Overview
About the Role
With over 84,000 plants representing about 27,000 taxa, The Huntington is home to one of largest and most diverse collections of living plants in the world. Our biodiverse living collections provide an opportunity to interpret the wide variety of plant life for educational, conservation, research, and display purposes.
The Huntington is seeking a full-time conservation horticulture technician for the cryobiotechnology program, which is one of two research focal areas for the Botanical Division. The job entails a wide range of laboratory activities related to the tissue culture process including making media, initiating plants into the tissue culture system, maintaining a clean laboratory environment, maintaining an in vitro repository of plants, and assisting with the design and execution of controlled experiments.
S/he/they will demonstrate a background of working directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic, geographic and socioeconomic backgrounds, using a welcoming, inclusive, and accessible approach.
Essential Duties
- Assists Cryopreservation Research Botanist under both direct and indirect supervision by working in the Cryobiotechnology labs. Primary duties include preparing media, initiating plant tissue into culture, and assisting with staff research projects (micropropagation, seed and pollen germination tests and cryopreservation experiments).
- Follows SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures), keep exact, detailed records, and collect data.
- Maintains an inventory of chemicals, media, and stock solutions, and safely disposes chemical and biological waste
- Actively propagates living collections through tissue culture system and some greenhouse operations.
- Maintains the in vitro repositories of plants
- Interaction with other staff, Huntington members, and other visitors.
- Some light field work in garden to collect plant material.
Other Functions
- Other duties as assigned.
Candidate Requirements and Experience
Knowledge, skills, and abilities:
- Degree (BS or MS) in horticulture, botany or biology strongly preferred.
- Background working with plants in a scientific setting.
Experience
- Plant tissue culture experience required, other laboratory experience a plus.
Working Conditions
- Will primarily work indoors in the Cryobiotechnology labs (Prep & Tissue Culture Lab, Crotty Conservation Lab, and Edison Light Lab), but may work outside in garden or nursery setting
- Must be able to stand for long periods, stoop, bend, lift up to 25 lbs.
Compensation & Benefits
We provide competitive compensation, generous benefits and perks for all eligible employees including:
- Pay Range: $20-$22/hr. Negotiable and commensurate on experience.
- Medical, Dental, Vision
- 403(b) basic retirement plan and optional matching retirement plan with an outstanding employer match
- Hybrid remote work schedule available for applicable positions
- Considerable paid time off, including annual leave, sick leave, and holidays
- Discounts for staff in The Huntington Store and restaurants
- Access to the Museums Council pass, which grants free admission to various museums and cultural institutions
- Free passes each month to welcome family and friends to visit the grounds
The Application Process
Please submit a cover letter and CV/resume as a single PDF attachment.
You will have the opportunity to submit additional documents on the “My Experience” section of the application.