One Soil Ecology Research Assistant to work temporarily full-time, September 2 or 15 through December 19, 2025, OR January 21 - May 1, 2026
General Research Assistants to fill two harvest and two winter season positions. Harvest Season: September 2 or 15 through December 19, 2025, Winter Season: January 6 through April 2026, or Harvest & Winter: September 2025-April 2026.
Positions Summary
Soil Ecology: We are looking for a creative, collaborative full-time research assistant for the soil ecology program. This program-specific Research Assistant will work with the Soil Ecology program to perform field and lab work related to our research. Tasks will include things such as washing soil from roots, sieving soil, threshing grains, labeling and organizing samples, weeding, supporting harvest of late-season crops, checking on greenhouse experiments, processing plant material, and performing soil analyses. The ideal candidate will bring an interest in soils, agricultural sustainability, and a relevant background in physical or biological sciences.
General Research: We are looking for two flexible individuals, preferably with full-time availability. General Research Assistants will participate in seasonal research activities across all TLI programs, including planting, harvesting, weeding, threshing, plant tissue collection, data entry, dishwashing, cleaning, and other research support tasks in the labs, field, and greenhouses. General Research Assistants are scheduled by all Land Institute research programs as needed via a weekly hourly schedule; Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. with a daily hour-long lunch break. This position offers an opportunity to gain a variety of experiences doing hands-on work. General Research assistants are expected to be flexible day-to-day and able to work indoors and outdoors, doing manual, repetitive tasks for hours at a time.
Primary Responsibilities + Expectations:
* Help researchers conduct field and lab work which may sometimes involve repetitive tasks or sitting/standing for long periods of time as well as working in extreme heat.
* Follow field and lab safety procedures and voice any safety concerns when warranted
* Participate in educational events such as research seminars, group trainings, and field trips, including in-person and virtual meetings.
* Meet regularly with mentors and engage in discussions and reflections.
* Participate in fieldwork with other staff, post-bacs, and trainees to gain experience working with multiple perennial grain crops.
* Ask questions, share interests, and engage with the soil ecology team or the research support team
Who You Are:
* At the start of the position, you must be at least 16 years of age
* Interest in agriculture, ecology, and soils
* Intellectual curiosity and commitment to lifelong learning
* Good communication skills, both written and oral
* Basic math skills and numerical literacy
* Computer literacy: able to use word processing and spreadsheet applications
* Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of variables in situations where some guidance and standardization exist
* Ability to follow instructions, including written safety warnings
* Legible handwriting and accurate labeling are required skills
* Ability and willingness to provide and/or diligently use provided personal health and protective equipment or supplies, including drinking water, sunscreen, shade hat, insect repellent, and shoes and clothing appropriate for field work
* Demonstrate accuracy and thoroughness; look for ways to improve and promote quality
* Ability to develop, maintain, and honor relationships with diverse groups of people and partners
* Ability to work well with others throughout the organization to build positive teamwork
* Prioritize and plan work activities; use time effectively
* Consistently at work and on time; punctual; ensure that work responsibilities are covered when absent
* Follow policies and procedures; complete administrative tasks correctly and on time; support organizational goals and values
* Willing to adjust schedule to meet the demands of the organization
* Mission Driven : You are passionate about the mission of The Land Institute and are interested in aligning your skills and personal genius to benefit this work.
* Courageous : You do not retreat or shy away from hard things. You face challenges and conflict with professionalism, grace, and resolve.
* A Boundary Spanner : You bring an interdisciplinary skill set and you model self-awareness in your own preferences. You are motivated to always be learning and you adapt to span boundaries with people across a range of different perspectives.
* Inspiring and Inspired: You are inspired by the people around you, finding and harnessing the genius in your colleagues to meet the organizational objectives, and you are inspiring to others through example and your own genius applied.
* Growth Mindset: You have the vulnerability to know what you don't know, admit your flaws, and learn from others to grow and develop yourself and the organization.
* A Creative Collaborato r: You believe in the power of a diverse collective to generate ideas and solutions. You excel at strategic thinking, being open to new perspectives, and managing innovation. You bring a playful, positive approach to the work and like meeting new people and deepening connections with those you already know.
* Excited by change : You embrace nascent and evolving situations and enjoy engaging new people, ideas, and possibilities. You think about change holistically: internal, external, organizational, and cultural. You like iterating systems, building efficiency, and operationalizing design. You are willing to jump in and contribute to new projects as needed.
Qualifications that could help you succeed:
* Experience with soil, chemistry, or an agriculture-related field, and lab work
* Experience as part of a research lab or conducting an independent project
* Familiarity with spreadsheets, data entry, and repetitive data collection tasks
Hours
Work days generally run from Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM but may occasionally need to be adjusted to accommodate weather and/or field tasks, particularly in the summer.
Location + Travel
This role is based at the Land Institute's main campus in Salina, KS. Occasional travel to conferences and to visit or assist other collaborators may be necessary. You must be able to provide your own transportation to 2440 E Water Well Rd each day and you must be willing to carpool in company vehicles to field sites and comply with seatbelt laws.
Environmental + Working Conditions
This work also involves many repetitive physical tasks both in and outdoors, often in adverse weather conditions. Kansas weather is highly variable and can be uncomfortable for months at a time, especially with high humidity and temperatures coupled with limited access to shade or air conditioning. While we are mindful and intentional about our exposure to these conditions, they can be challenging and require good body awareness and proactive measures to protect oneself from dehydration and over-exposure to the sun. You must be prepared to take these measures and have the endurance to work in a challenging physical environment. We feel that the best of human company makes this work rewarding and even fun despite the degrees, but that does not make it easy.
* Prolonged periods of working outdoors in adverse conditions, including temperatures in excess of 95֯F
* Work in exposed field and laboratory research settings.
* Work in a general office environment.
* Demonstrate sustained physical fitness and the ability to lift 60 pounds safely and without assistance
The compensation range is $14-18 per hour, dependent on experience, with limited benefits, including the following:
* Housing: When available, shared staff housing is provided at no cost for the temporary duration of employment
* Paid sick time hours
* Monthly cell phone stipend
* Paid holidays
To Apply: Interested applicants can apply for General and Soil Ecology positions and one or both seasons for a four-month or eight-month position during our fall harvest and winter research seasons.
Submit a resume along with a letter of interest that addresses the following questions:
* Please indicate which position(s) you are interested in and include your dates/times of availability.
* Why are you interested in this position?
* What are some things you would like to gain from this position?
* What experience might help you be successful in this role?
The Land Institute is an equal opportunity employer and embraces the opportunity to provide employment to qualified individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. We are pleased to provide reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
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