Job Information
Washington State University Associate in Research in West Wenatchee, Washington
Associate in Research
Online applications must be received before 12:00am on:
February 19, 2025
If a date is not listed above, review the Applicant Instructions below for more details.
Available Title(s):
321-YN_FACULTY - Associate in
Business Title:
Associate in Research
Employee Type:
Faculty (+) (Fixed Term)
Position Term:
12 Month
Position Details:
Summary of Duties:
The Associate-in-Research will design and conduct research experiments in the apple and pear breeding program orchards, and fruit lab focusing on evaluation of novel germplasm. This will require a thorough understanding of tree fruit horticulture. In addition, the incumbent must understand the scientific method for experimental design, be able to coordinate with other lab members, collaborators, and stakeholders, have the ability to supervise other project employees; have the capacity to collect, process, and analyze field and laboratory data, help in coordinating data collection and logistics, prepare project reports, and help write manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals and presentations for conferences. Performing general maintenance on experimental plantings, and field or laboratory equipment is also an expectation for this position. The incumbent will work directly with the Project Principal Investigator (PI) and stakeholders to set up field work, troubleshoot problems, answer questions, and communicate project results. In addition, the incumbent will give presentations to the tree fruit industry, co-PIs and scientific peers, and provide content for web-based platforms such as https://treefruit.wsu.edu/
Duties and Responsibilities:
85% Research
• Apply thorough knowledge of tree fruit horticulture to evaluate novel germplasm
• Coordinate and communicate with lab members, collaborators and stakeholders
• Design and conduct research experiments in the field and the lab that focus on breeding, selection and evaluation of apple scions and rootstock for pear
• Maintain and update standard operation procedures for key program protocols, and apply said protocols to all aspects of the breeding program
• Collect and organize data for sharing within the breeding team, tracking all stages to ensure accuracy
• Analyze data and translate data to appropriate audiences providing justification for proposed conclusions
• Plan materials necessary for running trials and foresee research group needs in advance
5% Outreach
• Present the program's results to industry/stakeholder audiences and scientific peers
• Contribute to existing outreach platforms such as https://treefruit.wsu.edu/
5% Supervision
• Responsible for the supervision of other project employees
5% other duties as assigned
• Miscellaneous duties related to administrative paperwork such as internal expenses reconciliation and invoicing
Required Qualifications:
• Earned Master of Science in Horticulture or related field (biological, plant or agricultural sciences); or Bachelor's degree with 2+ years of relevant experience
• Ability to design experiments and collect and analyze data.
• Strong understanding of tree fruit horticulture procedures and field management.
• Must have, or be able to obtain by time of hire, a valid driver's license and meet requirements in acco
