Research Lab Manager - IGCAST Phytotron @ Texas Tech University System

Position Description

Key personnel that will assist in conducting meaningful research to assist faculty in teaching and research programs.

About the University

Founded in 1923, Texas Tech University began with a mission to serve the needs of West Texas, but its impact has always reached far beyond. Today, Texas Tech, located in Lubbock (pop. 300,000+), is home to a vibrant community of more than 42,000 students. Texas Tech's 1,800-acre campus showcases Spanish Renaissance architecture and is home to one of the country's largest public art collections. Its 13 colleges include a prestigious School of Law and a distinguished School of Veterinary Medicine. These programs equip students with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in their respective fields.

Built on the values of West Texas — hard work, grit and authenticity — the university graduates students who are deeply engaged in service to their communities and well-positioned to succeed in the world. Texas Tech is committed to achieving research and scholarly accomplishments that compare favorably to the member institutions of the Association of American Universities (AAU). For more than 100 years, Texas Tech has been a premier destination for those seeking a world-class education and a unique, personalized experience as a member of the Red Raider family.

About the Department and/or College

Davis College includes the departments of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Agricultural Education and Communications, Animal and Food Sciences, Landscape Architecture, Natural Resources Management, Plant and Soil Science, and Veterinary Sciences along with multiple research centers and institutes. The College has over 100 tenure-track faculty, 2747 undergraduate and 519 graduate students, numerous other staff employees, and generated approximately $16 million in extramural research funding.

The Plant & Soil Science (PSS) Department is a comprehensive academic unit conducting research and offering coursework and programs in several areas of plant and soil sciences. There are 36 full-time faculty members and a student body consisting of approximately 180 undergraduate and 140 graduate students. B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. level degrees are offered in Plant and Soil Science. Additionally, distance education courses and four certificate programs are offered. The department is research-intensive, while fostering strong teaching expectations and commitments. Students in the department are educated to meet the challenge of using soil, water, and plant resources for sustainable production and environmental quality.

Major/Essential Functions

• Operate and maintain three 1,800 ft² research greenhouses and four Conviron MTPS432 walk-in plant growth chambers, ensuring conditions meet the specific requirements of each research project.
• Monitor and adjust environmental control systems — including light intensity/quality, temperature, humidity, and irrigation — using remote and automated control software, and respond promptly to system alarms or deviations outside set parameters.
• Develop, implement, and adjust watering and fertilization (fertigation) schedules tailored to the physiological needs of various crop and model plant species, including plants under nutrient-limitation or other abiotic-stress treatments.
• Design and execute an integrated pest management (IPM) program, including routine scouting, diagnosis of pests and diseases, and safe, compliant application of pesticides, fungicides, and biological controls.
• Maintain strict biosafety and containment protocols for genetically modified (GM) plants and genome-edited material in accordance with institutional biosafety committee (IBC) policies and applicable USDA-APHIS regulations, including movement of plant materials between the biosafety laboratory and greenhouses.
• Coordinate planting, transplanting, growth-stage monitoring, and harvest schedules with faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate students to keep multiple concurrent experiments on track.
• Train, schedule, and supervise student workers and technical staff in proper greenhouse and growth-chamber operating procedures, plant care techniques, and safety practices.
• Maintain inventory and place orders for growing media, fertilizers, pest-control products, pots, and other consumable supplies; maintain equipment and application records required for regulatory compliance.
• Perform routine preventive maintenance on irrigation, HVAC, lighting, and control systems, and coordinate with TTU facilities staff and outside vendors for repairs and calibration.
• Maintain accurate, organized records of environmental conditions, treatments, maintenance activities, and pest/disease management actions for each research space.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable safety regulations, including chemical handling, storage, and disposal (OSHA, EPA, and university Environmental Health & Safety requirements).
• Advise and assist researchers on best practices for experimental design and plant care within the Phytotron, and support tours or demonstrations of the facility as needed.

Required Qualifications

Master's degree; four years of job-related experience. Additional job-related education may be substituted for the required experience on a year-for-year basis.

Preferred Qualifications

• BSc/MSc degree in Horticulture, Plant Science, Agronomy, Botany, or a related field; equivalent combination of relevant education and experience will be considered.
• three years of hands-on experience operating and maintaining greenhouse or other controlled-environment plant research facilities.
• Demonstrated experience diagnosing and managing plant pests and diseases using integrated pest management approaches.
• Experience developing and managing watering/fertigation programs for multiple, physiologically distinct crop and model plant species.
• Working knowledge of walk-in growth chambers and computerized/remote environmental control systems for regulating light, temperature, and irrigation (e.g., Conviron, Argus, Priva, or comparable systems).
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Texas Department of Agriculture pesticide applicator license within a specified period after hire.
• Experience working with genetically modified (GM) or genome-edited plants under biosafety containment protocols.
• Experience with Arabidopsis and row crops relevant to semi-arid/West Texas agriculture (cotton, sorghum, peanut, and others).
• Prior experience supervising student workers or technical staff.
• Knowledge of plant phenotyping methods and instrumentation, including high-throughput imaging systems.
• Knowledge of plant transformation techniques.
• Eligibility to drive TTU vehicles, including a valid U.S. driver license and two years of driving experience.

Safety Information

Adherence to robust safety practices and compliance with all applicable health and safety regulations are responsibilities of all TTU employees.

Special Instructions to Applicants

The Phytotron Manager is responsible for the day-to-day operation, maintenance, and oversight of IGCAST's Phytotron complex, including three environmentally controlled greenhouses, four walk-in plant growth chambers, and an associated biosafety laboratory for genetically modified (GM) plant research. This position ensures that all controlled-environment facilities reliably support the physiological, genetic, and abiotic-stress research conducted by IGCAST faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate students on model species (e.g., Arabidopsis) and row crops relevant to West Texas agriculture (e.g., cotton, sorghum, peanut). The Phytotron Manager combines hands-on horticultural expertise with proficiency in automated environmental control systems to maintain optimal, reproducible growing conditions across all facilities.

Please submit the following

• A cover letter detailing your work experience, fit for the position, and relevant accomplishments.
• CV including a list of publications (if any), and past and current positions.
• Contact information for three professional reference

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

For further inquiries or questions related to the posting, please contact: Luis Herrera-Estrella, Director, Institute of Genomics for Crop Abiotic Stress Tolerance (IGCAST), Department of Plant & Soil Science, TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY, Lubbock, TX, 79409 | Email: [email protected]

Pay Statement

Compensation is commensurate upon the qualifications of the individual selected and budgetary guidelines of the hiring department, as well as the institutional pay plan.

EEO Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information or status as a protected veteran.