Production Technician - Intake (Emeryville)

Join EarthOptics as a Production Technician - Intake! 

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  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 two 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.

Our Production Technician - Intake will join our Emeryville, CA Lab team to impact our mission through individual contributor responsibilities. As a Production Technician on our Intake team, you will be responsible for supporting the Emeryville laboratory by receiving, documenting, organizing, and routing incoming soil samples according to standard operating procedures (SOPs). This role is responsible for maintaining sample identity and traceability, identifying and escalating receiving issues, and ensuring samples are directed to the appropriate downstream workflow. During periods of lower intake volume, the technician will also support dry-soil processing and other laboratory production activities. This position requires accuracy, adaptability, and effective collaboration in a fast-paced, high-throughput environment.

Regardless of the role, our team embraces learning, craves collaboration, and is driven by a fast-paced environment. If you resonate with our values and goals, we encourage you to apply—even if you don't meet every requirement. You could be the perfect fit for this role or future opportunities.

The digs: 

• Job Type: Part-Time, Non-Exempt, Temporary to Regular, Part-Time after 90-days based on performance and business needs
• Work Location: This is an onsite position in our Emeryville, CA office and laboratory
• Schedule: The role is 30 hours per week, and operations may occur 7 days a week during peak season.  Employees may be scheduled for day, evening, and weekend shifts. Actual days worked will vary based on operational needs.
• Target Start Date: August 31, 2026
• Compensation: $22.00 per hour

What you’ll cultivate as a Production Technician - Intake: (Your responsibilities) 

• Receive, inspect, organize, and log incoming soil samples into the laboratory information system, ensuring accurate identification and traceability.
• Sort, label, and route samples to the appropriate processing workflows while maintaining quality, chain of custody, and documentation standards.
• Identify and resolve routine sample discrepancies, escalating complex issues and coordinating with laboratory, production, and project teams as needed.
• Operate and maintain intake equipment, workspaces, and supplies while following all safety, quality, and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain an orderly intake queue and prioritize samples according to operational needs.
• Support downstream soil processing activities, including drying, homogenization, subsampling, labeling, storage, and other production tasks to maintain efficient laboratory operations.
• Support other laboratory and production activities as operational needs require.

Are you our soil-mate? You’ll bloom in this role if you have experience in: (Your qualifications) 

• High school diploma required.
• 1+ years of experience working in a manufacturing, production or other similar fast-paced environment.
• Ability to accurately follow sample receiving, labeling, documentation, and routing procedures while maintaining sample traceability.
• Strong attention to detail, organization, and accuracy in a fast-paced production environment.
• Ability to identify and escalate sample discrepancies, including damaged, mislabeled, or nonconforming samples.
• Basic computer skills and experience with barcode scanners, label printers, and data entry.
• Strong communication and teamwork skills with the ability to work independently when needed.
• Ability to safely operate laboratory equipment and follow quality, safety, and regulatory procedures.
• Comfort working with dusty soil samples, damaged packaging, regulated soil, and samples requiring special handling, with appropriate training and PPE.
• While performing duties of this job, you will be required to stand, walk, sit, reach with hands and arms, stoop or kneel, talk and hear, and use fingers and hands.
  • Must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 lbs.
  • Specific vision abilities required include close vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
  • This job will be performed in a Lab environment; dress is casual and Protective Personal Equipment is supplied as well as lab coats.

**We are interested in every qualified candidate who is eligible to work in the United States. However, we are not able to sponsor or transfer visas at this time.

Although not required, we’d love to see roots in:

• Prior experience in a fast-paced, start-up environment
• Prior experience working in a soil processing lab, environmental lab, production lab, or similar high-throughput environment.

Aside from “the green”, we can offer you:

• 401k Plan + Employer Match up to 4%
• Accrued paid time off
• Candidate Referral Program
• Above and Beyond Bonus Program
• Regular opportunities to give feedback on our benefits offerings

How we stay grounded:

Although we have teammates working in the field, in-office, and at home, we aim to create a cohesive, diverse, and enriching environment for all of our employees. We embrace different tools to enhance our workflows and communicate intentionally, both live and asynchronously. A few quick facts you should know:

• We rely on Slack to communicate. Although there are a variety of team-specific systems to facilitate your work, this is our primary! 
• We love both food and emojis at EarthOptics. If hired, you’ll come to love (and use many) taco and donut emojis. 🌮🍩
• Instead of values, we believe in actionable “cultural concepts”. Collectively, we hold one another to act and give feedback with these concepts in mind. Ours are autonomy, accountability, collaboration, customer centricity, grit and grace.

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 [email protected].