Job Description
Laboratory Technician
Department: Working Lands Conservation
Employment Type: Fixed Term - Full Time
Location: Working Lands Conservation - Logan, UT
Reporting To: Kristi Mingus
Compensation: $20.00 / hour
About the Organization:
Working Lands Conservation (WLC) is a small, research-based non-profit located in Logan, UT. Our goal is to improve land management by bringing science to collaborative partnerships, while also supporting communities and livelihoods. Through our work, we are creating resilient Western landscapes and a resilient future for communities that utilize and value these working landscapes.
We are a team of field ecologists and communicators. We draw on our extensive experience designing ecological studies, collecting data, and analyzing information to understand how land management contributes to landscape health and stakeholder stewardship objectives.
We are a partner-oriented organization. We realize that trust, learning, and change happen when science is shared in conversation and as stories. We thus spend as much time building relationships as we do collecting data. We strongly believe that partnerships of diverse stakeholders lead to innovative management ideas, and that producers are the foundational stewards of working landscapes. We work closely with producers, state agencies, federal agencies, non-profit organizations, and university researchers to fulfill our mission, share ideas, and inspire innovative management.
We’re excited to welcome a Laboratory Technician to support our Ecosystem Services Lab through soil health analysis. This is a Term-limited Position lasting from August 26, 2026 through December 31, 2026. The Laboratory Technician will contribute to Working Land Conservation’s mission by both working independently and with other staff in Working Lands Conservation's laboratory. Duties will focus on sample preparation and analysis for basic soil health parameters.
Primary Responsibilities
The Laboratory Technician will support Working Lands Conservation's mission as dedicated technician in our Logan, UT lab. Over the past year, WLC opened a non-profit Ecosystem Services Laboratory that provides ranchers and other stakeholders with cost-effective soil, water, and plant testing so land stewards have the data needed to adaptively manage their landscapes. Duties will include following lab protocols, preparing samples for analysis, applying dilution theory for chemical procedures, assisting the Laboratory Manager with sample analysis, and maintaining a safe laboratory environment through proper chemical storage and waste management.
Lab Technician Duties:
- Assist the Laboratory Manager and other WLC staff with daily laboratory operations, sample preparation, and instrument runs.
- Follow strict laboratory protocols for soil health parameters.
- Maintain safety standards, chemical inventory, and proper hazardous waste disposal.
General Duties:
- Collaboratively work with the WLC team to further WLC’s mission.
- Dedicate time to the professional development of organizational and management skills.
- Contribute to a healthy, supportive, and inclusive culture at WLC.
- Other duties that are reasonable and consistent with this position.
The Ideal Candidate
There's no way around it... you love working in the lab. From past work in soil labs you know your way around drying ovens, soil sieves, and fume hoods. You are comfortable keeping the benches clean and organized in the lab.
You have hands-on experience with soil processing, including: organic carbon analysis, nutrient analysis, respiration, N mineralization, and soil microbial biomass and activity. You understand solution chemistry and dilution theory, and are comfortable following lab protocols as written (and improving them along the way). You enjoy working on a team or assisting the Laboratory Manager with sample prep, and you can also work independently due to your past experience.
You are excited about joining a small, dynamic team of scientists and communicators who are mission-driven and outcome-focused. You believe that blending academic-grade experimental design with kitchen-table relationship building roots projects in community, and leads to adaptive management with lasting impacts. You know that to thrive in a small non-profit requires nimbleness. You are flexible, are not deterred when plans change, and can draw on your problem solving skills to move projects forward. You have superb interpersonal and communication skills through which to share your vision and excitement with all those you work with.
You are dedicated to contributing and fostering a workplace centered on teamwork, a commitment to excellence, and mutual respect. The ideal candidate will be a person of integrity, humor, enthusiasm, and optimism.
Specific Experience Requested:
We recognize that each applicant for this role will bring unique skills, knowledge, experiences, and background to this position, lending their flair to the trajectory of the Laboratory Technician role. We welcome diverse experiences and perspectives in our applicant pool, and will be looking for candidates who possess many, but not necessarily all, of the following qualifications and experience:
- Experience working in a soil biogeochemistry laboratory, with a background in meticulously following protocols, performing soil health analysis, conducting soil extractions, and using dilution theory;
- Demonstrated ability to work safely in laboratory conditions and make sound safety decisions independently through properly managing chemical storage, ensuring appropriate PPE is used for given tasks, and maintaining an organized and well-labeled lab space;
- Organizational skills and attention to detail as demonstrated through keeping detailed lab notes and maintaining accurate data sheets;
- Ability to spend long days in a laboratory setting, conducting meticulous and tedious tasks;
- Valid driver’s license;
- Strong communication skills and willingness to express knowledge gaps with supervisor to ensure independent work is carried out correctly.
Workplace, Travel & Compensation
Workplace: Working Lands Conservation has a dedicated office and laboratory in Logan, UT, which serves as a hub for team members. All team members have a dedicated workspace in the office. Due to the onsite nature of lab work, this position will be required to work onsite in the WLC office/lab.
Travel: This position does not require travel.
Compensation: This position is a Term-limited Position lasting from August 26, 2026 through December 31, 2026. Multiplier provides a comprehensive compensation package, including competitive salary ($20/hour), excellent medical and dental benefits, retirement savings, and generous vacation and sick leave policy.
Multiplier and WLC are committed to creating an inclusive, equitable, and accessible application process for all candidates. We recognize that the traditional hiring process can create barriers. If we can support your participation in the job application or interview process by providing specific assistance or accommodation, please reach out to accommodations@multiplier.org. Requests for accommodations are confidential and will not impact your candidacy.
Working Lands Conservation is an independent operating project of the nonprofit umbrella organization, Multiplier, a nationally recognized nonprofit with a growing portfolio of innovative initiatives that conserve and protect a sustainable and resilient world (www.multiplier.org).
