Lab Assistant (BPS-11)

Pak Army; Karachi Division; On-site; PKR 400,000 - 500,000; Full time

Job summary

The Inspectorate of Army Stores & Clothing (IAS&C) seeks a Lab Assistant (BPS-11) to support quality assurance across textiles, leather goods, rubber, and hardware for the Pakistan Army. You will execute standardized tests, log samples in LIMS, and assist in provisional reports under supervision.

Daily tasks include instrument operation, data recording, calibration checks, and maintaining 5S lab practices. Career progression from BPS-11 to BPS-16 follows a technical track with training

Qualifications

• BSc with Chemistry or Physics or DAE in Chemical/Mechanical Technology.
• Experience in laboratory testing and quality control preferred.
• Familiarity with standard test methods and safety practices.

Responsibilities

• Receive, inspect, and register test samples with unique IDs.
• Prepare specimens and conditioning environments per standards.
• Operate calibrated testing instruments and record data.
• Flag out-of-spec results for supervisory review.
• Maintain safety and regulatory compliance in the lab.

Skills

Testing procedures

LIMS usage

Record keeping

Calibration

Safety protocols

Education

BSc in Chemistry/Physics

DAE Chemical/Mechanical Technology

Tools

LIMS

Tensile tester

Spectrophotometer

pH meter

Abrasion tester

Job description

The Lab Assistant (BPS-11) at Inspectorate of Army Stores & Clothing (IAS&C) serves as a technical support specialist in the organization's network of testing laboratories responsible for quality assurance of military stores, clothing, textiles, leather goods, rubber products, and general hardware procured for the Pakistan Army. The role involves executing standardized physical, chemical, and mechanical tests on incoming consignments and production samples to verify conformity with approved specifications, defence standards, and contractual requirements before acceptance for military use.

Daily workflows include receiving and logging test samples in the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), preparing test specimens per relevant standards (PS, ISO, ASTM, DEF STAN), operating instruments such as tensile testers, spectrophotometers, pH meters, abrasion testers, and conditioning chambers. The incumbent maintains test records, prepares provisional test reports for review by Senior Scientific Officers, ensures traceability of reference standards, performs routine calibration checks on balances and gauges, and enforces 5S laboratory housekeeping. Career progression follows the BPS-11 to BPS-16 technical track with departmental promotion examinations and specialized training at the Pakistan Institute of Quality Control.

Selection follows the Category A Written Screening Examination cadre: a 100-mark MCQ paper covering General Knowledge (20), English (20), Mathematics/Statistics (15), and Core Laboratory Technology & Material Science (45). Candidates scoring the merit cutoff are shortlisted for document verification of educational certificates (BSc with Chemistry/Physics or DAE Chemical/Mechanical Technology), domicile, and experience. The Departmental Selection Committee then conducts a technical oral viva voce assessing practical knowledge of testing procedures, safety protocols, and situational judgment, with final merit determined by combined written and viva scores.

Key duties and responsibilities:

• Receive, inspect, and register incoming test samples in LIMS with unique identification codes ensuring chain-of-custody traceability
• Prepare test specimens and conditioning environments per specified standards for textiles, leather, rubber, and metal store categories
• Operate and monitor calibrated testing instruments including universal testing machines, Martindale abrasion testers, color fastness apparatus, and chemical analysis equipment
• Record raw test data accurately in prescribed formats, perform preliminary calculations, and flag out-of-specification results for immediate supervisory review
• Conduct daily calibration verification of balances, thermometers, and gauges using certified reference standards; log results in equipment history cards
• Maintain laboratory safety compliance by managing chemical inventories, MSDS files, PPE issuance, and waste segregation per IAS&C safety directives