Field Research Specialist

Job Description

Primary responsibilities include providing technical support for viticulture and grape pathology research and extension programs. Specific duties may include but are not limited to seasonal maintenance such as dormant pruning summer growth management crop load management and pest disease and weed management of grapevines. Responsibilities may also extend to other faculty labs including enology entomology horticulture and tree fruit pathology crops related to ongoing projects. Additional duties include selecting experimental units establishing field plots initiating experiments applying registered and experimental pesticides and growth regulators collecting recording tabulating and analyzing data and compiling MS Word and Excel files. The employee will manage time and coordinate labor and tasks with supervisors students and other staff members to meet the needs of time-sensitive treatment applications and data collection for experiments. The employee will occasionally assist with other disciplines projects and contribute to Center maintenance. The employee will supervise wage employees in the above tasks or work in tandem with wage employees other classified staff and graduate students in a team environment.

Required Qualifications

BS/BA degree in horticulture plant science or a related science field or practical training and experience in fruit production or a similar horticultural field. Familiarity with common viticultural field and laboratory techniques knowledge of the safe use of laboratory and field equipment and a valid motor vehicle operators license. Experience with or willingness to learn pesticide applications using a tractor-mounted sprayer and other farm equipment. Require pesticide certification as a registered technician or commercial applicator and Category 10 completed within 6 months of hiring. Safe driving and acceptable conviction checks are required of the successful candidate. Verbal and writing skills which enable competent communication reporting and supervision to foster a professional and academic atmosphere. Demonstrated ability to manage and supervise oneself other staff and physical resources. Commercial pesticide applicator training and certification as well as additional safety training will be required within the first year of employment.

Preferred Qualifications

Competency with vineyard machinery including safe operation of up to 75hp tractors airblast sprayers pesticide application and brush chopper/mowers. Have a VA commercial pesticide license and obtain Cat. 10 within 6 months of hire. Working knowledge of apple peach cherry grape and other fruit and ornamental crop production practices including the underlying principles of dormant pruning nutrition canopy management goals (summer pruning) crop load management techniques and effective pest disease and weed management. Minimum computer competency includes familiarity with the PC/Windows operating system and the MS Office suite (Word and Excel) as well as entering experimental data documenting trial progress and presenting basic summary statistics in tabular form. Willingness to learn and adopt new technologies and skills for research and daily task management. MS degree in horticulture or a related plant science field (or 2 years related field/lab experience) Experience with common laboratory equipment such as electronic scales pH meters and pipets and safe and proper handling of laboratory chemicals.

Pay Band

3

Overtime Status

Non-Exempt: Eligible for overtime

Appointment Type

Regular

Salary Information

$43000 - $45000; commensurate with experience

Hours per week

40

Review Date

June 15 2026

Additional Information

Virginia Tech is unable to sponsor applicants for work visas for this vacancy.

The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.

About Virginia Tech

Dedicated to its mottoUt Prosim(That I May Serve) Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world Virginia Tech is aninclusive communitydedicated to knowledge discovery and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36000 undergraduate graduate and professional students in eightundergraduate colleges aschool of medicine aveterinary medicinecollegeGraduate School andHonors College.The university has a significant presence across Virginia including Blacksburg the greater Washington D.C. area the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke sites in Newport News and Richmond and numerousExtension officesandresearch institutes.A leading global research institution Virginia Tech conducts more than $650 million in research annually.

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