We're Hiring!

Position Function:

Laboratory Technician who will assist with various insect surveys and museum curatorial projects. Tasks range from trap preparation/collection, specimen prep, curation, data entry, and imaging. The Technician will also assist student workers with lab activities.

Salary Grade:  09

Please see Staff Compensation Structure or Skilled Crafts and Service Maintenance Compensation Schedule for salary ranges.  For salary grade UC, these positions are "Unclassified" and salary ranges are determined by the hiring department.

Department Profile:

The Department of Agricultural Science and Plant Protection has academic, research, and Extension education missions within the land-grant tradition. The department includes expertise in entomology, plant pathology, weed science, and interdisciplinary agricultural science and supports undergraduate, graduate, research, and statewide Extension programs.

Area of Specialization:

Insect specimen preparation in an Entomological Museum setting.

Anticipated Appointment Date:

September 2026. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Prepares insects traps and lures of various types for placement in the field.
• Sets up lab equipment and supplies and ensures proper operation.
• Prepares insect specimens for museum storage.
• Maintains a high degree of organization as it pertains to categorizing specimens and inputting their data.
• May assist students with occasional fieldwork when shorthanded.
• Practices good safety control methods.
• Performs miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned.
• Digitizes specimen label data
• Images specimens

Minimum Qualifications:

• High school diploma or GED.
• Relevant Experience (yrs.): 1 years plus the education listed above.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree
• Prior work experience in an entomological museum
• Coursework relevant to biology, entomology, insect taxonomy, statistics, cartographic sciences, spermatophyte taxonomy, forest measurements, and biogeography
• Intermediate to advanced experience with Microsoft Office, especially Microsoft Excel.
• Experience with Digital Photography

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Familiarity with trap designs used in invasive insect surveying and procedures for their establishment and retrieval
• General knowledge of insect taxonomy, identification and dissection with a particular emphasis on invasive species.
• Experience in operation of compound and dissecting microscopes along with laboratory procedure.
• Excellent organization skills and dealing with large sets of data.
• Excellent computer skills such related to spreadsheets and word processing.
• Excellent interpersonal, communications, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to prioritize competing demands and meet deadlines.
• Ability to innovate and work as a team member.
• Ability to anticipate barriers to project completion; plan and manage contingencies.

Working Conditions and Physical Effort

• Requires limited lifting of files, records, and insect drawers.
• Fieldwork requires ability to drive and includes exposure to the outdoors and associated unpredictable weather.
• Frequent, external imposed deadlines; set and revised beyond one’s control; interruptions influence priorities; difficult to anticipate nature or volume of work with certainty beyond a few days; meeting of deadlines and coordination of unrelated activities are key to position.
• Job frequently requires walking, sitting, reaching, talking, hearing, handling objects with hands.
• Travel throughout Mississippi or other states to various events and field sites may be necessary with some overnight stays required on occasion.

Instructions for Applying:

Link to apply:  http://explore.msujobs.msstate.edu/

Applications must be submitted through the Human Resources
Management website at https://www.jobs.msstate.edu by completing the Support Staff
application and submitting a cover letter, resume, and three references.
For additional questions, please contact Swayze Hollenhead sh1270@msstate.edu

Screening Date:

September 9, 2026, until filled. 

Restricted Clause:

Position is contingent upon continued availability of funding.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

Mississippi State University is an equal opportunity institution. Discrimination is prohibited in university employment, programs or activities based on race, color, ethnicity, sex, pregnancy, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, or any other status to the extent protected by applicable law. Questions about equal opportunity programs or compliance should be directed to the Office of Civil Rights Compliance, 231 Famous Maroon Band Street, P.O. 6044, Mississippi State, MS 39762, (662) 325-5839.

What do I do if I need an accommodation?

In compliance with the ADA Amendments Act (ADA), if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation in order to apply for a position with Mississippi State University, please contact the Department of Human Resources Management at tel: (662) 325-3713 or ada@hrm.msstate.edu.

If you have any questions regarding this policy, contact the Department of Human Resources Management at (662) 325-3713 or ada@hrm.msstate.edu. Upon request, sections of this job listing are available in large print, and readers are available to assist the visually impaired.