New

Professional Research Assistant

University of Colorado
$50000.00-$60000.00
paid time off, tuition assistance
United States, Colorado, Boulder
Sep 22, 2026
Requisition Number: 74988 Location: Boulder, Colorado City Boulder State Colorado Employment Type: Research Faculty Schedule: Full-Time Posting Close Date: 04-Oct-2026 Date Posted: 22-Sep-2026 Close All Job Summary The Eidem Lab, within the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, is seeking a Professional Research Assistant. This is a full-time (1.0 FTE), 12-month research faculty appointment, annually renewable, contingent on continued funding and performance. The Eidem Lab studies the respiratory and immune health of workers, focusing on the cannabis industry. Our NIH-funded program characterizes what workers breathe on the job, with a focus on bioaerosols, including airborne dusts, microorganisms, and allergens, and connects those exposures to biological responses in cell and animal models. Our research sits at the intersection of environmental engineering, aerosol science, microbiology, and respiratory immunology, in collaboration with investigators at CU Boulder, the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and CU Anschutz. We are hiring a research staff scientist to be a core member of this program from the ground up. In the first phase, you will work closely with the PI on field campaigns: setting up and running air sampling equipment inside cannabis facilities, collecting real-time indoor air quality data, and collecting airborne microbial and allergen samples, then processing and analyzing those samples in the lab. As the program grows, your role will expand into more molecular biology, cell culture, and animal work, so you will have room to deepen existing skills and build new ones over the life of the award. CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. Who We Are The fields of civil, environmental and architectural engineering offer careers in planning, design, construction and management of the built environment as well as in the interaction between the built and natural environment. The Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering's mission is the education of undergraduate and graduate students to become leaders in the professional practice of engineering, contributing to technological advances that benefit humankind while enhancing the earth's physical and biological resources. The Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering fosters an environment of inclusivity and celebrates the increasing diversity of our student body. We are committed to fostering inclusive excellence and have adopted priorities to guide our values and practices. What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be Field Sampling (Cannabis Facilities): Prepare, calibrate, deploy, and retrieve air sampling equipment, including button aerosol samplers with personal pumps, real-time indoor air quality monitors, and bio-aerosol samplers. Collect indoor air quality measurements, including microbial and allergen samples, during facility visits. Maintain indoor air quality datasets and sample repositories. Maintain field records, sample logs, and equipment in good working order, and troubleshoot equipment issues in the field. Coordinate visit logistics with facility contacts and the PI, and follow all site safety and PPE requirements, including respirator use as needed. Laboratory Analysis: Process environmental samples: allergen extraction, culturing and enumeration of environmental microorganisms, DNA extraction, qPCR, sequencing, and immunoassays. As the program develops, contribute to mammalian cell culture work, and following training and IACUC approval, to mouse exposure and airway studies. Prepare reagents and media, maintain aseptic technique, and operate and maintain instrumentation. Data and Lab Operations: Record data accurately and completely in lab notebooks (physical and electronic) and project databases. Maintain lab inventory and ordering, chemical and biological safety records, and equipment maintenance schedules. Support onboarding of graduate and undergraduate researchers as the group grows. Contribute to lab safety compliance, including biosafety (BSL-2), chemical hygiene, and IACUC requirements. Program Contributions: Participate in lab meetings, collaborator calls, and data discussions. Contribute to figures, methods sections, and protocols for manuscripts and reports. Present work at internal meetings and, where appropriate, at conferences. What We Can Offer The salary range for this position is $50,000 - $60,000 annually. Benefits At the University of Colorado Boulder, we are committed to supporting the holistic health and well-being of our employees. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, and retirement plans; generous paid time off; tuition assistance for you and your dependents; and an ECO Pass for local transit. As one of Boulder County's largest employers, CU Boulder offers an inspiring academic community and access to world-class outdoor recreation. In fact, CU Boulder has been named one of Forbes' America's Best Large Employers, ranking #4 among large employers in Colorado and #28 among universities nationwide. Explore additional perks and programs through the CU Advantage program. Be Statements Be resourceful. Be game-changing. Be Boulder. What We Require Bachelor's degree in molecular biology, microbiology, cell biology, biochemistry, environmental health, or a related field. 2+ years of hands-on laboratory experience in molecular biology, microbiology, or cell culture, in an academic, industry, or government setting. Research experience during a degree program counts. Demonstrated proficiency with standard molecular and microbiological methods, for example nucleic acid extraction, qPCR, aseptic technique, and culturing. Careful, organized record-keeping and comfort with electronic data tools such as spreadsheets, lab notebooks, and basic databases. Willingness and ability to travel to cannabis cultivation and processing facilities, work in environments with elevated organic dust and allergen levels, wear a respirator and other PPE as needed, and lift and carry field equipment up to approximately 40 pounds. Ability to obtain and maintain a Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED) occupational license, which requires passing a State of Colorado MED background check. This license is required for entry into and work within licensed cannabis facilities. A current license is not required to apply; the successful candidate will apply for one after hire, with support from the lab. This is expected to be completed within 10 weeks of the hire date. Valid driver's license and ability to drive to field sites. What You Will Need We are looking for someone with genuine curiosity about how things work, the grit to keep going when an experiment or a field day does not cooperate, and a drive to get it done. You take ownership of your work, ask good questions, and follow through. You are comfortable moving between a cannabis grow room and a tissue culture hood in the same week, and you are excited to build something new with an emerging research team. What We Would Like You to Have Experience with air sampling, aerosol science, or occupational or environmental exposure assessment. Experience with immunoassays, flow cytometry, or multiplex platforms such as Luminex. Experience with mammalian cell culture and, ideally, rodent handling or IACUC-regulated work. Familiarity with fungal or bacterial culturing and related molecular work, endotoxin or glucan assays, or allergen quantification. Basic data analysis and scripting skills (Excel, R, Python, or similar). Experience or interest in the cannabis industry, agricultural health, or worker health and safety. Special Instructions To apply, please submit the following materials: Resume/CV Cover Letter (Optional) Transcripts/Proof of Degree: If you are selected as the finalist, your degree will be verified by the CU Boulder Campus Human Resources Department using an approved online vendor. However, if your degree was obtained outside of the United States, please submit an English-translated version as an Optional document. During the application process, you will be asked to provide the names and email addresses for three references who would be willing to provide letters of recommendation on your behalf. We may request these letters directly from your references later in the search process - you will not be asked to provide letters at the time of application. For consideration, please apply by October 4, 2026. Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, applications must be submitted through CU Boulder Jobs. In compliance with the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, in any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.