Lab Technician

Company profile

StressMarq Biosciences, founded in 2007, is a research bioreagents company producing high-quality, cutting-edge research products for the life sciences and discovery research markets. Our diverse portfolio of antibodies, proteins, immunoassay kits, and small molecules are utilized across a range of biomedical research fields including neuroscience, cancer research, and cell signaling.

In recent years, StressMarq has become a market leader in the development and commercialization of a range of fibrilized and oligomeric protein preparations for use in neurodegenerative disease research including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Within the company, we have three divisions - Operations, Sales & Marketing, and Laboratory. Within the Laboratory division, we have 3 departments – Antibodies & Kits, Proteins, and R&D.

Lab technician (on-site)

StressMarq Biosciences is seeking a lab technician or scientist to join our growing company. This is a full-time annual contract position that can be extended if successful, reporting to a Lab Manager.  The new candidate will be trained on existing SOPs to support manufacturing in the Antibody & Kit department, with opportunities to participate in new product development within this department.

The day-to-day work for this position includes preparation of buffers, casting and running SDS-PAGE gels and/or membrane transfers, planning and running western blots, target review, data visualization, data entry into shared databases, drafting/revision of SOPs, and general lab & equipment maintenance activities such as calibration, material receiving, reagent/consumable inventory, autoclaving materials & glassware, and clean-up. The focus of the position will be to maintain sales inventory of our existing antibody and kit portfolio, optimize procedures, and generate novel antibody and kit products.

On a weekly to biweekly basis, the technician will be assigned specific projects by a lab manager, which can include antibody purification, antibody screening, kit manufacturing, and antibody conjugation followed by QC activities such as A260/280, SDS-PAGE, western blotting, sterility testing, ELISA, BCA, and fluorescence testing. All data & results associated with a project must be compiled into a project summary.  

Other key expectations:

· Attendance in regularly scheduled meetings.

o  Must review transcript if meeting missed or follow up with a lab manager.

·       ISO 9001:2015

o  Remain aware of ISO 9001:2015 documentation expectations.

·       Lab Safety

o  Safe handling of chemicals and raw materials.

o  Safe handling and use of equipment.

o  Review SDS sheets when necessary

o  Wear appropriate PPE and abide by safety protocols.

o  Label reagents/buffers appropriately (WHIMIS)

Benefits:

• Personal Days
• Vacation Time
• Bi-monthly staff appreciation lunches
• Medical, Dental and Vision (Personal Health Savings Account)
• Matching corporate RRSP/TFSA/MAP contribution programs
• Multiple bonus programs

Salary Range:

• $45,000 - $60,000

Qualifications:

• PhD or MSc in immunology, biochemistry, biotechnology, molecular biology, or another related field; or a BSc with 3+ years relevant experience in antibody and ELISA development.
• Attention to detail and natural curiosity
• Interest in the neurodegenerative disease space
• Strong research skills (literature review and experimental design)
• Excellent recordkeeping and time management skills
• Ability to balance and track multiple projects and deadlines at a time
• Self motivated
• Strong verbal and written communications skills
• Analytical skills to perform complex tests and procedures
• Technical proficiency to operate and maintain laboratory equipment such as PH meters, spectrophotometers, autoclaves, AKTAs, columns, etc.
• Understanding of antibody theory and techniques
• Understanding of ELISA/assay theory and techniques
• Understanding of protein theory and techniques
• Understanding of conjugation theory and techniques
• Experience with antibody purification and development
• Experience with various QC techniques such as SDS-PAGE, western blot, ELISA, and immunoprecipitation
• Experience with rodent dissection and tissue lysate preparation
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite
• Problem solving skills to troubleshoot equipment issues or abnormal results
• Cell culture, ICC, and IHC experience would be valuable
• Enjoys a team atmosphere and cross department collaboration
• A positive attitude is appreciated