on credential verification and completion of a criminal history investigation; applicants requiring H-1B sponsorship may be affected by stated fee and Texas filing restrictions.