<p>Lab Assistant</p> <p>Job Description</p> <p>Join our team as a Lab Assistant, where you will focus on daily greenhouse and growth chamber activities. This role involves hands-on tasks including planting, pollinating, tissue sampling, pest and disease scouting, harvesting, threshing, and maintaining the cleanliness and safety of the facility. You will primarily work with soybean plants in a controlled environment, rather than a traditional lab setting.</p> <p>Responsibilities</p> <ul> <li>Conduct daily greenhouse and growth chamber activities such as planting, pollinating, and tissue sampling. </li><li>Perform pest and disease scouting and manage plant health. </li><li>Harvest, thresh, and discard plants as needed. </li><li>Maintain the cleanliness and sanitation of growth chambers. </li><li>Collect tissue samples from soybean plants for DNA analysis. </li><li>Water, pot soil, and care for all plants within the growth chamber. </li><li>Replant samples after data review. </li><li>Assist in operating the soybean threshing machine. </li><li>Plate samples for testing by the Molecular Marker group. </li><li>Clean the facility and perform basic duties as assigned. </li><li>Maintain plants through trimming, training, and node cleaning. </li><li>Conduct cross-pollination and manage plant discard processes. </li></ul> <p>Essential Skills</p> <ul> <li>Experience in horticulture, greenhouse operations, plant care, agriculture, botany, biology, and plant genetics. </li><li>Knowledge of tissue collection, transplanting, and plant biotechnology. </li><li>Ability to work with soybeans, wheat, pollen, and dust. </li></ul> <p>Additional Skills & Qualifications</p> <ul> <li>Associates or Bachelors degree in Life Science (Horticulture, Agriculture, Agricultural Studies) or a minimum of 6 months of greenhouse or field experience. </li><li>Comfortable working in a greenhouse environment with plants. </li><li>Understanding that this is a non-lab, physical role. </li></ul> <p>Job Type & Location</p> <p>This is a Contract position based out of Johnston, IA.</p> <p>Pay and Benefits</p> <p>The pay range for this position is $20.00 - $20.00/hr.</p> <p>Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:</p> <ul> <li>Medical, dental & vision </li><li>Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital </li><li>401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available </li><li>Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) </li><li>Short and long-term disability </li><li>Health Spending Account (HSA) </li><li>Transportation benefits </li><li>Employee Assistance Program </li><li>Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave) </li></ul> <p>Workplace Type</p> <p>This is a fully onsite position in Johnston,IA.</p> <p>Application Deadline</p> <p>This position is anticipated to close on Apr 16, 2026.</p> <p>Diversity, Equity & Inclusion</p> <p>At Actalent, diversity and inclusion are a bridge towards the equity and success of our people. DE&I is embedded into our culture through:</p> <ul> <li>Hiring diverse talent </li><li>Maintaining an inclusive environment through persistent self-reflection </li><li>Building a culture of care, engagement, and recognition with clear outcomes </li><li>Ensuring growth opportunities for our people </li></ul> <p>Actalent is an equal opportunity employer.</p> <p>About Actalent</p> <p>Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services. For more than 40 years, we've helped visionary companies advance their goals. Headquartered in the United States, our teams span 150 offices across North America, EMEA, and APAC-with four delivery centers in India led by 1,000+ extraordinary employees who connect their passion with purpose every day.</p> <p>Our Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, and Chennai delivery centers are hubs of engineering expertise, with core capabilities in mechanical and electrical engineering, systems and software, and manufacturing engineering. Our teams deliver work across multiple industries including transportation, consumer and industrial products, and life sciences. We serve more than 4,500 clients, including many Fortune 500 brands. Learn more about how we can work together at actalentservices.com.</p>