Instrument Support Technician (onsite)

About us:

The Faculty of Arts & Science is the heart of Canada’s leading university and one of the most comprehensive and diverse academic divisions in the world. The strength of Arts & Science derives from our combined teaching and research excellence in the humanities, sciences and social sciences across 29 departments, seven colleges and 46 interdisciplinary centres, institutes and programs.

We can only realize our mission with the dedication and excellence of engaged staff and faculty. The diversity of opportunities and perspectives within the Faculty reflect the local and global landscape and the need for curiosity, innovative thinking and collaboration. At Arts & Science, we take pride in our legacy of innovation and discovery that has changed the way we think about the world.

Established in 1859, the Department of Chemistry is one of the leading institutions of its kind in Canada – featuring teaching excellence, advanced research facilities and development of distinguished scientists in the past and for the future. Our department has a wide variety of services including chemical stores, NMR lab, X-ray analysis lab and a mass spectrometry lab. These resources, combined with our ambition and excitement, create an ideal place to work, research and make an impact in scientific education.

Your opportunity:

Under the general supervision of the Manager in the ANALEST Facility, the incumbent is responsible for maintaining the laboratory and instruments, running client samples, and assisting instrument users.

Handling and working with chemicals and cryogenics is a large component of this position, this position requires awareness of and compliance with all health and safety practices during the normal course of work. In addition, this position must report equipment malfunctions, unusual occurrences and potentially hazardous situations to the appropriate Supervisor immediately.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Performing lab experiments that requires great precision and attention to many details
• Ensuring that the material needs of laboratory exercises and/or courses are available
• Contributing to research findings that are published in academic journals
• Scheduling the use of lab equipment and resources
• Preparing, assembling and setting-up material, equipment and supplies used in teaching and/or research labs
• Providing safety training and ensuring compliance to lab safety procedures and standards
• Ordering supplies within established limits
• Serving as a technical resource on laboratory protocols, and experimental procedures and equipment

Essential Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in chemistry or science or acceptable combination of equivalent experience and education.
• Minimum three years of recent and relevant experience in a Chemistry laboratory environment, performing routine operation and maintenance of lab equipment and instruments, handling and working with chemicals and cryogenics, assisting instrument users, and analyzing lab reports.
• Experience providing safety training and ensuring compliance to lab safety procedures and standards
• Experience with the operation and maintenance of laboratory instrumentation, including electron microscopy, CHN elemental analyzers (Thermo Flash 2000), gas, ion and liquid chromatographs, various spectrophotometers, mass spectrometers and other analytical instrumentation.
• Experience conducting training sessions on instrument operations to undergraduate and graduate students
• Broad knowledge of analytical techniques associated with analytical, environmental, materials, organic and inorganic chemistry.
• Knowledge of computer operation including instrumentation packaged software
• Familiarity with a wide-range of experimental analytical techniques required.
• Demonstrated experience maintaining and troubleshooting instruments, including FEI Quanta 250 FEG ESEM and Hitachi HT-7700 TEM electron microscopes
• Knowledge with all workplace health and safety practices and experience ensuring compliance
• Excellent interpersonal, written and oral communication skills
• Skilled in computer software tools (e.g. Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).
• Ability to work both independently and as a team.

Assets (Nonessential):

• Master's Degree in Chemistry is an asset.

To be successful in this role you will be:

• Courteous
• Efficient
• Multi-tasker
• Organized
• Problem solver
• Prudent
• Resourceful