Direct Wage - Lab Assistant Engineering

South Texas College; McAllen (TX); On-site; USD 21,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

South Texas College, located in McAllen, TX, seeks a Lab Assistant for Engineering to support lab instructors and staff. You will assist with regular labs, prep reagents, and help maintain safety procedures and equipment in accordance with EPA, OSHA, and GHS guidelines.

Candidate should have a high school diploma or GED and science coursework, with strong communication and computer skills to manage records, inventory, and daily tasks in a dynamic lab environment.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED; college science coursework preferred.
• Knowledge in subject area: engineering or related science coursework with at least a C grade (A preferred).
• Excellent oral, written, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Proficient with MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and basic internet research.

Responsibilities

• Assist lab instructors during regularly scheduled labs.
• Prepare reagents and lab carts for engineering laboratories.
• Maintain inventory and operation records for the lab.
• Assist with routine repairs and notify for major maintenance.
• Maintain safety and security of the laboratory and equipment.
• Keep lab rooms clean and orderly.
• Perform clerical functions as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Communication skills

MS Office

Physical science knowledge

Lab safety

Regulatory knowledge

Time management

Adaptability

Teamwork

Work flexibility

Commitment to mission

Reading comprehension

Writing

Public speaking

Mathematical aptitude

Data interpretation

Problem solving

Instruction interpretation

Education

High School Diploma or GED

College science coursework

Tools

MS Office

Internet research

Windows

Job description

Transcripts

Transcripts must be from an institution accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

Foreign transcripts

Applicants submitting employment applications with foreign transcripts must provide transcript equivalency documentation from an approved evaluation service. The evaluation service must be a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). The evaluation service links on the following site are provided by South Texas College for your convenience but are not affiliated with South Texas College: NACES Members

Job Description

Department

Physics

General Statement of Job

The Lab Assistant for Engineering assists all Engineering staff and faculty. Assists with the maintenance and safety in the labs according to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and Global Harmonized System (GHS) guidelines, which includes but is not limited to maintaining eye wash stations, maintaining properly labeled receptacles for broken equipment and used batteries, maintaining receptacles for various waste streams, and Safety Data Sheets (SDS).

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

Essential Functions

• Assists lab instructors during regularly scheduled labs or as needed.
• Assists in preparatory work for the engineering laboratories, including reagent preparation, and preparing carts with lab material
• Assists in keeping accurate records related to inventory and operation of laboratory.
• Assists with routine repairs and notifies proper personnel for warranty maintenance and major non-warranty repairs.
• Assists with the maintenance of the safety and security of the laboratory and equipment.
• Assists with the maintenance in the lab rooms in a clean and orderly condition.
• Performs clerical functions, as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Education and Experience

• High School Diploma or GED required; College Certificate or 8 college hours in science,preferred.
• Knowledge in subject area preferred: demonstrated mastery of coursework in engineering or related science courses either in high school or college, earning at least a "C" (preferably an "A").

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Excellent oral, written, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Strong computer skills with knowledge of Microsoft Office including, but not limited to, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, the Windows environment, and internet research skills.
• Knowledge of the physical science field, preferably chemistry.
• Familiarity of a science laboratory, including safety and precautions.
• Knowledge of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and Global Harmonized System (GHS) guidelines.
• Ability to prioritize, organize, and complete multiple tasks with attention to detail, within stated deadlines.
• Ability to adapt to constant change and periods of fast-paced, high-intensity work situations.
• Ability to work independently as well as a team player within department and with others.
• Ability to work evenings and/or weekends as needed.
• Demonstrated commitment to achieving the vision and mission of South Texas College.
• Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.
• Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.
• Ability to speak effectively before groups of students or employees of organization.
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.
• Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.
• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
• Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

Checks, Certificates, Licenses, and Registrations

• Security Sensitive position: all applicants are subject to a criminal background check under South Texas College policy

Physical Requirements

• Exerting up to 25 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body.
• Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction.
• Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discrimination in sound.
• Picking, pinching, typing, or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling.
• Standing particularly for sustained periods of time.
• Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including the ability to convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately and concisely.
• Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: visual inspection involving small defects, small parts, and operation of machines; using measurement devices; and/or assembly or fabrication parts at distances close to the eyes.
• Mobility to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another.

The above job description is not intended as, nor should it be construed as, exhaustive of all responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions associated with this job.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job.

Minimum Compensation

$15.75

Desired Start Date

September 15, 2026

Posting Close Date

(No Close Date if Blank)

29 September 2026 11:59pm