Research Associate - Entomology and Plant Pathology

Company: North Carolina State University

Job Location: Raleigh, NC

Category: Laboratory and Research

Type: Full-Time

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Essential Job Duties: The NC State Vegetable Pathology lab performs research on vegetable pathogens to improve disease management and is in the state-of-the-art Plant Sciences Building in Centennial Campus at North Carolina State University. Our activities are split between research and extension, and our research is multi-disciplinary, ranging from field to genomic research. Flexibility, independence, good interpersonal skills with various stakeholders and colleagues, a desire to learn new things, and a strong passion for agriculture are valued skills in our lab.

The Research Associate (RA) will be part of the senior staff in the lab along with other RAs and the PI. The RA will be mainly responsible for performing lab, greenhouse and field research with diseases of vegetable crops, particularly sweetpotato and cucurbit crops. The RA will have an approximate effort split of 50% Research, 30% Extension, 20% Management. The position requires some in-state and out-of-state overnight travel, plus in-state driving to research sites during work hours.

Lab Activities

• Collaborate with lab personnel to obtain and maintain isolates.
• Phenotype and genotype plant pathogens.
• Perform microbiological and molecular biology tasks as needed.
• Support lab management through: Training and supervising lab staff. Ensuring lab safety compliance and completing inspections. Purchasing supplies, stocking materials, and maintaining equipment.

Greenhouse and Field Activities

• Collaborate with greenhouse staff, research station personnel, lab colleagues, extension agents, grower cooperators, and private company partners.
• Conduct greenhouse and field experiments to evaluate: Disease control efficacy of fungicides. Performance of crop varieties.

Research, Data, and Reporting

• Collect, analyze, and interpret experimental data.
• Write reports, scientific publications, and extension materials.
• Present findings at scientific and extension conferences.

Funding and Sustainability

• Assist with grant writing to secure research funding.
• Contribute to contract research to support lab financial stability.

Other Work/Responsibilities: Obtain and maintain plant pathogen cultures needed to perform lab, greenhouse or field experiments and make inoculum as needed. Independently secure space for field or greenhouse trials, plant, inoculate, rate for disease, spray fungicides, and harvest fruit as needed. Actively communicate with research station personnel, greenhouse personnel, lab personnel, extension agents, grower cooperators, and private company cooperators to ensure success of lab, greenhouse or field experiments. In collaboration with the PI, design experiments to address research objectives. Independently generate and analyze data for projects. Independently write reports and publications. Present at scientific and extension conferences. Assist with grant writing and contract research. Assist with lab management by training and supervision of other lab staff, lab safety compliance and inspections, purchasing, stocking and maintenance of equipment.

Minimum Experience/Education: Relevant post-Baccalaureate degree required; for candidates demonstrating comparable independent research productivity, will accept a relevant undergraduate degree and 3 or more years of relevant experience in substitution. May require terminal degree and licensure.

Required Qualifications: Experience working with vegetable crops and/or microorganisms infecting them in field and laboratory settings including growing plants and microbes, taking care of plants and cultures, and sterile technique. Strong oral and written communication skills, experience giving oral presentations and writing scientific reports. Knowledgeable and ability to troubleshoot molecular biology techniques (DNA extraction, PCR, qPCR).

Preferred Qualifications: Laboratory management experience, including staff training/supervision, safety compliance/inspections, purchasing, inventory, and equipment maintenance. Hands-on experience working with sweetpotato and cucurbit pathogens across lab, greenhouse, and field settings. Skilled in data analysis using Geneious, R, or SAS. Experienced in applying fungicides via backpack sprayer and drip system. Demonstrated experience in using ARM software to manage field trials.

Required License or Certification: Must have valid North Carolina driver's license to drive to field experiments. Must have a North Carolina Pesticide Applicator License to apply fungicides for greenhouse and field experiments.