The Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation in the College of Natural Resources and Environment seeks a Laboratory Research Specialist for the following responsibilities:
Administer and facilitate access to the department’s laboratory and support facilities. Maintain operational status of laboratory instrumentation. Develop appropriate analytical procedures to meet specific research objectives. Instruct laboratory users in proper analytical methods. Train students and technicians in use of facilities and equipment. Serve as the department’s laboratory safety representative. Assist with the department’s undergraduate and graduate courses.
• Working knowledge of analytical laboratory principles, qualitative and quantitative
procedures, and analytical instrumentation.
• Working knowledge of forestry or natural resource science practices and techniques;
• Demonstrated ability to assist with classroom, lab, or field instruction.
• Demonstrated ability to collect, compile, and analyze data.
• Demonstrated ability to provide direction to others, set standards, and monitor
performance.
• Bachelor's degree in a field of study related to the department’s research.
• Experience assisting with classroom, lab, or field instruction.
• Experience collecting to compile, and analyze data.
Required Application Materials
Resume/curriculum vitae; cover letter; list of 3 references
Non-Exempt: Eligible for overtime
Inquiries can be directed to FREC Human Resource Professional, Ingrid Skenderian at (singrid1@vt.edu, 540-231-7267).
The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.
Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, trans-disciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including Blacksburg, the greater Washington, D.C. area, the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke, sites in Newport News and Richmond, and numerous Extension offices and research centers. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $500 million in research annually.
Virginia Tech endorses and encourages participation in professional development opportunities and university shared governance. These valuable contributions to university shared governance provide important representation and perspective, along with opportunities for unique and impactful professional development.
Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, ethnicity or national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or military status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law.
If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Ingrid Skenderian at (singrid1@vt.edu) during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.
About the College of Natural Resources and Environment
CNRE is one of nine academic colleges at Virginia Tech and has four academic departments covering a range of interests and disciplines: Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Geography, and Sustainable Biomaterials. The college employs more than 300 faculty and staff, including 83 tenure-track faculty. Approximately 1,000 undergraduate students in 11 majors and 200 graduate students in traditional master’s and doctoral programs are enrolled in the college at the Blacksburg campus. An additional 200 graduate students are pursuing professional master’s degrees in the Center for Leadership in Global Sustainability. The college is a national leader in the natural resources fields, one of the top five producers of graduates nationally, and had expenditures of approximately $24 million in research during the 2024-2025 academic year.
