Azura Consulting LLC Fisheries Laboratory Technician (Lipid Chemistry) Newport, OR · Full time Company website

Apply for Fisheries Laboratory Technician (Lipid Chemistry)

Azura Consulting LLC (Azura) is a woman-owned small business offering 'big city' resources with 'small town' customer service. Our primary consulting services are focused on natural resources, professional writing and editing, and educational outreach and communication. We are a diverse team of expert scientists, professional writers and editors, and informal educators who are passionate about our work and dedicated to our clients' needs and employee satisfaction. Through great attention to detail, and a bit of wit, we provide innovative solutions and high-quality products that empower our clients to meet their consulting needs. Azura is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of any status or condition protected by applicable federal or state law. We strongly encourage all qualified persons to apply.

Azura is seeking a Fisheries Laboratory Technician to support a 5-year, NOAA Fisheries (NMFS), Integrated Ecosystem Research Program (IERP) project investigating food web effects on species distribution and interactions in the Northern Bering Sea (NBS). The NMFS NBS IERP project is led by Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) scientists at Auke Bay Laboratories in Juneau, Alaska and the Hatfield Marine Research Center (HMSC) in Newport, Oregon.

Place of Performance and Work Schedule

 

Work is to be conducted at a NMFS lab located on the HMSC campus at 2030 SE Marine Science Drive, Newport, Oregon. The position is full-time (40 hours per week, Monday through Friday) during normal operating hours of the facility. The estimated start date is September 30, 2026 (pending security investigation).

 

Travel to Auke Bay Laboratories in Juneau, Alaska, for approximately 1 week per year is required. Participation in annual 2-week oceanographic research surveys is optional. Eligible overtime hours will be compensated in accordance with applicable federal and state labor laws.

 

This position is not open to visa sponsorship or relocation assistance.

 

Compensation and Benefits

• Pay: $27.00/hour
• Competitive benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance; 401k with employer match; life and disability insurance; and paid time off for vacation, sick leave, and company-observed holidays.

 

Duties

 

The primary objective of this position is to perform a variety of technical duties and activities across three core tasks: lipid chemistry, biological sample processing and preparation, and field work.

 

Task 1 – Lipid Chemistry

 

The employee shall:

 

• Prepare reagents and solutions;
• Clean laboratory glassware and equipment;
• Maintain a clean, orderly, and safe laboratory environment;
• Label and organize sample containers and vials;
• Maintain accurate sample inventories and records;
• Perform data entry and quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC);
• Chemically extract and quantify total lipid content from marine biological samples;
• Analyze total lipids and lipid classes in marine biological samples using thin layer chromatography with flame ionization detection (TLC_FID);
• Convert marine lipid samples to fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) using acid catalyzed transesterification; and
• Analyze fatty acids in marine food web samples using gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC_FID).

 

Task 2 – Biological Sample Processing and Preparation

 

The employee shall provide biological laboratory support for processing crab, fish, and zooplankton samples and preparing biological samples for further analysis. Protocols will be provided and must be followed to ensure data integrity over the length of the project.

 

The employee shall:

 

• Inventory, organize, and label marine biological samples arriving at the laboratory;
• Measure length and weight of marine organisms;
• Extract otoliths, stomachs, and tissue samples for age, diet, energetic, genetic, and isotope analysis; and
• Homogenize and prepare marine organisms for chemical analysis.

 

Task 3 – Fisheries Field Support

 

The employee will have the option to participate in an annual 2-week NBS fisheries research survey to assist in the collection of marine fish and invertebrate samples and oceanographic data. While field work participation is not required, it will be encouraged for an incumbent who is interested in and available for sea duty. All at-sea sampling protocols, roles, and responsibilities will be determined by the survey’s chief scientist.

 

Required Qualifications

 

• A college degree is not required for this position.
• Strong organizational, analytical, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Ability and aptitude to perform repetitive, precise laboratory work on a daily basis.
• Ability to follow written protocols and standard operating procedures and to operate scientific equipment and instruments.
• Ability to maintain accurate sample inventories and records.
• Experience using technical equipment and instruments.
• Experience organizing, evaluating, analyzing, and reporting data.
• Experience with data entry and QA/QC.
• Proficiency with Google Workspace and Microsoft Word, Excel, and Access.
• Ability to obtain a Public Trust Clearance, which requires successfully completing a background investigation.

 

Preferred Qualifications

 

• Completion of college-level chemistry coursework and/or a Bachelor of Science degree in natural science, biology, fisheries, oceanography, chemistry, or a related field.
• At least one year of experience working in both chemistry and biology laboratories.
• Working knowledge of chemistry standards, quality control, calculations, and data management.
• Working knowledge of and aptitude for applying techniques, methods, scientific terminology, and procedures within a technical laboratory environment.
• Experience processing larval or juvenile marine fish, including measuring lengths and weights; dissecting and removing stomachs and otoliths; and collecting tissue samples.
• Experience organizing field and laboratory data, including performing quality control procedures.
• Experience working at sea aboard a research or commercial fishing vessel.

 

Instructions

• Click the link above or at the bottom of the page to apply.
• The application will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete.
• If you want to provide more information for any of your responses, please use the Applicant Comment section to elaborate.
• You will need to provide 2 to 4 references with contact information (name, email, and phone number).
• Application Review: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Priority consideration will be given to applications received by September 4th. Applications received after this date may still be considered.
• Required Documents:
• Cover Letter - 1 page that specifies the position to which you are applying; your earliest available start date; and your level of knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience as they pertain to the key responsibilities and desired strengths of this position. Label this file as Lastname-Firstname_Cover Letter_IERP Tech.
• Resume/CV - 3 pages or less targeted specifically towards the duties and qualifications of this position. Label this file as Lastname-Firstname_Resume (OR CV)_IERP Tech.

Thank you for applying. Azura Consulting LLC (Azura) is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of any status or condition protected by applicable federal or state law. We strongly encourage all qualified persons to apply for this position.

 

Review Process

 

This recruitment process can take several weeks. Once we narrow the applicants, we conduct virtual interviews with chosen applicants and make a final selection. The chosen candidate then undergoes a federal background investigation which often takes 6 to 16 weeks; the candidate either passes or fails based on NOAA's regulations. Contingent upon satisfactory completion of this investigation and United States work authorization verification, Azura will formally offer the position to the preferred applicant. If the applicant fails this investigation, the next applicant who meets the position's criteria will be contacted. Azura will notify all other applicants if they are not chosen for the position.

 

Please be advised that applicants will not receive an email confirmation upon submission. Azura kindly requests that candidates refrain from contacting the company to inquire about the status of their application. All applications will be reviewed and considered. Azura reserves the right to close job postings at any time once a sufficient number of qualified applicants has been identified.

 

About Azura

  

Azura is a woman-owned small business headquartered in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. We offer 'big city' resources with 'small town' customer service. Our primary consulting services are focused on natural resources, professional writing and editing, and educational outreach and communication. Please see our website for more information. www.azuraco.com