Chemistry Technician

Carleton College; United States; On-site; USD 45,000 - 47,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Paid time off

Retirement plan

Job summary

Carleton College in Northfield, MN seeks a Chemistry Technician to co-manage the Chemistry stockroom and support teaching and research labs. The role trains and evaluates student employees, prepares experiments, calibrates instruments, and collaborates with faculty to implement new lab activities.

The position is 0.92 FTE with a 40-hour workweek from September to June and a reduced schedule July–August. Salary starts between $32.70 and $33.80 per hour, with pay adjustments based on experience

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in chemistry or related field is required.
• Minimum of 2 years of full-time professional chemistry lab experience.
• Experience or interest in teaching and supervising students is required.
• Strong supervisory and leadership skills are essential.
• Ability to manage a hectic, demanding work environment with poise and take charge in urgent situations.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Assist Lab Manager in stockroom oversight, inventory strategies and safety practices.
• Prepare teaching labs, set out reagents and equipment, coordinate with faculty on protocols.
• Instruct, supervise and evaluate student stockroom workers.
• Maintain, calibrate and troubleshoot teaching lab instruments.
• Serve as acting Lab Manager when the Lab Manager is absent.
• Support the department safety committee and departmental training.

Skills

Supervisory leadership

Inventory management

Teaching support

Problem solving

Communication

Laboratory safety

Experience with teaching labs

Analytical thinking

Adaptability

Education

Bachelor’s degree in chemistry

2+ years chemistry lab experience

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. Working Schedule: This position will work 40 hours per week between September and June and then a reduced schedule between July and August.

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.

Additional Job Responsibilities

• 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 dangerous situations/chemicals, environmental issues that require a range of safety and other precautions. Must have the ability to understand and follow written and oral work instructions, operations, safety procedures, and hazardous labels.

Company Information

Founded in 1866, Carleton College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college of roughly 2,000 students located in the historic river town of Northfield, Minnesota. Carleton College occupies more than 1,000 scenic acres of campus, arboretum, over 100 campus buildings, and athletic fields. Located 40 miles south of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Carleton offers access to the cultural advantages of a major metropolitan area. Carleton College is committed to providing a true liberal arts education—a curriculum that challenges our students to learn broadly and think deeply. Instead of training for one narrow career path, Carleton students develop the knowledge and skills to succeed in any walk of life.

Founded in 1866, Carleton College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college of roughly 2,000 students located in the historic river town of Northfield, Minnesota. Nationally recognized as the nation’s top college for undergraduate teaching, Carleton is known for its academic rigor, intellectual curiosity, and sense of humor. Carleton offers 33 majors and 38 minors in the arts, humanities, natural sciences, mathematics, and social sciences. At Carleton, faculty and staff members work together across departments to create a seamless and supportive environment for students.

Carleton College occupies more than 1,000 scenic acres of campus, arboretum, over 100 campus buildings, and athletic fields. Located 40 miles south of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Carleton offers access to the cultural advantages of a major metropolitan area.

Carleton College prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity that it operates. Individuals may report concerns or questions to the Title IX Coordinator. The notice of nondiscrimination is located at our Title IX at Carleton page.

Carleton College is an equal opportunity educator and employer. Carleton College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, marital status, veteran status, actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, status with regard to public assistance, disability, or age in providing employment or access to its educational facilities and activities.

View 'About Carleton'' Diversity Page.

Carleton College’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is available for review. The report includes statistics for the previous three years concerning reported crimes occurring on/near campus. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security. You can obtain a copy of this report by contacting Carleton College Security Services or by visiting the Security Services website.

Benefits and Compensation

Carleton also offers a robust suite of benefits including: A generous 403(b) retirement plan with a 10% employer contribution and 2% employee contribution. Medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance. Paid time-off, including 25 annual leave days, 8 paid holidays, and extra days at the end of the calendar year to make a continuous week off before New Year’s. Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for all employees. A dependent tuition program after six years of service.