Research Technician

Rice University•Houston, TX

1d•$19 - $23•Onsite

About The Position

The Rice WaTER Institute (https://water.rice.edu) and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (https://cee.rice.edu) invite applications for a Research Technician position in Prof. Qilin Li’s Lab (https://profiles.rice.edu/faculty/qilin-li). The initial appointment will be one year, renewed annually contingent on funding and performance. The Research Technician will support bench to pilot scale testing of water and wastewater treatment processes and systems in Prof. Qilin Li’s laboratory in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rice University. This is a benefits-eligible, full-time position funded by grant, soft, and/or restricted funds; however, part-time employment (minimum 20 hours per week) will be considered. The appointment is for one year. The ideal candidate is a dependable, detail-oriented individual with basic training or experience in laboratory, environmental, or water-related work. They are comfortable assisting with experimental systems, collecting samples, performing routine measurements, and following established protocols. Strong organizational skills, accurate data entry, a willingness to learn, and the ability to work well in a collaborative research environment are essential. This position is exclusively on-site, necessitating all duties to be performed in-person. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

Requirements

Associate’s degree
Three or more (3+) years of experience supporting research and technical environments
Experience or training in chemical engineering, environmental engineering, or a related technical field
Basic knowledge and related technics of water and wastewater quality analysis
Ability to perform simple data analysis (e.g., data entry, basic calculations, and plotting data figures) using Excel and/or other data analytics tools
Comfortable working with laboratory or pilot-scale experimental systems
Strong attention to detail and ability to follow experimental protocols rigorously

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree
Experience with electrodialysis, electrochemical systems, or membrane processes
Familiarity with water quality analysis methods
Previous laboratory or pilot-scale system experience

Responsibilities

Operate, maintain, and optimize wastewater treatment prototype systems and carry out on-site and field testing
Conduct bench-scale experiments
Collect and analyze water samples from test systems
Perform system troubleshooting as needed
Perform basic water and wastewater quality analytical measurements
Collect, analyze, and report experimental data
Assist with project reporting