Chemistry Technician

Carleton College; Northfield (MN); On-site; USD 45,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

Carleton College in Minnesota is seeking a Chemistry Technician to co-manage the Chemistry stockroom, oversee teaching and research laboratories, and train student employees. The Technician will prepare for teaching labs, calibrate instruments, and work with faculty and the Lab Manager to test new experiments, troubleshooting lab issues as they arise.

This role requires a Bachelor's degree and at least two years in a chemistry lab, with supervisory experience and a commitment to safety and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in chemistry or related field and 2 years lab experience.
• Minimum 2 years of full-time professional chemistry lab experience; teaching experience preferred.
• Supervisory and leadership skills with ability to manage a busy lab.
• Ability to train, supervise, and evaluate student workers.
• Commitment to safe, clean laboratory practices and processes.
• Excellent customer service and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the chemical stockroom with responsibility for inventory, procurement, and safety practices.
• Prepare teaching laboratories, set reagents, glassware and equipment; coordinate with faculty and CHO.
• Instruct, supervise and evaluate student stockroom employees.
• Maintain, calibrate and troubleshoot instruments used for teaching labs.
• Step in as Lab Manager during absences; participate in Safety Committee activities.

Skills

Supervisory leadership

Customer service

Strong communication

Problem solving

Laboratory safety

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Job Title: Chemistry Technician

Department: Chemistry

Classification: Non-Exempt

Grade: 11

FTE/Working Schedule: 0.92 FTE

Position Overview:

The Chemistry Technician is the co-manager of the Chemistry stockroom, who broadly oversees the department's teaching and research laboratories, and trains, supervises, and evaluates student employees. The Technician prepares for Chemistry teaching laboratory experiments, maintains and calibrates instruments relevant to those experiments, partners with faculty and the Chemistry Laboratory Manager to test and implement new teaching laboratory experiments, and supports laboratory troubleshooting for the department's faculty and laboratory students.

Compensation:

The expected starting hourly range for this position is between $32.70 and $33.80. Actual pay will be adjusted based on job-related factors permitted by law, such as experience and training; licensure and certifications; market factors; departmental budgets; and responsibility.

Essential Job Functions/Responsibilities:

• Assist the Lab Manager in overseeing the chemical stockroom, developing and implementing strategies for maintaining the inventory, purchasing equipment and chemicals, and supporting safe practices in the Chemistry Department laboratories.
• With the Lab Manager, share responsibility for preparing Chemistry Department teaching laboratories, including consulting and strategizing with faculty before the term to prepare experiments, preparing and set out reagents, glassware, and equipment for use in laboratory, coordinating with faculty and the Chemical Hygiene Officer (CHO) to develop protocols for waste collection and removal, and troubleshooting any problems that arise during the laboratory meeting. This work is performed with support from Chemistry Department student employees.
• Instruct, supervise and evaluate student stockroom employees.
• Maintain, calibrate, and troubleshoot instruments used for teaching laboratory experiments.
• Assume the Lab Manager's duties during periods of the Lab Manager's absence.
• Serve on the Chemistry Department Safety Committee.

Supervision Received and Exercised:

This position reports to the Department Chair of Chemistry and will hire, train, and supervise student assistants and will perform student worker evaluations.

Education/Experience/Skills:

Required:

• Bachelor's degree required with a minimum of 2 years college chemistry, including General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry.
• Minimum of 2 years of full-time professional, related experience working in a chemical laboratory setting required. Experience, or interest in, teaching students required.
• Supervisory and leadership skills Ability to manage a hectic, demanding work environment with poise.
• Ability to take charge of urgent situations.
• Ability to analyze situations, use common sense, apply knowledge base, and make sound judgments to solve problems and develop creative solutions to issues.
• Ability to train, assign appropriate tasks to, supervise, and evaluate student workers.
• Ability to interact and negotiate productively with diverse stakeholders, including faculty, staff, and students
• Knowledge of and experience implementing good laboratory techniques.
• Ability to maintain a clean, safe work environment, and teach these practices to student workers.
• Ability to properly prepare a variety of reagents, including precise analytical standard reagents, and to properly work with a large variety of hazardous materials and assess/minimize risks associated with those materials.
• Ability to interpret and translate Safety Data Sheet (SDS) information into laboratory chemical safety information.
• Understanding of best practices related to chemical hygiene, and ability to coordinate with multiple stakeholders (faculty, lab manager, and CHO) to develop and implement best practices
• Working knowledge of word processing, spreadsheet and image creation/manipulation software programs.
• Ability to work independently, work under pressure, prioritize tasks and meet deadlines, work cooperatively with others, and manage and direct concurrent multiple tasks.
• Must possess initiative, a strong work ethic, motivation, and have the desire to improve one's work environment and the laboratory experience for students. Must have the desire to learn new skills and information, such as the operation and troubleshooting of sophisticated laboratory equipment, and demonstrate ability to utilize available structural and personnel resources to support new skills development.
• Excellent customer service and communication skills.

Preferred:

• Experience working with and maintaining instrumentation relevant to chemistry laboratories

Physical Requirements:

• Job requires some repetitive lifting of average weight objects, an occasional requirement to lift heavy objects (50 lbs.).
• Requires the ability to maintain a standing position, up to 50%, for extended periods to perform job duties.
• Work involves exposure to potentially dange