Come find your purpose at Future Fields
Lab Technician
Description
Ready to be the engine of breakthrough science? We're looking for a sharp, hands-on technician to provide the foundation for our R&D team, ensuring every experiment starts with perfection.
Changing the world - one fruit fly at a time.
We’ve developed a novel insect-based expression platform that allows us to make the world’s most sustainable recombinant proteins.
We’re unleashing the next biorevolution.
At Future Fields, we are continually learning and evolving. We know we don’t have all the answers, but we try to ask all the questions. We believe in “failing forward” and leveraging our mistakes to help us grow. We never want our team to feel constrained by the status quo and we don’t judge ideas based on where they come from. We actively work to foster a culture of collaboration, innovation and psychological safety through transparency, structure, and open communication. We know it sounds cliche, but every employee really is a valued and equal member of the Future Fields team.
Come find your purpose with Future Fields.
We are a rapidly growing venture backed startup (with support from awesome investors including Bee Partners, Y Combinator, BDC Climate Tech, R7 Partners, Toyota Ventures and Amplify Capital). We’ve even had a shoutout from Ironman himself! Joining our team now means you’ll have the opportunity to shape our culture and products, to lead others, and to influence the direction of our company. Perhaps most importantly - you’ll be joining a team that is genuinely energized by this work and the meaningful potential of biotech to change the world.
About the role
The R&D Lab Technician will play an integral role on our R&D Team, ensuring our laboratory operates at the highest standards of quality, safety, and efficiency. This will be a cross-functional role that supports projects across the R&D team, with a focus on Protein Biochemistry work. This role is critical for enabling our researchers to accelerate their work on protein expression and purification. Your precision and reliability will directly impact project timelines, customer success, and the integrity of our data.
This role will own:
- Assisting researchers in a wide range of day-to-day R&D operations, confidently performing foundational lab work that enables our scientists to focus on complex experimental design and analysis.
- Preparing reagents and buffers and testing samples with high precision.
- Upholding high standards of data integrity by meticulously following established SOPs and maintaining clear, accurate records for all tasks.
This role will assist by:
- The upkeep of a clean, organized, and contamination-free lab environment while ensuring strict compliance with all safety protocols and regulations for handling biological materials.
- Proactively maintaining, calibrating, and troubleshooting essential laboratory equipment to ensure it is always reliable for the R&D team.
- Managing the inventory of lab supplies and reagents for the R&D department, ensuring the team is always well-stocked to maintain project momentum.
This role requires a highly meticulous and reliable individual with exceptional attention to detail. The ideal candidate is consistent in following protocols, takes pride in executing foundational lab tasks with excellence, and possesses strong organizational skills to keep lab spaces and records clean and orderly. A team-oriented mindset and clear communication skills are essential to support multiple scientists effectively.
About you
Are you the person who makes the science happen? The one who gets a genuine thrill from a perfectly organized lab and flawlessly prepped reagents? We're looking for you. You're a trusted team player because you're meticulous, reliable, and always ready to support your colleagues. You'll get a front-row seat to incredible innovations in our R&D lab, constantly learning and growing alongside a team that values kindness and respect. If you love being the rock-solid foundation for a team that's moving fast and changing the world, you'll fit right in.
Must haves
- A diploma or degree in a relevant scientific field (e.g., Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry).
- Previous hands-on experience in a biology or chemistry laboratory setting.
- The ability to follow detailed instructions with high precision and work independently.
- Exceptional attention to detail and outstanding organizational skills.
- Excellent communication and teamwork abilities, particularly in a collaborative research setting.
Bonus points
- Familiarity with common lab equipment (e.g., pH meters, balances, thermocyclers).
- Experience with Electronic Lab Notebooks (ELN) and lab management platforms (e.g., Benchling, Quartzy).
Your future (with Future Fields)
Within 1 month, you will:
- Complete your core safety and operational training to confidently navigate our lab.
- Get to know our SOPs, our documentation systems (like Benchling), and the priorities of the genetics and protein teams by shadowing them directly.
- Support researchers with general lab duties including cleaning, stocking, and reagent prep.
- Through shadowing and hands on training, begin to familiarize yourself with sample handling for protein and DNA/RNA workflows (e.g., lysis prep, basic centrifugation, buffer exchange).
Within 3 months, you will:
- Independently and reliably prepare the common reagents, buffers, and solutions that are the lifeblood of our experiments.
- With support from Lab Ops and Team Leads, manage and track lab supply inventory, ensuring continuity across lab operations.
- Independently perform sample handling for protein and DNA/RNA workflows (e.g., lysis prep, basic centrifugation, buffer exchange).
- Independently maintain and calibrate basic lab equipment (e.g., pH meters, balances, thermocyclers).
- Follow procedures accurately and document work clearly in Benchling, using appropriate workflows and conventions
- Complete training and begin to assist with routine biochemical techniques such as SDS-PAGE, Western blot, and protein quantification assays.
Within 6 months, you will:
- Independently perform routine biochemical techniques such as SDS-PAGE, Western blot, and protein quantification assays.
- Position yourself to support new team members or interns with foundational lab tasks.
- Own recurring responsibilities with confidence and participate in equipment troubleshooting and minor repairs.
Within 1 year, you will:
- Be a reliable contributor to ongoing R&D projects by consistently producing high-quality lab work.
- Independently handle technical workflows (e.g., protein sample processing, reagent validation) and troubleshoot challenges as needed.
- Be a reliable owner of key technical workflows and take initiative to identify and propose improvements to make our lab and processes even better.
About our team
Our story and approach to science is anything but conventional. Matt (co-founder/CEO) was a touring punk rock musician who dropped out of University before returning to complete his PhD in cell biology. Jalene (co-founder/COO) is a social researcher by training, previously working on issues from the right to affordable housing to harm reduction. The spark of an idea for our technology came while waiting in line for tiny, Canadian donuts. Our broader team of scientists, engineers, circus performers, restaurateurs, dancers, music aficionados, kid parents, pet parents, cyclists, and artists hail from every corner of the world - from small town Alberta to Poland, India, Vietnam and Pakistan. We credit our diverse team and experiences as the key to our success - and we encourage candidates of all identities and backgrounds to apply.
FAQs
Where is Future Fields located?
Our headquarters and production facility are located in downtown Edmonton, Alberta, in a renovated historic warehouse. From the exposed brick to our summer patio - it’s not your average lab space. It is central, close to transit and bike lanes, and walking distance to some of the city’s best coffee shops, restaurants and Edmonton’s incredible river valley.
I don’t live in Edmonton. Why would I want to relocate there?
Because it’s great! For starters, Edmonton is one of Canada’s sunniest cities with 2299 hours of bright sunshine per year. It’s consistently ranked one of Canada’s most affordable cities to live in and was recently described as Canada’s most exciting culinary city. There’s a festival almost every weekend, North America’s largest mall and the longest stretch of urban parkland on the continent (over 160km of trails!). There’s something for everyone in Edmonton, and it will be even better with you in it.
Any other perks?
Many! Some include: comprehensive health, dental and vision benefits; flexible paid time off policy; and the office is always stocked with snacks and all the coffee you can drink.
Will I like working for a startup?
Great question. Startup life is definitely not for everyone. We move quickly. Projects and priorities shift fast. There is a lot of ambiguity and uncertainty at times and we’re not immune to the growing pains of a rapidly scaling startup. The risk is high, but so is the reward. We promise you will never get bored. You will have fun and learn a lot. You will grow personally and professionally in ways you never imagined (alongside our company). You will be part of something much bigger than yourself and contribute directly to the mission of a team who cares deeply about changing the world for the better. Oh, and equity!
Sound like something you are interested in? Here are the next steps:
Apply online using our job portal.
If it seems like a good fit, next steps will look somewhat like this:
- We will contact you for a casual 30 minute video call.
- We will set up an interview to dive into your technical skills and motivation.
- We’ll arrange another interview to figure out how you fit with our team and culture, and better understand your career trajectory.
- We will set up a coffee chat with you and a team member. This is your chance to dig in and find out what it’s really like to work for Future Fields. This is for you!
- We will speak with two of your references to confirm our assumption that you are, in fact, our next great hire.
- We offer you a job!
All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply; however, candidates must be legally authorized to work in Canada. Please note that we are not able to provide visa sponsorship for this position at this time.
Compensation
$55,000.00 - $65,000.00 per year