"Laboratory Metabarcoding Technician"

Job Details

Department: Biology - 318200

Career Area: Research Professionals

Posting Open Date: 08/27/2025

Application Deadline: 09/03/2025

Position Type: Temporary Staff (SHRA)

Position Title: Laboratory Metabarcoding Technician

Position Number: 20034377

Vacancy ID: S026042

Full-time/Part-time: Part-Time Temporary

Hours per week: 30

Work Schedule: Flexible but generally Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Position Location: North Carolina, US

Hiring Range: $30.00/per hour

Proposed Start Date: 10/01/2025

Estimated Duration of Appointment: 3 months or less

Be a Tar Heel!: A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research and public service, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks as one of the nation’s top public universities. Known for its beautiful campus, world-class medical care, commitment to the arts and top athletic programs, Carolina is an ideal place to teach, work and learn. One of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, Chapel Hill has diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community. University employees can choose from a wide range of professional training opportunities for career growth, skill development and lifelong learning and enjoy exclusive perks that include numerous retail and restaurant discounts, savings on local child care centers and special rates for performing arts events.

Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit: The Department of Biology at UNC-Chapel Hill is dedicated to the discovery and dissemination of new and existing knowledge in the broad discipline of Biology by maintaining a high-quality faculty who integrate cutting-edge research and student-focused teaching. We are one of the largest academic departments in the College of Arts and Sciences. We have over 3,000 majors and intendent majors, and we enroll over 5,000 undergraduate students in our classes each year. Our average total annual expenditure exceeds $24 million, with nearly half of that coming from grant sponsored research. Our large research base spans many areas of biology and supports several outstanding graduate programs. We consist of 54 tenure-track faculty, 16 teaching faculty, 10 research faculty, and numerous active adjunct and emeritus faculty who are engaged in basic and interdisciplinary research and teaching, both within the department and between other departments and schools at UNC. We currently have 52 graduate students, 30 post-docs and employ approximately 85 additional graduate and undergraduate students from across the university to assist in our teaching and research missions. Further, we are supported by an administrative staff of 19, with an additional 45 staff directly supporting research.

Position Summary: The Laboratory Metabarcoding Technician will perform molecular biology related to the metabarcoding of animal scat samples for dietary reconstruction. Responsibilities will also include ordering supplies, maintaining the laboratory, mentoring undergraduate students working on the projects, submission of samples to UNC’s sequencing facility, assistance with manuscript preparation, and performing bioinformatic analysis in R once we receive sequencing results.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in a discipline related to the area of assignment; or equivalent combination of training and experience. All degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions.

Required Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience: Bachelor’s degree in ecology, biology, marine biology or similar. Extensive experience performing metabarcoding, genomic sequencing, and bioinformatics with large, complex data. Deep knowledge of molecular biology and experience in mentoring undergraduate students.

Preferred Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience: N/A

Campus Security Authority Responsibilities: Not Applicable.