Auxiliary Multispecies Archaeology Research Technician

Job summary

Assist with organizing and running research experiments, preparing forms, scheduling research participants and team members, and recording test data according to established laboratory protocols. Help maintain accurate, respectful handling of research results and participants while supporting the laboratory’s research operations.

Job details

Staff - Union Job Category CUPE 116 Job Profile CUPE 116 Hourly - Research Assistant /Technician 1 Job Title Auxiliary Multispecies Archaeology Research Technician Department Research | Alaica | Department of Anthropology Compensation Range $27.07 - $28.40 CAD Hourly Posting End Date October 18, 2026 Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date. Job End Date April 30, 2027 This is an auxiliary hourly position with a work schedule of 5 hours per week At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career. Job Summary With direction from the supervisor, Dr. Aleksa Alaica, will perform routine research tasks. Assists with coordinating research studies, maintaining supplies, performing experiments, and acquiring and recording data. Organizational Status Works under the direction of the Principal Investigator of the Multispecies Archaeology Laboratory (MSAL) a facility within the Multispecies Archaeology Research Group (MARG). Interacts with student researchers and other members of the research team Work Performed Assists in organizing, preparing and running experiments, which includes photocopying and preparing forms. Contacting and scheduling appointments with research group members, volunteers, honours students, and visiting researchers. Running participants through standards of operation (SOPs); recording test data. All components follow set lab protocols. Adheres to guidelines concerning the integrity and respectful treatment of results and participants. Consequence of Error/Judgement Errors in the laboratory would result in the loss or contamination of samples, the vast majority of which have been collected from archaeological sites and are of high cultural value and irreplaceable. Errors can result in safety hazards, as well as result in loss of time and will create delays in the busy operations of the facility. MARG as part of the Department of Anthropology the MARG Technician is responsible for ensuring that these collections are analyzed according to MARG. Errors could have financial, legal, ethical, and other consequences for MARG, LOA and UBC and could damage relationships with the provincial government, descendent communities, the academic community, and the general public. Supervision Received The lab director provides direct supervision. Written and/or verbal protocols for all procedures will be provided. Supervision Given None Minimum Qualifications High school graduation and a minimum one year of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion Preferred Qualifications Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline, preferably in Anthropology. Experience as a coordinator position within research working in social sciences research. Knowledge of MS-Word, Excel, Powerpoint, & Presentation software. Able to grasp things quickly & able to learn with minimal instruction. Able to multitask; comfortable working in a research environment that involves many projects. Very detail-oriented & accurate; able to stay on top of many details simultaneously. Calm, patient, flexible - able to work quickly to meet sudden deadlines. Very strong interpersonal skills. Computer and data analysis skills (Word processing, EXCEL, Reference Manager or RefWorks, R Studio). Effective interpersonal and organizational skills.

What you’ll do

Assist with organizing and running research experiments, preparing forms, scheduling research participants and team members, and recording test data according to established laboratory protocols. Help maintain accurate, respectful handling of research results and participants while supporting the laboratory’s research operations.

Requirements

Requires high school graduation and at least one year of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Preferred qualifications include an undergraduate degree, preferably in Anthropology, research coordination experience, proficiency with office and data-analysis software, and strong organizational and interpersonal skills.

Listed skills

• Organization · Preferred
• Attention to detail · Preferred
• Data analysis · Preferred
• Microsoft Excel · Preferred
• Multitasking · Preferred
• Microsoft Word · Preferred
• interpersonal communication · Preferred

Other relevant skills

Identified from the job description. Confirm important requirements above.

• Research Coordination
• Experiment Preparation
• Laboratory Protocols
• Data Recording
• Participant Scheduling
• Attention to Detail
• Organization
• Multitasking
• Interpersonal Communication
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Reference Manager
• RefWorks
• R Studio
• Data Analysis

Job areas

• Science & Research
• Education
• Data & Analytics