Student Help Desk Assistant
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Job Location:
Lawrence, KS - USA
Monthly Salary:
Not Disclosed
Posted on:
Yesterday
Vacancies:
1 Vacancy
Job Summary
35% Test Specify Software Across Platforms
Disclaimer
The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color ethnicity religion sex national origin age ancestry disability status as a veteran sexual orientation marital status parental status gender identity gender expression and genetic information in the universitys programs and activities. Retaliation is also prohibited by university policy. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies and is the Title IX coordinator for all KU and KUMC campuses: Associate Vice Chancellor for Civil Rights and Title IX Room 1082 Dole Human Development Center 1000 Sunnyside Avenue Lawrence KSTTY.
Work Schedule
14-20 hours during semester up to 40 summers
Contact Information to Applicants
Theresa Miller
Position Overview
Jump in with the Biodiversity Institute Specify Software team () to take on various software support activities as part of an engaged supportive and friendly workgroup of professional support staff software engineers students and museum scientists.
This position focuses on testing Specify software reproducing reported issues validating bug fixes and helping ensure that new features meet functional expectations. You will gain handson experience with modern software testing practices datadriven applications and realworld scientific workflows. No prior experience with Specify Software or research software is necessary as we provide comprehensive training and mentoring as part of our mission to provide the worlds museums with software for documenting Earths plant and animal species and geologic makeup.
This is NOT a software development or IT position; no programming experience is required and no code development will be involved.
We believe that if you are smart curious friendly and detail-oriented you will find this role both meaningful and enjoyable.
Additional Candidate Instruction
To submit a complete application please submit a resume and cover letter along with the online application.
To ensure consideration apply before the application review starts on Monday 3/30/2026.A review of applications will continue and is ongoing until a pool of qualified candidates is identified.
Position Requirements
During the semester term of the appointment the student hourly must be enrolled in no fewer than 6 credit hours. For summer periods the student hourly must: (1) have been enrolled in no less than 6 hours in the past spring semester or (2) be pre-enrolled in the upcoming fall semester in no less than 6 hours or (3) be enrolled in summer session or (4) be admitted to study in the upcoming fall semester. Student Hourlies may be undergraduate or graduate students. (Exceptions granted for GRA/GTA/GA appointments DO NOT apply to Student Hourly appointments).
Employment Conditions
(1) Student employees are not eligible for remote work arrangements unless an exception is approved by the unit leadership and HR.
(2) This is an hourly/non-exempt position. A student employee cannot hold an hourly/non-exempt position and a salaried/exempt graduate or undergraduate position (GRA/GTA/GA/RUA/RGA) concurrently.
(3)Must be available to work a minimum of 14 hours per week during the Fall and Spring semesters and have the ability to commit to a weekly schedule (around coursework obligations) which can be flexible and be changed as needed during the hours of 8 AM-5 PM Monday through Friday. Must be available starting Summer 2026. Planned vacations and breaks from campus are fine.
- Execute test cases for new features and bug fixes.
- Perform functional usability and exploratory testing.
- Reproduce issues reported by users or developers.
- Examine issues reported by researchers and clarify steps to reproduce them.
- Gather relevant details to support developer troubleshooting.
- Create and update issue reports using GitHub and other channels.
- Communicate findings clearly to the development and support teams.
- Learn how natural history museums manage scientific data.
- Build understanding of data structures workflows and software behavior.
- Contribute to internal testing documentation.
- Assist with special projects administrative reports and related tasks as assigned.
Disclaimer
The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race color ethnicity religion sex national origin age ancestry disability status as a veteran sexual orientation marital status parental status gender identity gender expression and genetic information in the universitys programs and activities. Retaliation is also prohibited by university policy. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies and is the Title IX coordinator for all KU and KUMC campuses: Associate Vice Chancellor for Civil Rights and Title IX Room 1082 Dole Human Development Center 1000 Sunnyside Avenue Lawrence KSTTY.
Work Schedule
14-20 hours during semester up to 40 summers
Contact Information to Applicants
Theresa Miller
- Undergraduate student in good standing at the University of Kansas. (No graduate students please).
- Eligible for Federal Work Study.
- Previous experience which required strong communication skills as evident in application materials.
- Prior work experience with detail-oriented work as evident in application materials.
- Previous work experience requiring the usage of Windows macOS or Linux operating systems as evident in application materials.
- Demonstrated experience with or knowledge of spreadsheet or database software as evident by application materials.
- Demonstrated experience with or knowledge of with museum practices especially databasing practicesas evident by application materials.
- Previous experience requiring interacting openly and communicatingclearly with teammates and prioritizing scheduling and completingproject tasks.
- Previous experience requiring strong problem-solving skills and learning quickly.
Position Overview
Jump in with the Biodiversity Institute Specify Software team () to take on various software support activities as part of an engaged supportive and friendly workgroup of professional support staff software engineers students and museum scientists.
This position focuses on testing Specify software reproducing reported issues validating bug fixes and helping ensure that new features meet functional expectations. You will gain handson experience with modern software testing practices datadriven applications and realworld scientific workflows. No prior experience with Specify Software or research software is necessary as we provide comprehensive training and mentoring as part of our mission to provide the worlds museums with software for documenting Earths plant and animal species and geologic makeup.
This is NOT a software development or IT position; no programming experience is required and no code development will be involved.
We believe that if you are smart curious friendly and detail-oriented you will find this role both meaningful and enjoyable.
Additional Candidate Instruction
To submit a complete application please submit a resume and cover letter along with the online application.
To ensure consideration apply before the application review starts on Monday 3/30/2026.A review of applications will continue and is ongoing until a pool of qualified candidates is identified.
Position Requirements
During the semester term of the appointment the student hourly must be enrolled in no fewer than 6 credit hours. For summer periods the student hourly must: (1) have been enrolled in no less than 6 hours in the past spring semester or (2) be pre-enrolled in the upcoming fall semester in no less than 6 hours or (3) be enrolled in summer session or (4) be admitted to study in the upcoming fall semester. Student Hourlies may be undergraduate or graduate students. (Exceptions granted for GRA/GTA/GA appointments DO NOT apply to Student Hourly appointments).
Employment Conditions
(1) Student employees are not eligible for remote work arrangements unless an exception is approved by the unit leadership and HR.
(2) This is an hourly/non-exempt position. A student employee cannot hold an hourly/non-exempt position and a salaried/exempt graduate or undergraduate position (GRA/GTA/GA/RUA/RGA) concurrently.
(3)Must be available to work a minimum of 14 hours per week during the Fall and Spring semesters and have the ability to commit to a weekly schedule (around coursework obligations) which can be flexible and be changed as needed during the hours of 8 AM-5 PM Monday through Friday. Must be available starting Summer 2026. Planned vacations and breaks from campus are fine.
Required Experience:
Junior IC
Key Skills
About Company
Thank you for your interest in employment with the University of Kansas. If you need assistance with the application process please contact Human Resources at [email protected] or 785-864-4946.
