Independent Contractor Soil Scientist Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Join EarthOptics as the Soil Chemistry / ICP Instrumentation Consultant!

Our mission is to be the leading soil information company, delivering maps that growers, farmers, ranchers, and other stakeholders use to cost-effectively increase yields and improve soil health and the climate. We are creating a future where traditional sampling methods are obsolete.

At EarthOptics, we are combining cutting-edge genomic analysis, data science, microbiology, and remote sensing to revolutionize agriculture. Our unified mission is to help farmers and ranchers sustainably increase their yields and feed the growing world through all things soil.

We are a growing company with a passion for soil health, innovative technologies, and supporting all within the food value chain. We currently have ~100 individuals spread across 20 states and 2 countries, and they come from all walks of life, industries, and experiences. We are deeply focused on building the future of AgTech and sustainability and helping the world see soil differently.

EarthOptics is seeking an experienced Soil Chemistry / ICP Instrumentation Consultant to support high-throughput soil chemistry operations in our Emeryville, CA lab. This part-time contractor will provide hands-on support and guidance for development of QA/QC protocols, QA/QC review, instrument troubleshooting, and practical workflow improvement.

The ideal consultant has direct experience operating ICP-OES and/or ICP-MS instruments in a soil, agricultural, environmental, or analytical chemistry lab. This person should be comfortable with calibration, standards, blanks, duplicates, spikes, rerun criteria, contamination control, instrument maintenance, method development, and review of analytical data for quality and consistency.

This is a hands-on technical role. The consultant will work closely with Soil Science Lab Operations, and Data teams to support reliable data generation, reduce instrument downtime, and improve ICP-related workflows.

The digs: 

• Job Type: Independent Contractor, approximately 1-2 days per week.  Initial engagement may be structured as a 3- to 6-month contract, with possible extension based on lab needs.
• Target Start Date: ASAP
• Compensation: $1,000-$1,500/day, depending on experience

Responsibilities Include: 

• Troubleshoot ICP-OES and/or ICP-MS instrumentation used for high-throughput soil chemistry analysis.
• Review analytical data for quality assurance and quality control, including instrument drift, contamination, calibration performance, failed controls, rerun criteria, and overall data integrity.
• Document instrument issues, maintenance activities, QC findings, corrective actions, and quality findings.
• Improve standard operating procedures (SOPs), laboratory workflows, quality control processes, and operator consistency.
• Recommend practical improvements that increase instrument reliability, laboratory throughput, and analytical data quality.
• Collaborate closely with Soil Science and Data teams to ensure accurate, timely, and reliable soil chemistry results.
• Operates with EarthOptics’ cultural concepts of Autonomy, Accountability, Collaboration, Customer Centricity, Grit, and Grace.

Are you our soil-mate?: (Your qualifications) 

• Bachelor's degree in Soil Science, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Agronomy, or a related scientific discipline.
• Hands-on experience with ICP-OES and/or ICP-MS operation.
• Experience troubleshooting instrumentation, analytical methods, sample preparation, and laboratory data quality issues.
• Experience with soil, agricultural, environmental, plant, water, or comparable sample matrices.
• Strong understanding of analytical quality assurance and quality control practices.
• Strong technical documentation and written/verbal communication skills.

• High-throughput production lab experience.
• Soil nutrient or elemental analysis experience.
• Experience with LIMS, instrument data systems, SQL, Python, R, or structured data review.

Inclusion and Diversity at EarthOptics: 

At EarthOptics, we embrace diversity and equality, and stand against any form of discrimination or harassment. We base all hiring and promotion decisions on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, age, marital status, parental status, veteran status, or disability.

We are deeply committed to welcoming and including every qualified individual. As a part of this commitment, we ensure that persons with disabilities have access to reasonable accommodations. If you require assistance during the job application or interview process, need support to perform essential job functions, or seek other benefits and privileges of employment, please reach out to us at accommodations@earthoptics.com.