Technical Specialist

**Classification & Regular Hours**:
Hours per Week: 40

Salary Grade: Level N

Please note, this is a wholly grant funded position.

**About Western**:
**About Us**:
The mission of Brain and Mind at Western is to provide a centralized and visible presence for cognitive neuroscience at Western University. The Institute's primary functions are to promote research, to facilitate the training of highly qualified personnel, and to foster national and international collaborations in cognitive neuroscience.

**Responsibilities**:
The Technical Specialist (Registered Polysomnographic Technologist) will work under the direction of Principal Investigator and in collaboration with other researchers to support a grant funded project examining the impact of phase-locked auditory stimulation during sleep on sleep physiology, memory consolidation, and cognition in older adults with and without amnestic mild cognitive impairment. The Technical Specialist will be responsible for all aspects of data collection (e.g. polysomnography, behavioural testing, and cerebral blood flow measures). The Technical Specialist will build rapport with participants upon study enrollment and will ensure that they are comfortable with all experimental procedures, describing the procedures to the participant, setting up the participant for the overnight study, addressing questions, resolving technical or equipment issues and monitoring the sleep study throughout the night. The Technical Specialist will support researchers to facilitate the achievement of their objectives and will make recommendations for enhancements to equipment and instruments as necessary to support research objectives.

**Qualifications**:
**Education**:

- 3 year Community College Diploma in Psychology, Health Sciences or a related field
- Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Health Sciences or a related field is preferred
- Registered Polysomnographic Technologist (RPSGT) certification as a Polysomnographic Technologist would be an asset

**Experience**:

- 2 years of experience in a sleep research facility or sleep clinic utilizing EEG equipment
- Experience scoring the clinical polysomnographic record according to standards set by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM)
- _Preferred_:

- Experience supporting students or researchers in a laboratory environment
- Experience working with patients, particularly seniors, in a clinical environment
- Previous experience identifying sleep stages in real time in elderly populations

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

- Demonstrated expert skill in use of sleep software and protocols
- Demonstrated skill in techniques and the use of a variety of monitoring devices and instrumentation required for sleep studies
- Demonstrated ability to accurately score sleep studies
- Familiarity with methods for research design, implementation, and analysis
- Familiarity with preventative maintenance techniques and practices
- Familiarity with analytical instrumentation operation
- Familiarity with University policies and procedures related to research preferred
- Communication skills to listen to the complete message, solicit more information as required, and provide feedback
- Verbal and written communication skills to describe technical concepts effectively to both novice and sophisticated users
- Strong interpersonal skills to understand needs and expectations of study participants, with a desire to make participants feel comfortable and engaged throughout the research process
- Detail-oriented with an ability to function and process information with high levels of accuracy
- Ability and willingness to stay abreast of technological developments
- Ability to work in a fluid and evolving work environment with changing deadlines and priorities
- Ability to take responsibility for own work and ensure that deadlines are met and outcomes are achieved
- Excellent troubleshooting ability along with hands-on expertise in technical support
- Ability to be forward thinking, anticipate possible errors, and take preventative measures
- Personable and courteous in working relationships with colleagues, students and the public
- Ability to investigate defined issues, solicit input, and suggest remedies and alternative approaches that meet the needs of the situation
- Ability to identify opportunities for improvement, while being open to trying new ideas and working methods
- Ability to work independently and effectively as a member of the team to achieve department goals

**Union Statement**:
**Western Values Diversity**:
Accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment process. If you require accommodations for interviews or other meetings, please contact Human Resources or phone 519-661-2194.

**Please Note**:
We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those chosen for an interview will be contacted.