Wet Lab Lead Technician

FWI (FedWriters, Inc.)

Muskegon (MI)

Hybrid

USD 54,000 - 57,000

Full time

3 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Long-term and Short-term Disability

Life Insurance

401(k) Plan

Holiday Pay

Paid Time Off

Job summary

FWI is seeking a Wet Lab Lead Technician to helm laboratory operations supporting NOAA's GLERL. Lead water quality sampling programs across the Great Lakes, mentor staff, and ensure high-precision carbon and nutrient analyses essential to HABs and ecosystem research.

You will design lab workflows, maintain diverse chemistry instrumentation, and provide hands-on training to technical staff while collaborating on SOPs and data summaries for research publications and communications.

Qualifications

BS degree in chemistry, biochemistry, biology, environmental science, limnology, or a closely related scientific discipline.
Demonstrated experience working in a wet chemistry laboratory environment handling environmental samples.
Experience with basic laboratory instrumentation and data entry software (e.g., Microsoft Excel, Google Workspace).
Valid driver's license.
Ability to lift and carry a 50 lb load to assist with sample coolers and field gear.
Ability to perform field work and handle sample collection on marine vessels.
Demonstrated ability to work independently and safely within a laboratory setting, function as part of a technical team, and strong interpersonal and communication skills.

Responsibilities

Plan and carry out water quality sampling programs across the Great Lakes.
Provide calibration, deployment, and data analysis of in situ instrumentation used to measure nutrients and pigments.
Identify techniques to measure nutrient cycling by aquatic organisms; maintain a nutrient analysis lab.
Develop training materials and conduct training sessions on routine work and methods.
Prepare environmental sampling plans focusing on nutrients, phytoplankton, and physical variables; analyze samples; maintain lab for beta‑emitting isotopes and more.
Perform wet lab analyses on water and sediment samples focusing on carbon fractions and nutrients.
Prepare reagents, standard solutions, and glassware; maintain cleanliness and quality protocols.
Operate, calibrate, troubleshoot, and maintain core lab equipment (TOC analyzers, spectrophotometers, fluorometers).
Run QA/QC procedures, document instrument performance, and maintain notebooks and SDS.
Log and preserve field samples from GLERL vessels and networks.
Assist scientists with field data and sample collection on NOAA boats during cruises.
Collaborate to draft SOPs, data summaries, and quality records.
Assist in developing figures and technical summaries for communications and publications.

Skills

Strong interpersonal and communication

Independent and safe lab work

Education

BS degree in chemistry or related field (chemistry/biochemistry/environmental science/limnology)

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Google Workspace

Job description

Overview

You know a nutrient/limnology lab inside and out — the instrumentation, the calibration curves, the SOPs, and the training it takes to keep it all running at a high standard. FWI is looking for a Wet Lab Lead Technician to take the helm of laboratory operations supporting NOAA's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL), where your work will directly shape how the nation tracks harmful algal blooms, hypoxia, and the health of the Great Lakes ecosystem. As the Wet Lab Lead Technician, you will design and lead water quality sampling programs across the Great Lakes, maintain a diverse nutrient/limnology laboratory, and mentor technical staff through hands‑on training — all while performing the same high‑precision carbon and nutrient chemistry that keeps GLERL's research moving. This is a role for someone who wants ownership of the lab bench and a seat at the table shaping how the data gets collected in the first place. FWI is expanding rapidly and has been recognized as a 2024, 2025 and 2026 Top Workplace, offering excellent growth opportunities in a collaborative environment.

Responsibilities

Plan and carry out programs to collect water quality variables on a diverse set of ships across the Great Lakes over a broad spatial scale
Provide calibration, deployment, and data analysis of in situ instrumentation used to measure nutrients and pigments associated with phytoplankton and dissolved organic matter
Identify techniques to measure nutrient cycling by aquatic organisms such as mussels and zooplankton; maintain a nutrient analysis/limnology laboratory with a diverse suite of equipment for measuring nutrients and other water quality variables
Develop technical training materials and conduct training sessions on routine work and work methods
Prepare and conduct environmental sampling and monitoring plans focusing on water quality variables including nutrients, phytoplankton, and physical variables; process and analyze samples for turbidity, algal toxins, and other water quality variables; maintain a laboratory equipped to measure beta‑emitting radioisotopes (C‑14, P‑32, P‑33, tritium), pigments, algal toxins, and more
Perform routine and complex wet laboratory chemical analyses on water and sediment samples, focusing on organic and inorganic carbon fractions (TOC, DOC, DIC, POC) and related nutrient parameters in support of HABs and ecosystem research
Prepare chemical reagents, standard solutions, and specialized glassware/plasticware, adhering to strict laboratory cleanliness and quality protocols
Operate, calibrate, troubleshoot, and perform routine preventative maintenance on core laboratory analytical equipment (e.g., TOC analyzers, spectrophotometers, fluorometers, filtration apparatus)
Execute rigorous laboratory QA/QC procedures, accurately document instrument performance, and maintain detailed laboratory notebooks, chemical inventories, and Safety Data Sheets (SDS)
Log, track, and preserve incoming field samples collected from GLERL research vessels, autonomous vehicles, and the real‑time observation network
Assist research scientists and engineers with field data and sample collection on NOAA small boats and GLERL research vessels during seasonal monitoring cruises (typically May to November)
Collaborate with technical staff to draft and update Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), data summaries, and quality management records
Assist in developing figures, charts, and technical summaries of carbon and bloom data for research communications, technical publications, and presentations

Required

Qualifications

BS degree in chemistry, biochemistry, biology, environmental science, limnology, or a closely related scientific discipline
Demonstrated experience working in a wet chemistry laboratory environment handling environmental samples
Experience with basic laboratory instrumentation and data entry software (e.g., Microsoft Excel, Google Workspace)
Valid driver's license
Ability to lift and carry a 50 lb load to assist with sample coolers and field gear
Ability to perform field work and handle sample collection on marine vessels
Demonstrated ability to work independently and safely within a laboratory setting, function as part of a technical team, and strong interpersonal and communication skills

Desired

Two or more years of experience working in an analytical chemistry or biogeochemistry wet lab focused on aquatic environments
Hands‑on experience operating, troubleshooting, and maintaining carbon analysis instrumentation, such as Total Organic Carbon (TOC/DOC) analyzers, Dissolved Inorganic Carbon (DIC) analyzers, or elemental analyzers (CHN)
Experience with automated nutrient analyzers, spectrophotometers, fluorometers, and vacuum filtration systems
Experience working with and developing standard operating procedures (SOPs)
Experience using certified reference materials (CRMs), creating standards based on SOPs, and calibration of instruments and sensors
Familiarity with QA/QC protocols, creating standard curves, running check standards, and tracking instrument drift
Experience processing and analyzing environmental datasets using programming languages such as Python or R
Experience working at sea or on research cruises within the Great Lakes or similar large aquatic systems
General knowledge of freshwater ecology, harmful algal bloom (HAB) dynamics, and carbon cycle biogeochemistry

Work Setting And Environment

Primary location: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL), 4840 S. State Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48108
Telework approved for tasks conducive to remote work, as scheduled with the COR and Technical Lead(s)
Full-time schedule (1,912 hours annually), Monday–Friday, flexible hours between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.; field operations may affect hours
Local Great Lakes field travel expected May–November; occasional meeting travel December–April; annual travel not anticipated to exceed 4

FWI is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/vets.

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