Laboratory Technician

**Position Status**:Auxiliary (0.2 FTE)
**Department**:Liquid Waste Services
**Employee Group**: Teamsters Local 31
**Location**:Annacis WWTP, Delta
**Salary Range/ Wage Rate**:PG 22 $34.96 - $41.16 hourly

**Our Liquid Waste Services Department is seeking an auxiliary Laboratory Technician, working 1 day a week, who will perform a wide variety of routine and standardized chemical and physical testing on air, soil, water and wastewater samples.**

**You are: Self-motivated, physically fit, organized, able to multi-task, and able to work individually and within a team.**

**This role**:

- Performs a wide variety of the routine and standardized chemical and physical testing required of the Chemistry Laboratory on air, soil, water sewage and waste disposal samples; checks test results against establish¬ed norms and refers unusual results to a superior; organizes order of daily personal work¬load to meet pre determined schedules and priorities.
- Performs all chemical and physical testing in a Sewage Treatment Plant Laboratory on influent, effluent, digester sludge and gas samples; organizes daily personal workload to meet established schedules and to accommodate special Plant process needs and Plant operating staff requests; produces, assesses and commun¬icates laboratory test results and observations to a superior and to Plant staff; investigates, resamples, or re analyzes to check and confirm unusual test results, ensures that plant upsets and permit infractions are brought to the attention of a superior and the Plant manager and performs any required extra testing to monitor problems.
- Performs field sampling work related to the work of the Sewage Treatment Plant Laboratory.
- Prepares manual or computerized calculations, worksheets, statistics and other data and material related to the work; prepares standards and reagents, dispenses media, and maintains, operates and calibrates laboratory apparatus as required.
- Assists a superior in carrying out special projects by collecting samples, conducting laboratory tests and preparing related data and graphs, as directed.
- May assist a superior in answering routine telephone calls from the public and in training new technical staff and liaises with internal contacts such as inspectional staff and Sewage Treatment Plant operating staff to exchange routine information on specific samples, tests or test results.
- Participates in general laboratory cleaning and disinfection activities.
- Performs related work as required.

**To be successful, you have**:

- Graduation from a recognized Institute of Technology with a Diploma of Technology in a Chemistry/Environmental option, preferably a University Degree in Chemistry, and some related experi¬ence in a chemistry or environmental laboratory.
- Thorough knowledge of standard laboratory physical and chemical analytical methods and procedures related to soil, water and waste disposal pollution control samples.
- Considerable knowledge of the laboratory testing and field sampling schedules, methods and priorities related to the work.
- Some knowledge of the Waste Management Act and of the functions of the M.V.R.D. as applied to water and sewage air quality.
- Some knowledge of special test procedures to analyze unusual samples or to solve unusual or complex test problems.
- Some knowledge of complex laboratory instrumentation and of sewage treat¬ment principles.
- Ability to perform a variety of routine chemical and physical analyses, and to prepare and maintain manual and computerized calculations, data and material related to the work.
- Ability to perform non routine laboratory tests, to analyze unusual samples, and to operate complex instrumentation under the direc¬tion of a superior.
- Ability to perform field sampling work involving physical activity and effort in all weather conditions.
- Ability to recognize unusual lab test results, to investigate, conduct further sampling and analysis for confirmation and to inform superior and plant personnel regarding same.
- Ability to assist a superior in carrying out routine aspects of special projects, in answering routine telephone requests from the public and in training new staff.
- Ability to liaise with internal contacts to exchange routine information on specific tests and samples.
- Ability to organize workload to meet established schedules and priorities and to follow laboratory testing and sampling protocols.
- Skill in the maintenance, operation, calibration and simple repair of standard laboratory apparatus and equipment.
- Valid Driver's License for B.C.