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Faculty Research Assistant

Oregon State University

Oregon State University

Department: Food Innovation Center (AFC)

Appointment Type: Academic Faculty

Job Location: Portland

Recommended Full-Time Salary Range: Salary is commensurate with skills, education, and experience

Job Summary:

The Food Innovation Center invites applications for a full-time (1.00 FTE ), 12-month, fixed-term Faculty Research Assistant position. Reappointment is at the discretion of the Department Head.

The Food Innovation Center (FIC ) Experiment Station is an off-campus unit of the OSU Agricultural Experiment Station and is in downtown Portland. The FIC Experiment Station supports mission-oriented research in the areas of food product development, consumer sensory science, and food safety. FIC is also home to the Western Regional Center to Enhance Food Safety (WRCEFS ); grant funded by the US Department of Agriculture. The Faculty Research Assistant will assist WRCEFS and FIC's Food Safety Program. This position involves communication and coordination of FSMA -related activities among regional stakeholders, and partners from 15 states/territories in the Western U.S., website improvements and maintenance, and social media development and maintenance to promote and disseminate WRCEFS and FIC Food Safety Program work. The incumbent will also collect/provide objective, science-based information related to the Food Safety Program; engage in scholarly activities, conducting research, contributing to, and writing manuscripts; and extension and outreach efforts. Other activities may include working with client-services programs on shelf-life studies and potential research projects/contracts addressing food safety.

College of Agricultural Sciences (CAS ) faculty are committed to enhancing student success by engaging students in quality academic, research, internships, global studies, and other experiential learning opportunities. There is an expectation that, as part of your role in the college, you embody and advance the principles and practices conveyed in the CAS CARE Commitment document.

Oregon State University is committed to creating and maintaining compassionate and inclusive learning and working environments for all learners, visitors, and employees. We envision collaborative community environments that enhance civility and embrace diversity. All employees are responsible for achieving this commitment. This commitment includes, but is not limited to, complying with Civil Rights and Language Access regulations. In addition, this individual will design, develop, maintain and/or carry out Extension programs to ensure that educational programs and outreach activities serve diverse populations, including those that have been historically marginalized/excluded from participation.

Please visit the following webpages for more information on our commitment to inclusive excellence: OSU Extension Service https://extension.oregonstate.edu/about/diversity-equity-inclusion

OSU Moving Forward Together https://leadership.oregonstate.edu/president/moving-forward-together

Why OSU?

Working for Oregon State University is so much more than a job!

Oregon State University is a dynamic community of dreamers, doers, problem-solvers and change-makers. We don't wait for challenges to present themselves - we seek them out and take them on. We welcome students, faculty and staff from every background and perspective into a community where everyone feels seen and heard. We have deep-rooted mindfulness for the natural world and all who depend on it, and together, we apply knowledge, tools and skills to build a better future for all.

FACTS :

• Top 1.4% university in the world

• More research funding than all public universities in Oregon combined

• 1 of 3 land, sea, space and sun grant universities in the U.S.

• 2 campuses, 11 colleges, 12 experiment stations, and Extension programs in all 36 counties

• 7 https://hr.oregonstate.edu/work-life/diversity-and-cultural-resources that offer education, celebration and belonging for everyone

• 100+ undergraduate degree programs, 80+ graduate degrees plus hundreds of minor options and certificates

• 35k+ students including more than 2.3k international students and 10k students of color

• 217k+ alumni worldwide

• For more interesting facts about OSU visit: https://oregonstate.edu/about

Locations:

Oregon State has a statewide presence with campuses in Corvallis and Bend, the OSU Portland Center and the Hatfield Marine Science Center on the Pacific Coast in Newport.

Oregon State's beautiful, historic and state-of-the-art main campus is located in one of America's best college towns. Corvallis is located close to the Pacific Ocean, the Cascade mountains and Oregon wine country. Nestled in the heart of the Willamette Valley, this beautiful city offers miles of mountain biking and hiking trails, a river perfect for boating or kayaking and an eclectic downtown featuring local cuisine, popular events and performances.

Total Rewards Package:

Oregon State University offers a https://hr.oregonstate.edu/benefits/prospective-employee with benefits eligible positions that is designed to meet the needs of employees and their families including:

• Medical, Dental, Vision and Basic Life. OSU pays 95% of premiums for you and your eligible dependents.

• Free confidential mental health and emotional support services, and counseling resources.

• Retirement savings paid by the university.

• A generous paid leave package, including holidays, vacation and sick leave.

• Tuition reduction benefits for you or your qualifying dependents at OSU or the additional six Oregon Public Universities.

• Robust Work Life programs including Dual Career assistance resources, flexible work arrangements, a Family Resource Center, Affinity Groups and an Employee Assistance Program.

• Optional lifestyle benefits such as pet, accident, and critical illness insurance, giving you peace of mind and the support you need to thrive in all aspects of your life.

Future and current OSU employees can use the https://hr.oregonstate.edu/benefits/new-employees/benefits-calculator to learn more about the full value of the benefits provided at OSU .

Key Responsibilities

50% WRCEFS Project Coordination Independently develop, conduct, and document protocols and research activities associated with the grant-funded Western Regional Center to Enhance Food Safety project. Expected to collect research data on pre and post-tests, draw conclusions from data analyses and participate in scholarly reporting of findings. Responsible for authoring or contributing to publishable work, and annual reports and associated progress updates for project partners and sponsor agencies. May be expected to present results and project progress at related food safety conferences, workshops or seminars, and assist with and participate in annual and regional meetings. Assist with evaluation of program objectives and workshops, and analyses of evaluation data.

20% FIC Food Safety Program Coordination Develop, conduct and participate in food safety research and training activities throughout Oregon in conjunction with food safety students and personnel; participate in scholarly activities, conduct research, contribute to and author publications; train and supervise students in food safety and microbiology methodologies; ensure laboratory cleanliness, conduct periodic equipment inspection, perform preventative maintenance and basic laboratory analyses; perform statistical analyses of data using standard software programs; provide accurate and actionable reports with conclusions and recommendations resulting from the research findings; and ensure projects are delivered to successful completion.

15% Shelf-Life Studies and Quality Analysis Assistance
Responsible for assisting with shelf-life storage studies including participation in taste testing of samples, implementation and execution of product evaluations, analytical measurements, data entry, and referral to external facilities when FIC is unable to perform necessary testing.
Work effectively with affiliated staff working within the shelf-life and food quality testing programs.

Assist with development of standard operating procedures for the shelf-life and quality analysis program.

10% Food Safety Training and Workshops Assist with the development and delivery of workshops, short courses, seminars and lectures in food safety, and work with senior food scientists, research program managers, research project leader, and other food industry professionals in addressing food safety issues.
5% Other Duties
Other duties may include assignment to programs and operations of the FIC facilities and the FIC Experiment Station as requested by the supervisor. This may be participation in institutional and building committees, special projects, as well as communicating with project leaders, program specialists, and inter-agency collaborators at the FIC .

Support the College of Agricultural Science's Commitment to Inclusive Excellence. This may be accomplished through a combination of community projects, mentoring student workers or interns, and continuing education events and trainings.

What You Will Need

Bachelor's degree in food science, microbiology, or related field.
2 years of experience working in a microbiology laboratory environment.
Experience with a variety of microorganisms and diverse microbiological techniques.
Demonstrated ability to communicate technical information successfully and inclusively, both in writing and verbally, with a diverse audience.
Demonstrated ability to work as part of a team and show a willingness to promote teamwork.
Record of actively contributing to a respectful, safe, and inclusive work environment.
Comfortable learning and adapting educational curricula/materials.
This position is designated as a critical or security-sensitive position; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a criminal history check and be determined to be position qualified as per University Standard: 05-010 et seq. Incumbents are required to self-report convictions and those in youth programs may have additional criminal history checks every 24 months.

What We Would Like You to Have

MS in food microbiology, food science or related field.
Prior BSL -2 laboratory experience, including experience with various foodborne pathogens.
2 years of experience working in the food or beverage industry, ideally in quality and food safety roles.
Experience in various molecular techniques for individual isolates of microorganisms or communities, including 16S metabarcoding, Sanger sequencing, whole genome sequencing, and/or metagenomic sequencing.
Experience working with teams with range of technical experience and skills.
Prior experience training co-workers in technical laboratory skills and safety procedures.
Experience with outreach (presentations, posters) and food safety trainings such as PCQI , HACCP , PSA etc.

Working Conditions / Work Schedule

Primary research/laboratory duties are conducted in several restricted-access BSL -1 and BSL -2 microbiology laboratories.

Typical work schedule is expected to be a 40-hr Monday-Friday work week; however, flexibility in hours and days will be required to support research project requirements and occasionally require weekend or evening work. Position may be required to travel to meetings and conferences. Employee in this position must be able to lift, carry, push, and pull objects weighting up to 50 pounds.

Special Instructions to Applicants

When applying you will be required to attach the following electronic documents: 1) A resume/CV; and

2) A cover letter indicating how your qualifications and experience have prepared you for this position.

You will also be required to submit the names of at least three professional references, their e-mail addresses and telephone numbers as part of the application process.

For additional information please contact: Jovana Kovacevic
jovana.kovacevic@oregonstate.edu

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability, protected veteran, and other protected status.

OSU will conduct a review of the National Sex Offender Public website prior to hire.

OSU is a fair chance employer committed to inclusive hiring. We encourage applications from candidates who bring a wide range of lived experience including involvement with the justice system. This job has “critical or security-sensitive” responsibilities. If you are selected as a finalist, your initial job offer will be contingent upon the results of a job-related pre-employment check (such as a background check, motor vehicle history check, sexual misconduct reference check, etc.). Background check results do not automatically disqualify a candidate. Take a look at our https://hr.oregonstate.edu/careers/background-checks website including the https://hr.oregonstate.edu/careers/candidates section for more details. If you have questions or concerns about the pre-employment check, please contact OSU's Employee and Labor Relations team at employee.relations@oregonstate.edu.

To apply, please visit: https://apptrkr.com/6223024

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