Student Technical Assistant - FST Pilot Plant

Important Notifications

Application Deadline: When applying, please keep in mind this posting will close at 11:59 pm the night before the posted "end date". Applications MUST be submitted prior to this deadline.

Current Employees: Do not apply via the OSU Career site. Instead, please login to your regular Workday account and visit the Jobs Hub to apply.

• Department:

Food Science & Technology

Special Instructions to Applicants

When applying you will be required to attach the following electronic documents:

• Resume
• Cover Letter

Criminal History Check Statement (CHC)

OSU will conduct a review of the National Sex Offender Public website prior to hire.

Note: All job offers are contingent upon Human Resources final approval

About the role

This recruitment will be used to fill 1 part-time (maximum of 24 hours per week) Student Technical Assistant positions for the Department of Food Science and Technology at Oregon State University (OSU).

Be passionate about food: Ready to work hands-on in a real food processing facility? This position supports a wide range of pilot-scale food processing projects, including beverage manufacturing, product development trials, research projects, and small-scale production activities.

Be ready to learn: This position involves many different skills, and prior experience is not required. Be ready to lean about food safety, personal safety, sanitation, equipment setup, beverage processing, pilot plant operations, basic documentation, and general facility maintenance.

Be sharp: Details matter in food processing. This position requires careful attention to setup, cleaning, labeling, recordkeeping, organization, and following instructions accurately. Problem solving and clear communication are important parts of the work.

Be flexible: The food Pilot Plant is a fast-paced, project-based environment. Tasks may change from day to day depending on research needs, client projects, equipment availability, production schedules, and facility priorities.

This position will hire a student working in the Department of Food Science and Technology at Oregon State University to assist with food processing projects, beverage manufacturing, pilot plant preparation, sanitation, maintenance, and general operational support. The amount of work is project load dependent, so flexibility is important. Student employees may work up to 24 hours per week during academic terms and up to 40 hours per week during academic breaks, depending on scheduling needs and university employment limits.

Position Duties

• Assist the Pilot Plant Manager with preparation for food processing projects, research trials, beverage production, and product development activities.
• Set up, stage, and organize equipment, ingredients, packaging materials, tools, and supplies for pilot plant operations.
• Assist with beverage manufacturing activities, including ingredient preparation, batching, filing, packaging, labeling, cleaning, and documentation.
• Clean and sanitize equipment, utensils, work surfaces, floors, drains, and other pilot plant areas before, during, and after processing activities.
• Assist with receiving, organizing, labeling, and storing ingredients, packaging materials, finished products, and research samples.
• Assist with basic food quality checks, sample preparation, weighing, measuring, labeling, and other routine project support tasks.

Transferable Skill Development

OSU is committed to ensuring students are prepared for success after graduation through intentional skill development as student employees. The competencies students develop while working at OSU are defined by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) as the essential skills employers seek in their hires. In this position, students learn and build vital career-readiness skills in the primary areas below:

• Communication, Critical Thinking, Technology

Qualifications

• Must be academically enrolled in a high school, community college, or university and pursuing a program or course of study
• Must meet Academic Standing Requirements; students on academic suspension are not eligible for employment
• Must meet the applicable minimal enrollment standard
• High School student: Regularly enrolled in a high school or participating in a home-schooling program
• Undergraduate and post-baccalaureate student: 6 credit hours per term
• Undergraduate international student: 12 credit hours per term*
• Graduate student officially admitted to Graduate School: 5 credit hours per term
• Graduate international student officially admitted to Graduate School: 9 credit hours per term*

Additional information

*International students may be allowed to carry fewer hours than specified above and still be considered "full-time" by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). A reduced course load is approved by the Office of International Services (OIS), and must be provided to the Student Employment Center.

Required

• Must be enrolled in an FST undergraduate degree program
• The candidate must be able to communicate effectively in both written and oral English

Preferred

• Demonstratable commitment to promoting and enhancing diversity

Working Conditions/Schedule

• May require walking, standing, bending and stooping for extended periods.
• May require maneuvering and transporting heavy objects.
• May require working with or around chemicals, caustic compounds and hazardous materials used in research.

Salary Range

Anticipated Start Date: 2026-11-09

Anticipated End Date: