Lab Teaching Assistant - Biological Sciences

Vanderbilt University; Nashville (TN); On-site; USD 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

Vanderbilt University invites applications for a Lab Teaching Staff position within the Department of Biological Sciences. The role supports introductory biology labs (BSCI 1510L, 1511L, 1512L), designs activities, prepares reagents, and ensures consistent educational quality across sections.

The candidate will mentor TAs and manage course content in Brightspace/TopHat. Responsibilities include teaching multiple lab sections, ensuring safety, handling inventory, and coordinating with course

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; master's preferred.
• Lab and/or teaching experience preferred.
• Able to manage time and plan tasks.
• Ability to follow written and verbal instructions.
• Collaborative and flexible team player.
• Experience with basic cell/molecular biology equipment.
• Familiarity with statistics; R experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement laboratory activities aligned with learning objectives.
• Teach two or more sections of Introductory Biology Laboratory courses.
• Prepare chemical reagents and lab equipment for experiments.
• Manage grades, content, quizzes, and tests in Brightspace/TopHat.
• Maintain inventory of lab equipment and chemicals.
• Schedule office hours and respond to student inquiries professionally.
• Maintain and sterilize lab equipment and spaces.
• Coordinate with department staff on lab space and purchases.

Skills

Time management

Teaching experience

Laboratory experience

Ability to follow instructions

Cooperation and teamwork

Basic biology lab equipment handling

Statistics basics

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Tools

Brightspace

TopHat

Microsoft Office

R (statistics)

Job description

The Lab Teaching Staff is part of the Department of Biological Sciences at Vanderbilt University and is responsible for assisting in the education of students in multiple major disciplines, primarily Pre-Health Professional. This position has staff persons to teach, develop coursework, and to implement the overall Academic Goals of the Department and University. Lab Teaching Staff allow the Course Coordinator to maintain a consistent level of education across all lab sections of each of the Introductory Biology Laboratory courses offered. Reporting directly to the Course Coordinator, the Lab Teaching Staff, interact directly with undergraduate students, graduate students, Introductory Biology Laboratory Faculty, Departmental Faculty, and may have interactions outside of the Department with other schools within Vanderbilt University, and abroad to other institutions on a daily basis.

The Lab Teaching Staff will be responsible for implementing the directives of the Course Coordinator. The Lab Teaching Staff will both teach multiple sections within the Introductory Biology Laboratory courses, and prepare all of the chemical reagents and laboratory equipment needed for any given experiment. Additionally, the Lab Teaching Staff is responsible for responding to student and TA inquiries both inside and outside of the laboratory and offering guidance to graduate teaching assistants. Ultimately, the Lab Teaching Staff is responsible for the success of the following Introductory Laboratory Biology Courses: BSCI 1510L, 1511L, and 1512L.

The Lab Teaching Staff will work with other team members in a progressive, communal, and professional atmosphere that encourages innovation and progress while consistently maintaining a high standard to keep the Introductory Biology Laboratory courses operating at a high level of educational outreach for the development of undergraduates.

The Department of Biological Sciences has an excellent staff to facilitate issue resolution involving personnel, financial management, supply and equipment orders proposal submission, and infrastructure. The faculty in the department carry out diverse research projects and often collaborate with other members within the department and in nearby departments. This department covers a broad spectrum of biology, from molecules and cells to tissues and organisms to populations and ecosystems. Award-winning faculty and graduate students teach and carry out research in Biochemistry, Structural Biology and Biophysics, Cell Biology, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Computational Biology, Evolutionary Biology, Ecology, Developmental Biology, and Neurobiology.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Work with the Course Coordinator to design and implement laboratory activities that will emphasize key learning objectives for the courses taught.
• Teach two or more sections of Introductory Biology Laboratory courses (BSCI 1510L, 1511L, 1512L) for majors each semester. This includes mentoring students conducting a laboratory research experiment in BSCI 1510L and designing/implementing an introductory level research project in BSCI 1512L.
• Work in a laboratory setting to make necessary chemical and biological reagents for laboratory experiments using sterile and safe laboratory practices.
• Involved in information management (grades, creation and maintenance of content, quizzes, and tests in Brightspace/TopHat course learning platforms). Work with Lab Course Coordinator to attend to all re-grade requests for student assignments.
• Keep a well-organized inventory of laboratory equipment and chemicals used in the Introductory Biology Laboratories.
• Administer online quizzes to students in all sections of Introductory Biology Laboratory courses offered using the online platform TopHat. Transfer student grades from the TopHat platform to Brightspace.
• Schedule and hold office hours during each semester. Respond to student inquiries and in a prompt and professional manner.
• Routinely clean and repair equipment within the laboratory to maintain optimal performance. Clean and sterilize laboratory equipment and hard surfaces on a regular basis.
• Work with personnel within the Department of Biological Sciences to coordinate shared laboratory space.
• Work with personnel within the Department of Biological Sciences office on a regular basis to coordinate laboratory purchases and other special requests.
• Other tasks as assigned.

Qualifications

• A Bachelor’s degree is necessary.
• A Master’s degree is preferred.
• Lab experience and/or teaching experience is preferred.
• Able to manage time and plan what needs to be done.
• Able to accurately follow written or verbal instructions.
• Flexible and able to work cooperatively with others.
• Experience measuring with basic laboratory equipment.
• Able to perform calculations necessary for mixing solutions.
• Familiar with basic cell and molecular biology equipment and techniques.
• Computer skills including Microsoft Office and web-based tools for collaboration and communication.
• Basic competence with statistics; experience with R preferred.