Lab Technician

**Date**:Jun 14, 2023

**Location**: Waterloo, CA

**Company**:Wilfrid Laurier University

**Department**: Faculty of Science

**Job Type**: Limited Term

**Full-time/Part-time**: Full Time (>=1249 hrs/year)

**Campus**: Waterloo

**Reports to**:Chemistry and Biochemistry Chair and the Senior Administrative Officer for the Faculty of Science.

**Employee Group**: WLUSA

**Application Deadline**:June 20, 2023

**Requisition ID**:6219

Wilfrid Laurier University is a leading multi-campus university that excels at educating with purpose. Through its exceptional employees, students, researchers, leaders, and educators, Laurier has built a reputation as a world-class institution known for its rich student experience, academic excellence, and global impact. With a commitment to Indigenization and commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, Laurier’s thriving community has a place for everyone.

Laurier has more than 19,000 students and 2,100 faculty and staff across campuses in Waterloo and Brantford, as well locations in Kitchener and Milton. The university is committed to providing an inclusive workplace, a flexible work policy and employing a workforce that is reflective of local and national demographics. Our locations are situated on the traditional territories of the Neutral, Anishnawbe, and Haudenosaunee peoples. We recognize the unique heritages of Indigenous peoples and support their intentions to preserve and express their distinctive Indigenous cultures, histories, and knowledge through academic programming and co-curricular activities. Laurier’s Centre for Indigegogy is one example of how Laurier honours Indigenous knowledge.

**Position Summary**

The Chemistry Technician shares with the Chief Technician responsibility for the preparation of equipment, chemical solutions, and media as required for undergraduate laboratories in Chemistry and for ensuring that lab activities are completed safely and in accordance with the academic and research goals of the department. They participate in the maintenance of the Department’s chemical stores and equipment, and in the control and disposal of chemical waste from teaching labs. The Technician works on a regular basis with more than 70 hazardous chemicals classified as carcinogenic, irritant, toxic, flammable/combustible, corrosive, or dangerously reactive.

This position has a university-wide mandate and will be based at the Waterloo campus.

**Accountabilities**
- Prepares for undergraduate laboratories and temporary student use, using Chief Technician files which detail experimental setup, procedures for preparing chemicals, required equipment, sets up special lab arrangements, including work stations for dispensing (or collecting) special chemicals (e.g. arsenic, phenol, or bromine solutions); and waste disposal regulations;
- Prepares reagents as required for student experiments; routinely checks for contamination or other problems that would make reagents unsuitable for student use; adjusts quantities of chemicals required as class sizes vary;
- Ensures that equipment is available for undergraduate labs; including inventory and preparation of required glassware and equipment for specific courses; ensuring that chemical lockers contain equipment in good condition at the beginning of each course; and maintaining a record of locker assignments;
- Assists in maintaining the Department’s equipment loss and damage records;
- Provides replacements of broken or damaged equipment during labs;
- Assembles demonstration units for experiments involving techniques such as distillation and vacuum filtration;
- Instructs teaching assistants in setup of dispensing stations and use of specialized equipment for undergraduate labs;
- Maintains records of model kits or other materials borrowed by students or teaching assistants, collecting deposits as required;
- Supervises make-up labs as necessary for students who miss their regular laboratory period;
- Maintains labs to appropriate standards of cleanliness and organization; cleans glassware and equipment;
- Participates with the Chief Technician in preventive maintenance and minor repairs to sensitive chemical lab instruments such as balances, colorimeters, pH meters and NMR Spectrometer.
- Participates with the Chief Technician in the appropriate collection and temporary storage of hazardous waste and in keeping records of waste disposal;
- Assists the Chief Technician in the organization, maintenance, and regular inventory of the Department’s chemical stores and equipment;
- Participates on behalf of the Department in planning and preparing materials for demonstrations and experiments for “special events” such as Open House, Laurier Day.

**Qualifications**
- MSc in Chemistry or Biochemistry
- 2 years of related experience in a postsecondary or research setting;
- first-hand experience in the safe and accurate preparation of reagents;
- thorough knowledge and understanding of equipment, chemicals, glassw