Laboratory Assistant IIl - 141350

UC San Diego; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

UC San Diego seeks an organized Lab Assistant Lead to coordinate physical preparation of undergraduate laboratories, schedule room assignments, and oversee daily restocking of classrooms with supplies.

You will train student workers, prepare materials, sterilize glassware, and handle complex reagents while ensuring safety and AAALAC standards are followed.

Qualifications

• High school graduate or equivalent with lab experience or two years of college with biology/chemistry/biochemistry courses and lab experience.
• Ability to handle and care for animals under university regulations and AAALAC standards.
• Experience operating standard lab equipment and troubleshooting basic issues.
• Ability to operate and maintain complex lab equipment (e.g., FPLC, electrophoresis, scintillation counter).
• Knowledge of handling biohazardous chemicals and proper waste disposal.
• Familiarity with safety protocols and PPE use.
• Basic math skills for calculations and preparing solutions.
• Experience with aseptic technique and preparing complex media/plates.
• Strong record-keeping and inventory management skills.
• Excellent communication and ability to work independently or in a team.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate lab preparations, scheduling, and room assignments for lower-level Lab Assistants.
• Prepare materials for courses and restock classrooms with supplies.
• Train student workers and supervise lab staff under the Lab Manager.
• Prepare reagents and solutions, clean and sterilize glassware, and maintain equipment.
• Inoculate cell cultures and swab agar plates as needed; provide backup for course setup.
• Manage waste disposal and maintain inventory, records, and budget logs.
• Perform routine lab management tasks and ensure safety and compliance.

Skills

Interpersonal communication

Multitasking

Teamwork

Administrative skills

Computer literacy

Budgeting records

Inventory management

Laboratory safety

Aseptic technique

Animal handling

Instructional coordination

Education

High school diploma or GED

College coursework in biology/chemistry/biochemistry

Equivalent combination of education and experience

Tools

Spectrophotometer

Centrifuges

pH meters

Microscopes

Autoclaves

FPLC/Temperature cycler/Ultracentrifuge

Job description

UCSD Layoff from Career Appointment: Apply by 9/22/26 for consideration with preference for rehire. All layoff applicants should contact their Employment Advisor.

Reassignment Applicants: Eligible Reassignment clients should contact their Disability Counselor for assistance.

DESCRIPTION

Under the general supervision of the Instructional Labs Manager, incumbent is responsible for coordinating the physical preparation of laboratories including scheduling cleaning duties and room assignments for lower-level Lab Assistants, scheduling and preparation of time-sensitive tasks such as media and plate production for lab courses, and overseeing the daily restocking of classrooms for undergraduate laboratory courses with adequate amounts and types of supplies and equipment.

Duties include: training student workers in Lab Assistant duties, scheduling lab assistant and student worker schedules with direct supervision of Instructional Labs Manager, prepare materials for courses; clean and sterilize glassware and labs after class; prepare complex reagents and solutions; clean and maintain equipment; and work with fish, frogs, chicks, rats, or crayfish as needed.

In addition, other duties include: being backup support for lab course setup, inoculating cell cultures, and swabbing agar plates and slants. This will be performed under general supervision of the Instructional Labs Manager, who is an additional designated secondary support for all courses when needed. Assist with other projects as assigned.

Additional duties will include: proper disposal of animal carcasses, chemicals and biohazardous wastes; and assist with quarterly and yearly inventory, ordering system, equipment repairs, protocol record system, and recipe cards.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Graduation from high school or a GED and three years of laboratory experience OR two years of college including courses in biology, chemistry or biochemistry and two years of laboratory experience, OR an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Skill to care for animals in accordance with university regulations. Sensitivity to the needs of caged laboratory animals, skill and knowledge to apply principles of sanitizing and disinfecting animal cages, and basic skills in veterinary procedures in compliance with AAALAC standards.
• Demonstrated knowledge, skill and ability to operate standard lab equipment including scales, balances, spectrophotometer, centrifuges, pH meters, colony counters, dishwasher, autoclaves, various microscopes, etc., with the ability to troubleshoot problems and perform minor repairs.
• Ability to operate, clean, set up and maintain sophisticated lab equipment, such as FPLC, temperature cycler, ultra centrifuge, electrophoresis apparatus, scintillation counter, etc.
• Demonstrated knowledge and proficiency in working with and properly handling biohazardous chemicals, including carcinogens, radioisotopes, neurotoxins, and mutagens.
• Demonstrated knowledge of university hazardous waste (including animal carcasses) and biohazardous waste disposal regulations and associated safety techniques and requirements, and the willingness and ability to maintain and upgrade training and certificates as required.
• Demonstrated knowledge of laboratory safety precautions, including appropriate clothing and shoes, safe handling of chemicals, and use of protective gear such as gloves and goggles. Familiarity with Material Safety Data Sheets.
• Basic math skills (by hand or calculator) to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and percentage calculations. Must be able to calculate molarities, normalities and percentages.
• Demonstrated experience to accurately prepare complex solutions, plates, media, etc., using aseptic techniques.
• Demonstrated experience to scrub, wipe and clean laboratory benches, counters, sinks and equipment using various cleaning agents and equipment.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills, including skill to understand and carry out written and oral instructions and interact with clients and colleagues with diverse personalities and educational levels, using diplomacy, flexibility, and tact.
• Ability to work independently or as part of a team, with the ability to receive and follow instruction from multiple work directors.
• Experience with computers (MAC or Windows) and associated standard business software (e.g., email, web browser, word processing and spreadsheet), web applications, and all associated computer hardware, with the willingness and ability to update and increase skills as required.
• Skill and ability to maintain a variety of written and/or computer records.
• Demonstrated ability to transfer supplies and equipment between labs.
• Demonstrated ability to calculate expenditures on purchase orders, including tax and shipping/handling charges, and enter into budget index number logbook. Demonstrated skill to keep purchasing records manually and electronically.
• Demonstrated ability to take inventory of glassware, supplies and equipment.
• Demonstrated ability to perform complex and routine daily lab management tasks.
• Outstanding demonstrated administrative and organizational skills. Demonstrated ability to multitask, meet multiple deadlines, and deal with interruptions and changing priorities.
• Knowledge and skill to handle and care for animal subjects and dispose of carcasses in accordance with all governing regulations. Demonstrated ability to perform animal anesthesia and euthanasia.

SPECIAL CONDITIONS

• Must be able to work in a very busy environment with changing priorities.
• Must be willing and able to work with and dispose of animal carcasses, chemicals and biohazardous wastes, including maintaining all required safety certifications.
• Must be willing and able to work with a variety of animals subjects including frogs and rats.
• Must be able to lift/move up to 50 lbs.
• Job offer is contingent upon satisfactory clearance based on Background Check results.

Pay Transparency Act

Annual Full Pay Range: $60,218 - $71,639 (will be prorated if the appointment percentage is less than 100%)

Hourly Equivalent: $28.84 - $34.31

Factors in determining the appropriate compensation for a role include experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. The Hiring Pay Scale referenced in the job posting is the budgeted salary or hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position. The Annual Full Pay Range may be broader than what the University anticipates to pay for this position, based on internal equity, budget, and collective bargaining agreements (when applicable).