STEM OPT Laboratory Assistant Jobs
Laboratory Assistant roles in research labs, clinical facilities, and industrial settings qualify for STEM OPT when your degree aligns with a STEM-designated CIP code. Your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify, and the 24-month extension gives you up to 36 months total to build hands-on lab experience while maintaining F-1 status.
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At Amyris, we value that everyone's career journey is unique and authentic to who they are. If this role excites you, we encourage you to apply and grow alongside us! You may be just the right candidate for this or other open roles.
Are you passionate about quality, safety, and science? We're looking for a QA/QC Laboratory Technician I to join our high-performing team in a 24/7 manufacturing facility.
In this role, you'll conduct chemical and physical laboratory tests that ensure our products meet the highest quality standards. If you enjoy hands-on lab work, thrive in a fast-paced environment, and are ready to grow your technical skills, we want to hear from you!
Responsibilities:
- Perform in-process and final product testing on both solid and liquid materials.
- Set up and conduct chemical and physical analyses using laboratory instruments such as Gas Chromatograph (GC), Auto titrators, Karl Fischer titrators, Refractometer, Tintometer, and Viscometer.
- Record, analyze, and report laboratory data with accuracy and integrity.
- Support the Quality Control Manager and lab team with sample processing, data interpretation, and process troubleshooting.
- Perform inspections on packaging materials (jerricans, drums, and totes) and torque lids to specification using a manual torque wrench.
- Torque lids on jerricans, drums and totes to 75ft/pounds using a manual torque wrench.
- Maintain clean lab instruments, equipment, and a safe, organized work environment.
- Comply with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and ISO 22716 standards for cosmetics.
- Collaborate with chemists, production staff, and the engineering team to support production quality goals.
- Process and prepare raw material weigh-outs and sample shipments.
Basic Qualifications
- 1–2 years of experience in a laboratory technician or chemical technician role
OR
- Associate's degree in chemistry or a related scientific field
- Knowledge of standard lab practices and chemical testing procedures
- Strong attention to detail and accuracy in data recording
- Willingness and availability to work a rotating 12-hour shift schedule (including nights, weekends, and holidays)
- Ability to follow safety protocols and maintain a clean lab environment
- Good communication skills and the ability to work both independently and in a team
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in a manufacturing or chemical plant environment
- Proficiency with laboratory equipment such as GC, titrators, viscometers, and refractometers
- Familiarity with ISO 22716 guidelines and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs)
- Strong troubleshooting skills and ability to solve lab-related technical issues
Physical Requirements
- Must be able to safely lift and handle up to 45 pounds
- Regularly required to use hands to handle materials or operate instruments
- Vision abilities include close vision, color vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus
- Must be comfortable working on your feet for extended periods in a production/lab environment
The hourly pay range for this non-exempt role is: $18.27 to $23.08.
As a VEVRAA Federal Contractor, Amyris is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, sex, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Amyris complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.
Amyris is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. Salary offers are made based on internal equity and market analysis, and will vary based on the candidate's skills, depth of experience and specific work location.
Amyris is committed to providing a diverse array of inclusive benefits and perks to support employees and their families' wellbeing including access to robust healthcare, mental wellness benefits, family leave, discounted fitness memberships, education reimbursement, flexible paid time off, 17 paid holidays, 10 paid sick days, and additional paid time off including 3 volunteer days, and bereavement.
What may Candidates Expect from Amyris?
At Amyris, we strive to provide a transparent and professional hiring experience. Our interview process typically includes a combination of in-person meetings and phone conversations. Genuine job offers are always communicated by an authorized member of our Human Resources team before being sent via email. Please note that all official communication from Amyris employees will come from an email address ending in "@amyris.com" or from "no-reply@greenhouse.io."
Fraudulent Employment Offers: Amyris has experienced a recent increase in fraudulent Amyris job listings on third-party sites, as well as fraudulent interview requests and job offers sent to candidates. In addition, people impersonating employees of Amyris have been sending fraudulent job screening or new-hire screening communications requesting candidates to provide personal information. Please be advised that these offers, communications, and impersonations are illegitimate and fraudulent. If You Receive a Suspicious or Fraudulent Communication or Employment Offer, please contact hr@amyris.com
We hold deep regard in the power of representation and cultivation of a diverse work environment. Join us at Amyris, where you can find a sense of belonging and know that your voice is centered. At Amyris, we believe that diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) is essential to our core values. We embrace and encourage an equity-minded work culture, knowing that it is the driving force of innovation that positively impacts our employees, consumers, and communities. For Amyris, a sense of belonging is what drives our mission forward and is the foundation of everything we do, ensuring a healthier, more sustainable future for us all.
Amyris, the Amyris logo, Unlock the Chemistry of Life TM, and Lab-to-Market are trademarks or registered trademarks of Amyris, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.
Under the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 ("CCPA"), Amyris is required to inform California residents who are our job applicants ("Applicants") about the personal information we collect about you when you apply to a job on this site. As an Applicant, you have the right to know and understand the categories of personal information we collect about you, and the purposes for which the categories of personal information shall be used, pursuant to the CCPA.
By clicking the "APPLY FOR THIS JOB" button below and submitting your job application, you agree you have reviewed the complete Privacy Notice for Employees, Independent Contractors and Job Applicants. If you have any questions regarding this information, please contact Amyris at privacy@amyris.com
As a VEVRAA Federal Contractor, Amyris is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, sex, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Amyris complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.
If you are a recruiter or placement agency, please do not submit resumes to any person or email address at Amyris, Inc. prior to having a signed agreement. Amyris is not liable for and will not pay placement fees for candidates submitted by any agency other than its approved recruitment partners. Furthermore, any resumes sent to us without an agreement in place will be considered your company's gift to Amyris and may be forwarded to our recruiters for their attention.
See all 121+ STEM OPT Laboratory Assistant Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding STEM OPT Authorization as a Laboratory Assistant
Verify your degree's CIP code eligibility
Check that your degree's Classification of Instructional Programs code appears on the DHS STEM OPT designated degree program list. Biology, chemistry, biochemistry, and clinical laboratory science degrees typically qualify, but interdisciplinary or applied science programs sometimes carry non-STEM CIP codes that disqualify the extension.
Confirm E-Verify enrollment before applying
Search the E-Verify employer search tool on the E-Verify website to confirm a lab's enrollment status before you invest time in the application process. Many smaller private research labs and clinical reference laboratories are not enrolled, which legally bars them from hiring STEM OPT students.
Match your I-983 training plan to lab duties
Your I-983 must list specific laboratory competencies your role develops, such as specimen handling, assay techniques, or instrument calibration, not vague descriptions. Employers who haven't hired STEM OPT students before often need your DSO's template to draft a compliant training plan tied to your degree's learning outcomes.
Target labs with established STEM OPT hiring
Use Migrate Mate to filter Laboratory Assistant openings by employers with verified E-Verify enrollment and prior STEM OPT hiring history. University-affiliated research labs, contract research organizations, and hospital systems with dedicated HR departments are the most likely to already have compliant onboarding workflows.
File your STEM OPT extension 90 days early
USCIS recommends filing your STEM OPT extension application at least 90 days before your initial OPT EAD expires. If your application is pending and your initial OPT end date passes, the automatic 180-day cap-gap extension keeps you authorized while USCIS adjudicates, but only if you filed on time.
Use OFLC Wage Search to benchmark your offer
Before accepting a Laboratory Assistant offer, run the position's SOC code through the OFLC Wage Search to see the prevailing wage for your metro area. Your STEM OPT training plan must document that your compensation and hours meet DOL requirements for bona fide employment, not just volunteer or stipend arrangements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my STEM degree qualify me for the STEM OPT extension as a Laboratory Assistant?
Your degree qualifies if its CIP code appears on the DHS STEM OPT designated degree program list. Biology, chemistry, biochemistry, medical laboratory science, and environmental science degrees commonly qualify. The job title itself doesn't determine eligibility; the match between your degree's CIP code and the DHS list does. Confirm your CIP code with your DSO before applying.
Does a Laboratory Assistant employer have to be enrolled in E-Verify?
Yes. E-Verify enrollment is a federal requirement for any employer hiring a STEM OPT student, with no exceptions. Before accepting a Laboratory Assistant offer, verify the employer's enrollment status using the E-Verify employer search tool. Smaller private labs, independent clinical facilities, and some nonprofit research organizations are frequently not enrolled, which makes them ineligible to sponsor your extension.
What should my I-983 training plan include for a Laboratory Assistant role?
Your I-983 must describe specific laboratory skills and knowledge your position develops that relate directly to your STEM degree. Examples include proficiency with analytical instruments, sample preparation techniques, quality control protocols, or data analysis methods tied to your field of study. Generic job descriptions won't satisfy the requirement. Your employer signs the form and your DSO reviews it before submission to USCIS.
What happens to my STEM OPT authorization if my Laboratory Assistant contract ends before my EAD expires?
You have a 150-day unemployment allowance across your entire post-completion OPT and STEM OPT period combined, with no more than 90 of those days occurring during the STEM OPT extension itself. If you exceed the unemployment limit, your F-1 status falls out of compliance. Start searching for a new E-Verify-enrolled employer immediately. Migrate Mate filters for eligible Laboratory Assistant openings by employers already enrolled in E-Verify.
Can I work as a Laboratory Assistant at a hospital or clinical lab on STEM OPT?
Yes, if the facility is enrolled in E-Verify and your role qualifies as bona fide employment with compensation meeting DOL standards. Hospital systems and large clinical reference laboratories are often already E-Verify enrolled. Your I-983 training plan must connect the clinical lab duties to your STEM degree field, such as linking specimen analysis work to a biology or medical science background.