Senior Advanced Technical Assistant

Williams College, London•Williamstown, MA

9d•$32 - $36•Onsite

About The Position

Are you a technical expert who thrives on the variety of the laboratory and the energy of a vibrant academic community? As our Senior Advanced Technical Assistant, you are more than a support staff member: you are a mission-critical partner in the Biology Department’s educational and research success. From overseeing our state-of-the-art greenhouse to serving as a vital thought partner for faculty in high-enrollment courses carrying out inquiry-based labs, you will ensure that ground-breaking student discovery happens every single day. If you are a collaborative problem-solver who takes pride in technical precision and wants to see your expertise directly translate into scientific breakthroughs, we invite you to lead our technical team and help us redefine what’s possible in Biology education at Williams College. Reporting to the Chair for the Biology Department, the Senior Advanced Technical Assistant will contribute to ordering, setting up, preparing, testing all materials for the course laboratories while maintaining facilities and equipment needed for teaching and research. This position requires a high degree of attention to detail, quality control and accuracy, and ability to work independently and collaboratively with faculty.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Biology (or a related field) and at least 5 years relevant experience working or learning in a laboratory environment, or an equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
Familiarity with basic laboratory techniques.
Excellent organizational skills and an ability to work situations with tight and frequent deadlines.
A high degree of detail orientation.
Ability to establish and maintain harmonious working relationships with faculty, students and other staff.
Prioritize and adapt to new situations and requests as the need arises.

Nice To Haves

Experience with culturing microorganisms, molecular techniques, and working with live material is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Organize the set up of high enrollment course laboratories.
Prepare and maintain solutions, growth media and living materials for course labs.
Order scientific equipment and supplies for laboratory course work and the department stockroom including solvents using the Workday accounting platform.
Oversee maintenance contracts and repair of scientific equipment used in both course labs and research in the department and oversight of the greenhouse.
Supervise two Technical Assistants and work-study students.
Other duties as assigned (e.g., assisting in the development and implementation of laboratory exercises, ordering scientific equipment and troubleshooting challenges as they arise.)