Laboratory Technician, Kinesiology - Limited Term

Laboratory Technician, Kinesiology - Limited Term

Tracking Code: req1547

Faculty/Department: Faculty of Health Sciences

Number of Positions: 1

Appointment Type: Limited Term

Hours of Work: 35 hours per week

Salary Range: Level 9 - Starting Salary, Step 1 $78,033

Posting Date: April 11, 2025

Closing Date: April 28, 2025 (7:00 pm EST)

Job Summary: This position supports the procurement, coordination, maintenance, and management of all equipment in the Kinesiology Teaching labs, as well as TA training on needed equipment, and the design and production of small custom pieces integral to lab functioning.

Nature of work:
Reports to the Dean, Carol Rodgers, in the Faculty of Health Sciences.

Responsibilities/accountabilities:

1. Maintenance: (10%)
   • Maintains lab equipment and ensures labs run smoothly.
   • Maintains cleanliness and sanitation to meet Health and Safety targets.
   • Performs the cleanings or oversees the tasks performed by the University works student.
   • Ensures adequate supply of expendables for lab activities and projects usage rates to mitigate shortages and downtime.
   • Maintains the upkeep of equipment experiencing high strain and mechanical wear on moving parts.
2. Creation of Lab content: (10%)
   • Works with course professors and Lab Specialist to design lab protocols that create an effective learning environment.
   • Liaise with professors to ensure the appropriate equipment is being used to meet course learning outcomes and goals.
   • Assist in the generation of protocols and report documentation as well as necessary video content.
3. Calibration: (10%)
   • Calibrates and validates lab equipment.
4. Problem Solving & Equipment Repair: (15%)
   • Ensures all troubleshooting measures are tested and all recourse possible taken. This includes but is not limited to things such as:
   • Software issues, connectivity breakdown of student laptops, computer hardware repair - re-soldering of broken cables, repair of “out of warranty” equipment, specialized research equipment design and construction for use in teaching labs, repair of equipment after misuse, set-up of labs in the ACE or Varsity gym, signal filtering and optimization.
5. Supervision and Training: (35%)
   • Creates a positive learning environment in the labs.
   • Ensures the safety of students and that all labs are run properly and efficiently by TAs.
6. Health and Safety: (5%)
   • Keeps updated records of chemical compounds and safety procedures for all individuals entering the lab spaces. This includes MSDS binders and labels and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all commonly used practices or potentially harmful protocols.
7. Organization and Planning: (15%)
   • Plans for future equipment needs and costs, and meets with Lab Specialist to fit these into the overall Lab budget.
   • Meets with faculty members, and plans for future lab curriculum changes and equipment needs to facilitate the lab learning objectives.

Required Skills:

• Excellent organizational skills and capable of adhering to a strict schedule.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, especially for technical components (e.g. SOPs).
• Effective interpersonal skills, discretion, tact and diplomacy.
• Capable of troubleshooting and problem solving or providing guidance under potentially stressful situations.
• Ability to transfer appropriate knowledge, both theoretical and practical, to users in the teaching laboratories.

Required Education:

• Masters of Science in Kinesiology or related degree of equivalent level in addition to an Undergraduate degree in Kinesiology.
• Certification as a current CSEP-CEP (Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology – Clinical Exercise Physiologist) preferred but not required.
• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and First-Aid up-to-date - required.

* Verification of Academic credentials may be required.

Required Experience:

• Minimum 1 to 3 years of experience.
• Overseeing and teaching in Kinesiology teaching laboratories.
• Discipline specific expertise in Cardiac Rehabilitation, Exercise Physiology, Biomechanics and Ergonomics.
• Supervision and interaction with colleagues in a number of diverse roles.

Knowledge:

• Detailed knowledge of digital signal processing techniques and analog to digital conversion of various physiological signals used in lab including but not limited to: electromyography (EMG), kinematic position data, Force plate kinetics, accelerometer data, electrocardiogram (ECG) and metabolic cart O2 and CO2 consumption.
• Knowledge of calibration techniques and schedule for many large pieces of lab equipment (Metabolic Carts, Bikes, NIRS, Kinematic System, Force Plate, spirometers, etc.).
• Awareness of the importance of maintenance schedules of equipment and ability to troubleshoot acute issues quickly.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT:

• Rotating work schedule within typical work week (Mon-Fri).
• Occasional travel to vendors or suppliers for lab items is usually a drive less than an hour away and about 3-5 times per month depending on the schedule and time of year.
• One international conference every second year and one Canadian conference every year.

How to Apply:

Interested candidates should submit in electronic format a covering letter and their resume. Applications will be accepted until April 28, 2025 or until a suitable candidate is found. We appreciate all applications received; however, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

This position falls within the bargaining unit represented by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) and will be subject to the terms and conditions of the collective agreement between the university and the OPSEU. To the extent that policies are not included in the collective agreement, employment will also be governed by the university’s policies which may also be found on our website https://ontariotechu.ca and which may be amended from time-to-time.

Ontario Tech University is actively committed to equity, diversity, inclusion, indigenization and decolonization (EDIID), and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates, while especially encouraging applications from First Nations, Metis, Inuit peoples, Indigenous peoples of North America, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, and those who identify as women and/or 2SLGBTQ+. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens, permanent residents, Indigenous Peoples in Canada, and those eligible to work in Canada, will be given priority.

Ontario Tech University respects people's different needs and therefore will take all reasonable steps to ensure accommodation for applicants where appropriate. The University is also committed to ensuring that confidentiality is maintained throughout all aspects of the recruitment cycle.

If you require accommodation, please contact Julie Day, Health and Disability Management Specialist. For more information about the universities policies for accommodating employees with disabilities please review the university’s Accessibility Policy.

The university acknowledges the lands and people of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation which is covered under the Williams Treaties. We are situated on the Traditional Territory of the Mississaugas, a branch of the greater Anishinaabeg Nation which includes Algonquin, Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi.

Job Location: Oshawa, Ontario, Canada

Expected Start Date: 5/5/2025

Expected End Date: 4/24/2026