Overview: The lab technician will work with Jeremie Fant (http://sites.northwestern.edu/fant-lab/) and Nyree Zerega (http://artocarpusresearch.org/) at the Chicago Botanic Garden. The lab technician will be required to assist the lab manager in the training of students and volunteers on the correct usage of a wide variety of lab equipment used in a plant molecular lab. The technician will also be required to help with mentoring and monitoring lab users to ensure they follow lab protocols and health and safety regulations for handling and disposing of materials. The technician will assist in the scheduling of lab equipment maintenance and usage, and assist with purchasing lab supplies and preparing communal solutions. The technician will also be responsible for assisting the herbarium manager with coordinating volunteers and curating the collections. In addition, the lab technician will have the opportunity to contribute to ongoing research projects in the lab.
Duties and Responsibilities: In this role, you will be responsible for the following: · Maintain laboratory equipment; certify instrument performance; arrange equipment replacement, service, and repair · Train volunteers, students, and other lab users on procedures and protocols. Help lab users by counseling with planning, monitoring, and recommending improvements of experiments. · Ensure lab users' compliance with health and safety regulations · Coordinate use of lab space, including bench space, storage, freezer and fridges · Organize the purchase of communal supplies by checking stocks to determine inventory level; anticipate needed supplies; place and expedite orders for supplies; verify receipt of supplies · Prepare communal solutions · Coordinate volunteers and their duties · Identify needs and problems; establish priorities; help manager with writing user manuals and Standard Operating Practices Qualifications: Our ideal candidate will have the following: A minimum of a bachelor of science degree in biology or chemical fields · Two to four years of lab experience · Strong managerial and organization skills and the ability to lead and direct others · Excellent interpersonal communication skills · Ability to troubleshoot when reactions fail · Due to the lab equipment maintenance responsibilities, some mechanical prowess is useful. Physical Demands: The lab technician is required to spend a combination of long periods of sitting, standing, and walking between labs. There is some requirement for a minimal lifting of items less than 30 pounds. Why Apply? Come work in a setting that is like no other as you support our mission: We cultivate the power of plants to sustain and enrich life. Take the first step toward being one of the employees who make the Garden one of the treasures of the Forest Preserves of Cook County. Apply today. Please note that applicants who do not meet the required qualifications will not be considered. Disclaimer: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and qualifications required of personnel so classified. See link below for full job announcement and instructions on how to apply. http://www.chicagobotanic.org/jobs/lab_technician
