STEM OPT Laboratory Jobs
Laboratory roles in research, clinical testing, and quality control are strong fits for STEM OPT students with degrees in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, or related fields. Your 24-month STEM OPT extension applies as long as your employer is enrolled in E-Verify and your position directly relates to your degree.
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Get Access To All JobsJob Description:
The Department of Cognitive & Behavioral Science Laboratory Technician supports teaching and research activities related to the department’s technological resources, equipment, and facilities. The position manages installation and maintenance of software programs and laboratory equipment, monitors and maintains consumable supply inventories, provides logistical and instructional support of laboratory-based courses, instructs undergraduate students in specific technological, laboratory and research skills, and provides logistical support of faculty research programs.
To achieve our mission as a liberal arts university, we continually strive to foster a welcoming campus community, which recognizes the value of all persons. Our department is committed to contributing to an educational environment that is rich with a wide range of intellectual perspectives and backgrounds.
Essential Functions:
- Assists faculty with technical instruction of lectures and laboratories, including presenting laboratory demonstrations and common research-related content such as research ethics, IRB and IACUC protocols, policies and guidelines.
- Assists in preparing chemical solutions, sets up instrumentation, and ensures adequate supplies for classroom demonstrations, course laboratories, and faculty research projects.
- Assists in the teaching mission of the department by supporting faculty in the development of new experiments, demonstrations, and activities for teaching labs and courses.
- Assists students with course projects, independent studies, research design, statistical procedures, and written feedback on IRB proposals to facilitate IRB approval and project development.
- Coordinates with animal care staff and assists in training and oversight of students in support of faculty teaching and research programs to ensure compliance with IACUC standards and IACUC-approved animal use protocols. Assists faculty in training and oversight of students in animal behavioral and histological procedures.
- Develops, maintains, and disseminates procedures for equitable in-person participant recruitment for course-related and programmatic research.
- Supports productive and efficient faculty research programs by assisting faculty with logistics of conducting research.
- Maintains and supports departmental facilities including overseeing the general condition, cleanliness, and safety of instructional laboratories, benchtop areas, and fume hoods. Maintains, operates, assembles, and installs laboratory instruments, managing repairs and service contracts.
- Manages teaching and research laboratory equipment and supplies in a cost-effective manner within a prescribed budget. Monitors inventory, issues purchase orders, and maintains records for chemicals, supplies, and equipment while managing vendor communications.
- Coordinates with Information Technology Services on computer maintenance, repairs, replacements, and software implementation.
- Develops, maintains, and disseminates policies, processes, and standard operating procedures for access to shared research resources.
- Serves as departmental liaison to the Chemical Hygiene Officer to ensure compliance with chemical hygiene and safety standards.
- Performs other related duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in psychology, neuroscience, or allied discipline. Formal postgraduate training or degree preferred.
- Experience working in a behavioral science laboratory (psychology or behavioral neuroscience setting preferred).
- Experience with statistical software (SPSS, R), experimental design/data handling software (E-Prime, Python, MATLAB), and/or survey platforms (Qualtrics, Prolific) in research contexts.
- Ability to assist with the care, handling, and use of laboratory animals, or willingness to acquire these skills.
- Knowledge of laboratory safety, chemical storage, hazardous materials handling, and Safety Data Sheets, or willingness to acquire this knowledge.
- Ability to work independently, as well as to communicate and interact effectively in a professional and courteous manner with faculty, staff and students.
Application Instructions
Review of applications will begin on November 30 and continue until the position is filled. Required materials include:
- Cover letter
- Resume
- Names and contact information for three professional references
Application instructions for internal and external candidates can be found at https://www.wlu.edu/employment-opportunities/jobs-at-w-l.
Position Type:
Exempt, Full Time, Benefit Eligible
Compensation:
The expected annual salary for this posting is between $72,000 - $83,000. Offers are based on factors such as qualifications, relevant experience, skills, internal equity, and market and organizational considerations. Washington and Lee University also offers a generous and comprehensive benefits package designed to support the well-being of employees and their families. To learn more about working at W&L, benefits, and life in the Shenandoah Valley, visit jobs.wlu.edu.
Washington and Lee is an Equal Opportunity Employer seeking candidates committed to high standards of scholarship, performance, professionalism, and to a welcoming campus community. Job description requirements are representative, but not all-inclusive of the knowledge, skill, and abilities needed to successfully perform this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
Job Description:
The Department of Cognitive & Behavioral Science Laboratory Technician supports teaching and research activities related to the department’s technological resources, equipment, and facilities. The position manages installation and maintenance of software programs and laboratory equipment, monitors and maintains consumable supply inventories, provides logistical and instructional support of laboratory-based courses, instructs undergraduate students in specific technological, laboratory and research skills, and provides logistical support of faculty research programs.
To achieve our mission as a liberal arts university, we continually strive to foster a welcoming campus community, which recognizes the value of all persons. Our department is committed to contributing to an educational environment that is rich with a wide range of intellectual perspectives and backgrounds.
Essential Functions:
- Assists faculty with technical instruction of lectures and laboratories, including presenting laboratory demonstrations and common research-related content such as research ethics, IRB and IACUC protocols, policies and guidelines.
- Assists in preparing chemical solutions, sets up instrumentation, and ensures adequate supplies for classroom demonstrations, course laboratories, and faculty research projects.
- Assists in the teaching mission of the department by supporting faculty in the development of new experiments, demonstrations, and activities for teaching labs and courses.
- Assists students with course projects, independent studies, research design, statistical procedures, and written feedback on IRB proposals to facilitate IRB approval and project development.
- Coordinates with animal care staff and assists in training and oversight of students in support of faculty teaching and research programs to ensure compliance with IACUC standards and IACUC-approved animal use protocols. Assists faculty in training and oversight of students in animal behavioral and histological procedures.
- Develops, maintains, and disseminates procedures for equitable in-person participant recruitment for course-related and programmatic research.
- Supports productive and efficient faculty research programs by assisting faculty with logistics of conducting research.
- Maintains and supports departmental facilities including overseeing the general condition, cleanliness, and safety of instructional laboratories, benchtop areas, and fume hoods. Maintains, operates, assembles, and installs laboratory instruments, managing repairs and service contracts.
- Manages teaching and research laboratory equipment and supplies in a cost-effective manner within a prescribed budget. Monitors inventory, issues purchase orders, and maintains records for chemicals, supplies, and equipment while managing vendor communications.
- Coordinates with Information Technology Services on computer maintenance, repairs, replacements, and software implementation.
- Develops, maintains, and disseminates policies, processes, and standard operating procedures for access to shared research resources.
- Serves as departmental liaison to the Chemical Hygiene Officer to ensure compliance with chemical hygiene and safety standards.
- Performs other related duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in psychology, neuroscience, or allied discipline. Formal postgraduate training or degree preferred.
- Experience working in a behavioral science laboratory (psychology or behavioral neuroscience setting preferred).
- Experience with statistical software (SPSS, R), experimental design/data handling software (E-Prime, Python, MATLAB), and/or survey platforms (Qualtrics, Prolific) in research contexts.
- Ability to assist with the care, handling, and use of laboratory animals, or willingness to acquire these skills.
- Knowledge of laboratory safety, chemical storage, hazardous materials handling, and Safety Data Sheets, or willingness to acquire this knowledge.
- Ability to work independently, as well as to communicate and interact effectively in a professional and courteous manner with faculty, staff and students.
Application Instructions
Review of applications will begin on November 30 and continue until the position is filled. Required materials include:
- Cover letter
- Resume
- Names and contact information for three professional references
Application instructions for internal and external candidates can be found at https://www.wlu.edu/employment-opportunities/jobs-at-w-l.
Position Type:
Exempt, Full Time, Benefit Eligible
Compensation:
The expected annual salary for this posting is between $72,000 - $83,000. Offers are based on factors such as qualifications, relevant experience, skills, internal equity, and market and organizational considerations. Washington and Lee University also offers a generous and comprehensive benefits package designed to support the well-being of employees and their families. To learn more about working at W&L, benefits, and life in the Shenandoah Valley, visit jobs.wlu.edu.
Washington and Lee is an Equal Opportunity Employer seeking candidates committed to high standards of scholarship, performance, professionalism, and to a welcoming campus community. Job description requirements are representative, but not all-inclusive of the knowledge, skill, and abilities needed to successfully perform this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
See all 127+ STEM OPT Laboratory Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding STEM OPT Authorization in Laboratory
Verify your CIP code matches laboratory roles
Your STEM OPT eligibility depends on your degree's Classification of Instructional Programs code. Check that your program's CIP code maps to a recognized STEM field before applying, since life sciences and chemistry codes are not always automatically included.
Confirm E-Verify enrollment before accepting offers
Not every laboratory employer, including small contract research organizations and hospital labs, is enrolled in E-Verify. Ask the hiring manager or HR directly, or search the E-Verify employer database to confirm enrollment before signing an offer letter.
Build your I-983 training plan around lab competencies
Your I-983 must connect your laboratory duties to your STEM degree's learning objectives. Frame bench skills, instrument operation, and data analysis methods as measurable training goals tied to specific coursework from your program.
Target employers with active STEM OPT hiring history
Use Migrate Mate to filter laboratory job listings by employers who have previously hired STEM OPT students, so you're spending your applications on companies already familiar with E-Verify requirements and the I-983 process.
Use O*NET to align your job title with degree requirements
Laboratory job titles vary widely across industries. Pull the O*NET occupation profile for your target role to confirm it lists a bachelor's-level STEM degree as a typical entry requirement, which strengthens your DSO's authorization decision.
Time your OPT extension application around lab start dates
USCIS recommends filing your STEM OPT extension application 90 days before your initial OPT expires. For laboratory roles with defined project cycles or contract start dates, missing this window can delay your authorization past a committed start date.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do laboratory jobs qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
Laboratory roles qualify for the STEM OPT extension if your position directly relates to your STEM degree and your employer is enrolled in E-Verify. Degrees in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, environmental science, and materials science commonly map to laboratory occupations. Your DSO will confirm eligibility based on your degree's CIP code and the job description you provide.
What goes into the I-983 training plan for a laboratory position?
Your I-983 training plan must describe how your laboratory duties, such as sample preparation, instrument calibration, data analysis, or quality assurance, connect to the knowledge and skills from your STEM degree program. Both you and your employer supervisor must sign the form, and your DSO must authorize it before your extension begins. USCIS can request to review it at any time.
Does my laboratory employer need to be enrolled in E-Verify before I start?
Yes. E-Verify enrollment is a hard requirement for STEM OPT employers, and it must be in place before your extension is authorized. Small or independent laboratories, including private clinical labs and contract research organizations, are not always enrolled. Confirm this directly with HR before your DSO submits the extension paperwork to avoid authorization gaps.
How do I find laboratory employers who are familiar with STEM OPT?
Migrate Mate lists laboratory job opportunities filtered by employers with STEM OPT hiring experience, so you can focus on companies that already understand E-Verify requirements and the I-983 process. This matters for laboratory roles because smaller employers in the sector often encounter the training plan requirement for the first time and may need additional lead time.
What happens to my STEM OPT authorization if I switch laboratory employers mid-extension?
You can change employers during your STEM OPT extension, but your new employer must also be enrolled in E-Verify. You and the new employer must complete a new I-983 training plan, and your DSO must update your SEVIS record before you begin work. There is no grace period between employers during an active STEM OPT extension, so coordinate the transition carefully with your DSO.