Research Assistant/Technician 3
About The Position
This is a leave replacement position for a fixed-term duration. The role serves 1st to 4th year undergraduate teaching laboratories, primarily focusing on first-year general chemistry, analytical chemistry, and some integrated and materials chemistry experiments. The position involves setting up, maintaining, and supplying chemicals and equipment for these laboratories under minimal direction. Responsibilities include preparing and standardizing reagents and solutions, troubleshooting, calibrating, and maintaining equipment, managing chemical inventory, leading the laboratory safety program, and ordering supplies. The role also involves testing experiments, participating in experiment development, indirectly supervising teaching assistants (TAs) and students on safety practices, and collaborating with lab faculty in the direct supervision of summer and work-study students.
Requirements
- Completion of a relevant technical program or a university degree in a relevant discipline.
- A minimum of three years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own.
- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion.
- Basic computer skills.
- Good communication skills; fluency in English.
- Ability to instruct students in the use of equipment.
- Good analytical reasoning and problem-solving skills.
- Familiarity with WHMIS regulations and other safety practices.
- Good physical fitness essential to meet the daily demands of undergraduate labs.
Nice To Haves
- Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline or Graduation from a technical college or institute.
- A diploma or degree in chemistry is preferred.
- Minimum of 3 years related experience or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Experience in an analytical lab setting preferred.
- Experience with solution preparation and standardization at a high level of accuracy, and all associated calculations.
Responsibilities
- Setup, maintenance, and supplying of chemicals and equipment for undergraduate teaching laboratories.
- Preparation and standardization of reagents and solutions for laboratories.
- Troubleshooting, calibration, and maintenance of laboratory equipment and instrumentation.
- Maintenance of chemical inventory and leadership of the laboratory safety program.
- Ordering and receiving equipment and supplies.
- Testing experiments and participating in experiment development.
- Indirectly supervising teaching assistants (TAs) and students regarding laboratory safety practices.
- Collaborating with lab faculty in the direct supervision and monitoring of summer and work-study students.
- Relaying technical and safety information to TAs and students.
- Preparing, checking, bottling, and labeling standard and unknown solutions with high purity requirements.
- Setup and breakdown of experiment stations at the beginning, middle, and end of term.
- Ensuring adequate supplies of chemicals, reagents, and other materials for experiments.
- Safely transporting and installing high-pressure gas cylinders.
- Acting as a resource for students regarding equipment use.
- Recovering and purifying chemicals for re-use.
- Allocating and maintaining inventory of glassware and equipment.
- Cleaning glassware, equipment, and laboratory benches.
- Maintaining stocks of supplies and common chemicals, checking inventory levels, and assessing supplier availability and prices.
- Neutralizing and/or disposing of hazardous chemical waste and chemical spills.
- Ensuring compliance with all safety/WHMIS regulations and maintaining safe lab practices.
- Participating in Chemistry Department safety programs (e.g., fire warden, first aid attendant).
- Participating in the development and testing of new experiments, including operating procedures.
- Configuring data acquisition hardware and writing/developing/adapting data acquisition software programs in consultation with Lab Faculty.
- Distributing and selling teaching materials for undergraduate teaching laboratories.
- Potentially substituting for other lab technicians for routine tasks.
- Setting up, testing, performing routine maintenance, and troubleshooting/repairing complex laboratory equipment and instrumentation.
- Maintenance and proper operation of common lab equipment and apparatus.
Benefits
- Employment equity
- Inclusion and fairness
- Rewarding career
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
Associate degree
