Wet Lab Lead Technician

FWI (FedWriters, Inc.); Muskegon (MI); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

FWI is seeking a Wet Lab Lead Technician to run the GLERL lab for NOAA Great Lakes research. You will design water quality programs, maintain a carbon and nutrient lab, and mentor staff while ensuring high-accuracy analyses of TOC, nutrients, and pigments.

You will work with field ships, GLERL vessels, and in-situ sensors, providing QA/QC, SOP updates, and training. Occasional travel May–November is expected; telework may be approved for remote tasks.

Qualifications

• BS degree in chemistry, biochemistry, biology, environmental science or limnology.
• Demonstrated wet chemistry lab experience with environmental samples.
• Experience with basic lab instrumentation and data entry software.

Responsibilities

• Plan and lead water quality sampling across the Great Lakes.
• Maintain lab and mentor staff with hands-on training.
• Prepare reagents, standard solutions, and SOPs.
• Operate and service core lab instrumentation (TOC, spectrophotometers, fluorometers).
• Log samples from GLERL ships and research vessels; support field cruises.

Skills

Wet chemistry

Instrument maintenance

QA/QC

SOP development

Python/R data analysis

Field sampling

Lab safety

Data entry (Excel/Workspace)

Education

BS in chemistry/biochemistry/environmental science/limnology

Tools

TOC analyzers

DIC analyzers

Spectrophotometers

Fluorometers

Vacuum filtration systems

Job description

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.

• 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

• 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
• 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 800 a.m. and 500 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.