Lab Ops Specialist: Instrumentation & QC Excellence

Purdue University; West Lafayette (IN); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Purdue University in West Lafayette seeks a Laboratory Operations Specialist for the Office of Indiana State Chemist. The role centers on generating laboratory test results for fertilizers, animal feed, and pet food, using ICP-OES/ICP-MS, combustion analyzers, and other lab instrumentation.

Responsibilities include wet-chemistry procedures, instrument maintenance, QC data generation, and supporting method validation and proficiency testing.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in general chemistry, applied science, or a related field.
• 2 years of relevant lab experience with instrumentation such as ICP-OES, combustion analyzers, automated spectrophotometers or related instruments.
• Experience in a production laboratory environment (state or commercial).
• Familiarity with Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) or similar data management system.
• Basic spreadsheet experience.

Responsibilities

• Support day-to-day laboratory operations related to equipment, staff, and resources to meet testing priorities.
• Operate and monitor instruments (ICP-OES, ICP-MS, combustion analyzers, spectrophotometers) and maintain equipment.
• Perform wet-chemistry procedures with proper sample preparation per methods and QC requirements.
• Communicate issues to Supervisor and coordinate with maintenance/vendor support for resolutions.
• Assist in developing and modifying test methods and SOPs; participate in proficiency testing.

Skills

Laboratory operations

Instrumentation knowledge

Wet chemistry

Quality control

Data management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in chemistry or related field

Tools

LIMS

ICP-OES

ICP-MS

Spectrophotometers

Job description

Purdue University in West Lafayette seeks a Laboratory Operations Specialist for the Office of Indiana State Chemist. The role centers on generating laboratory test results for fertilizers, animal feed, and pet food, using ICP-OES/ICP-MS, combustion analyzers, and other lab instrumentation.

Responsibilities include wet-chemistry procedures, instrument maintenance, QC data generation, and supporting method validation and proficiency testing.