Associate Research Technician Responsibilities

Associate research technician generally works under the supervision of a senior research analyst or the director of research to support and perform a wide variety of complex technical duties. The general associate research technician responsibilities are to analyze, compile, perform laboratory tests and document the conclusions derived from the research experiments.

Key Responsibilities of Associate Research Technician

Most of the associate research technicians learn about their responsibilities when they get training on the job. A person aspiring to make a career in the research should be well-aware of the key responsibilities that need to be handled by an associate research technician. Here are some details about the core responsibilities that need to be handled by them:

1. Research related work
   • To coordinate, support and assist the research work of the senior personnel and other team members involved
   • To determine, arrange and set up the laboratory equipments necessary to perform experiments
   • To document and write the conclusions and results derived from the research experiments
   • To prepare papers related to research and present the findings before the supervising bodies
   • To follow and abide by the standard procedures and methods involved in the research
   • To review the information, methods, procedures and data in the journals, abstracts, manuals and other sources of literature to see if they are applicable to the research work

2. Planning and organizing related tasks
   • He makes an active contribution in the research work by scheduling his daily research work within the agreed framework
   • He plans and coordinates his own research activity and coordinates with the team members to avoid duplication or conflict of research efforts
   • He maintains internal and external contacts for greater understanding, acquire knowledge and to develop healthy professional relationship for future needs
3. Administration related duties
   • He compiles the data relevant to research from internal and external resources
   • To maintain up to date documentation of the technical data, write procedure manuals, conduct, scan and analyze the surveys
   • To maintain electronic and hard copy of relevant research work
   • To proof read and edit the data maintained in the spreadsheets
   • To perform general administration duties like typing, filing, mailing, etc.

Essential Skills

If you are really interested in making your mark in the research field you should have at least some of the following skills:

1. Should be critical thinkers, good problem solvers with a passion to do research
2. Should pay attention to details and should exhibit leadership skills
3. Should be proficient in computers as he will need to maintain, handle and update different kinds of research data and generate reports on the same
4. Should exhibit high levels of tolerance to stress and should be very patient
5. Should have excellent communication skills with good analytical skills
6. Should keep himself abreast with the latest developments, offer guidance to the staff members and should be flexible to work for long hours

Educational Requirements

A bachelor's degree from an accredited university in the relevant scientific field is the minimum requirement. A master's degree will surely be an advantage. An internship or relevant work experience would definitely prove to be of great help.

Work Hours

He works in a research laboratory and his work hours are not fixed. He may need to work beyond his normal work hours to support in performing the research related work. He may also be expected to work late in the evenings or even on the weekends and public holidays.

Salary Details

The salary normally falls in the range of $31,000 to $42,000 including the bonuses. It is also dependent on the kind of industry they are employed in, whether it is chemical, forensic or biotechnology. It also varies depending on the academic qualifications and experience in the relevant field.

Career Prospects

There are excellent career prospects for those aspiring to take up research as their career option. They can advance to senior positions and function as laboratory supervisors. They can provide valuable guidance to the juniors or trainees who need to be mentored to become future scientists.

Thus, it is absolutely essential that the associate research technician responsibilities be carried out effectively and efficiently to ensure success of the research project.