Laboratory Technician I, Strawberry Plains - TNBR Careers

The overall purpose of this job is to manage and operate all science laboratories on the assigned campus. The main functions include preparing science experiments, as well as obtaining all supplies, materials, and equipment needed by the faculty a...

Title:  Laboratory Technician I, Strawberry Plains

Department: Natural & Behavioral Sciences

Number of Positions: 1

Classification:  3 – on campus

​·   Non-supervisory roles: three (3) current or former supervisors

​·   Personal references (friends, clergy, customers, relatives) are not considered acceptable references.

Position Summary: The overall purpose of this job is to manage and operate all science laboratories on the assigned campus. The main functions include preparing science experiments, as well as obtaining all supplies, materials, and equipment needed by the faculty and students in the laboratories through college channels, and setting these out in an orderly fashion. This includes such things as preparing chemicals, reagents, and solutions, growing bacteria and plants, properly disposing of chemical and biohazard waste, updating SDS information and other safety protocols, maintaining a clean/safe environment in the laboratories and making sure equipment is accounted for and in working order. Another responsibility is to communicate with the laboratory instructors to help with troubleshooting minor issues during instruction. As a member of a site campus, this person is expected to engage with the campus community at that site campus. All of these done with a team attitude to the benefit of our students and the goals of our college.

Essential Functions:                                                       

30% Set up and take down laboratory exercises and practical tests with required supplies, materials, and equipment. Laboratory setups include the courses General Biology, Botany, Anatomy and Physiology, Microbiology, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Geology (these may vary based on needs).

30% Prepare chemical reagents and solutions; bending glass to build chemical reaction set ups; prepare and sterilize growing media; grow organisms such as bacteria, keep their line uncontaminated by using aseptic technics and operate various equipment as needed to accomplish these tasks.

10% Assist the Lead Laboratory Technician ordering supplies and other duties.  Obtain needed supplies and equipment from other campuses; travel to other branch campuses as needed. Attend meetings and training as required and assist other laboratory technicians.

10% Communicate the laboratory supply needs to the Lead Laboratory Technician and other department members or other departments (e.g., Facilities, Helpdesk, etc.) within the institution when necessary; serve as a liaison between laboratory instructors and course lead instructors.

5% Ensure a safe laboratory environment through proper coordination and disposal of chemical/biohazardous waste, update Safety Data Sheets (SDS), proper labeling of chemicals and reagents, test safety equipment; create visual aids in the laboratories to inform instructors and students of required safety guidelines and practices, inform instructors of updated and/or current safety standards. Interact and work with the external vendors that give maintenance or do service to the laboratory.

5% Assist the Lead Laboratory Technician in inventory of the equipment once a year; check equipment and perform minor repairs or adjustment to the same or notify the Lead Laboratory Technician to contact the appropriate personnel be who can fix or adjust them. 

5% Store the equipment materials and chemicals properly, keep the labs cleaned.  Do thorough cleaning between semesters and once a year.

5% Assist with site campus activities and miscellaneous projects as assigned by the campus dean.

Note: The College reserves the right to change or reassign job duties, or combine positions at any time.

Key Results Areas: The laboratory will be neatly prepared with all materials and equipment needed for each instructor to conduct their laboratory instruction in a safe and efficient manner. Laboratory technicians allow accountability of resources and consistency between laboratories and campuses.

Job Requirements: 

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in a natural science such as Chemistry or Biology or other related fields.
• No career experience is required, however the laboratory experience required to obtain a degree in the natural sciences should be sufficient; additional laboratory work experience outside of what is required to obtain a degree in the natural sciences would be preferred.

Complexity & Creativity: Organization and time management skills, attention to detail, ability to troubleshoot laboratory equipment and problem solving. It is important to have the materials and equipment ready to be set up in a timely manner. This is especially true when there is a short time frame to break down one laboratory exercise and set up another. While the materials necessary for the laboratory exercises are straightforward, it is good to have creative thinking in this job in to make any substitutions in a short amount of time. Creative thinking is required to balance and plan for four disciplines of science; knowledge all four and of OSHA must be sufficient to realize and deal with problems that may arise. There are SDS available to guide in the safe usage of chemicals Each laboratory technician also has “prep books” that lay out the chemicals, equipment, specimens, etc. for each laboratory exercise for consistency across campuses. Able to engage in the college’s mission and values.

Magnitude of Impact: The people impacted by this job are the laboratory instructors and their students, as well as students as a whole on the site campus. If the laboratory technician is not fulfilling their responsibilities, instructors and/or students could be injured due to an unsafe environment. Students may not learn key concepts due to a laboratory exercise not working properly or through the absence of required materials (such as models, keys, reactives and other equipment). For example, if the laboratory technician is not fulfilling their campus duties, students may not get the full experience of campus activities. Any of these impacts could be long-term leading to a lack of retention and lower graduation rates. If a problem arose that could not be corrected by the laboratory technician, the first level of contact for an instructor would be the Lead Laboratory Technician and or other Laboratory Technicians, then the Dean of Natural & Behavioral Sciences.

Responsibility for Accuracy: Errors are minor and infrequent, consisting mainly of backorder items, living organisms dying, and minor accidents in the laboratory (i.e., spills, broken glass, contaminated media, etc.). Quality is verified through the instructors who rely on the laboratories’ exercises being prepared properly. If something was not set out or working correctly, the instructor would let the laboratory technician know immediately for correction.

Financial Impact: If a laboratory technician was inattentive or careless, equipment and materials could be broken or wasted, costing the college money. The laboratory technician is responsible for an annual inventory list of valuable equipment, that if lost could also cost the college money. An attentive laboratory technician should notice potential safety concerns and minor defects in equipment that may be fixed economically before they become a major concern resulting in the replacement of equipment.

Judgement and Decisions: General day to day decisions that deal with organization of materials, laboratory exercises preparation and setup.

Nature of Contacts: The laboratory technician interacts with Support Staff on the site campus; the Dean, administrative assistant, Maintenance, and the Environmental, Health, & Safety Compliance Manager & security Officers. The nature of the interactions usually is to aid in a common task. Dean & administrative assistants – communication about campus specific events & meetings. Maintenance & housekeeping – Communication about AC/Heating issues, basic equipment issues, cleaning issues. Environmental, Health, & Safety Compliance Manager - Scheduling hazardous/Biohazard waste removal and general laboratory & chemical and safety concerns and first aid kits; communication about safety and reporting accidents.

In addition, the laboratory technician interacts with outside vendors, such as those dealing with hazardous/biohazard waste disposal, equipment installation and repairmen etc.

Physical Demands:

The job is physically demanding. This includes climbing ladders to lift objects on and off high storage shelves or squatting to lift objects from floor cabinets (such as water baths, carboys, models, boxes, and glassware); sometimes the need to move equipment up to 30 lbs. Also is collecting the required materials & equipment from around the prep area and laboratory classroom.  The work environment may include: desk work, fumes from hazardous chemicals, physical irritants from chemicals, contact with blood or body fluid pathogens etc. The position works with dangerous equipment and substances and wear the appropriate safety equipment to handle them. Manual dexterity is especially important for preparing microbiology and chemistry to the precise filling of reagents and media as well as to inoculate and growth of organisms. 

The laboratory technicians must be able to hear, smell, or detect color to see if there is a problem or emergency in the laboratory.  Hearing is required so that the laboratory technician is able to detect problems in the lab, potential equipment malfunctions, and to maintain a safe lab environment.

Visual is required to maintain an organized, well-prepped, and safe laboratory, as well as accurately measure liquids using graduated cylinders, burets, etc. The detection of color is required because many of the chemical solutions required for the laboratory exercises are colorful and the laboratory technician must be able to detect the color to ensure the correct solution has been prepared. Also, it is a necessity to be able to read changes in litmus paper to ensure the safe disposal of pH solutions.

Hazards:

The laboratory technician is exposed to many hazardous chemicals, and carcinogens on a daily basis that can cause; skin irritation, eye irritation, chemical burns, and inhalation irritations. There are other physical injuries that could occur from chemical in eyes, hot plate burners, or Bunsen burners as well as cuts from broken and contaminated glass;*bacterial/viral infection exposure possible due to exposure to biohazards in the Anatomy & Physiology or Microbiology laboratories; therefore, laboratory technicians must be very aware of the work environment (especially in cleaning the laboratory because students may have broken glassware or non-reported spilled of hazardous chemicals, materials that may or may not have been disposed of properly) to reduce the risk of bodily injury. For a conscientious laboratory technician, there is a probability of injury of 10 % to 20 %.

Full-time Employment Benefits:

• Insurance Options: Health, Dental, Vision, Life, Short/Long-term Disability, FSA/HSA 
• Wellness Incentive Program, if enrolled in health plan
• Educational Assistance: Fee Waiver, Spouse/Dependent discounts, Audit/Non-Credit, Reimbursement Program
• Employee Assistance Program
• Retirement Options: Tennessee traditional pension plan option (TCRS), 401k with $100 company match, 457, 403b
• Employee Discount program with over 900+ companies
• 14 Paid Holidays/Year Includes paid days off the last week of December
• Sick Leave Bank
• Longevity Pay
• Many opportunities for professional development

Special Instructions to Applicants: To be considered for a position at Pellissippi State, you must create an on-line application. Your skills, abilities, qualifications, and years of experience will be evaluated using only what is recorded on your application. Work experience that is not listed on the application will not be considered towards compensation. Please note: attaching a resume does not substitute for completion of the application form. Part-time work experience is calculated at 50% of full-time experience. Please note: to scan, upload, or attach documents, a computer and scanner are available at the Hardin Valley Campus Educational Resources Center, if needed.

Pellissippi State Community College is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA employer

If you have any problems or questions please contact Human Resources at Pellissippi State Community College’s Human Resource Office at 865-694-6607 or by email at recruiting@pstcc.edu.

If you are interested in this position, click on Apply located below or Apply Now in the upper right-hand corner. 

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