Lab Specialist II - Department of Biological Sciences

JOB DUTIES:

25% - Greenhouse and plant teaching support: Provides routine greenhouse and plant-production support for teaching laboratories. Propagates, maintains, and monitors plant materials needed for instruction, including watering, irrigation, ventilation, lighting, temperature, and other environmental controls. Coordinates with instructors to collect, purchase, transport, and prepare plant materials for laboratory use and assists with proper disposal. Maintains greenhouse procedures and supplies, provides basic user training, and assists the Building Manager with greenhouse SOPs, safety, and access requirements. 15% - Training and Inventory: Maintains and updates detailed written laboratory preparation protocols for teaching laboratory experiments. Assists in training and supervising temporary employees and student workers in the laboratory. Assists faculty in developing, improving and implementing new laboratory experiments. Assists in implementing and enforcing proper safety and waste disposal procedures, attends workshops and training sessions for updated safety regulations. Assists with maintaining and updating yearly chemical inventory. 20% - Laboratory testing and equipment maintenance: Prepares and maintains equipment, materials, and supplies for laboratory experiments and data analysis in support of teaching labs that accommodate thousands of students per semester, including, but not limited to various forms of chemical analysis and media preparation, assays, microscopy, spectrophotometry, nucleic acid manipulations, and maintains a diverse microbial culture collection. Develops protocol for laboratory procedures and assists faculty in instructing teaching assistants on the procedures. Maintain and calibrates complex departmental laboratory equipment. 40% - Teaching lab preparation: Independently responsible for the preparation of aspects of multiple teaching labs, including physical setup and break down of weekly assigned laboratory experiments. Prepares chemical solutions, stains, media, and agar plate, electrophoresis gels, bacterial, protozoan, and all other pre-made materials and provides all necessary instrumentation and supplies. Replenishes supplies and solutions as necessary. Ensures appropriate analysis of experimental results. Provides technical support.

JOB CODE:

ED25

EMPLOYEE TYPE:

Regular FTE Staff

Minimum Requirements:

A high school diploma and journey-level technical experience in a related laboratory setting.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

JOB KNOWLEDGE

Firm working knowledge of concepts, practices and procedures and ability to use in varied situations.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

Supervises Student workers only

BUDGETARY RESPONSIBILITIES

No fiscal responsibility for the department's budget.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Walk or move about: 20% Recognize or inspect visually: 45%

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Mechanical hazards: 5% Chemical hazards: 10%

WORK SCHEDULE:

Standard Hours: 37.5

COMPENSATION INFORMATION:

Expected Salary Range

40000 - 43000

Salary is dependent upon several factors including, but not limited to, a candidate's previous experience, knowledge, skills and performance in accordance with Clemson's compensation guidelines.

ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL LEVEL:

Normal Operations - Required to follow emergency facility closure and modified operations directives, and not normally expected to work on-site during emergency situations.

JOB LOCATION:

Clemson, SC

APPLICATION DEADLINE:

September 29, 2026

MILITARY AND VETERAN:

Military Equivalency: Clemson University is proud to allow educational equivalency for military technical certifications and trainings that directly relate to the job duties.

Veteran Preference: South Carolina provides employment preference to eligible veterans for qualifying full-time permanent positions. To be considered, applicants must meet the minimum qualifications, have been discharged under honorable conditions, and indicate their veteran status in the application by uploading a DD-214 for confidential review. A request for Veteran Preference can be made via the application process. Please contact hrjob@clemson.edu with any questions or issues.

CLOSING STATEMENT:

Clemson University is an EEO/AA employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to characteristics protected by applicable law including disability and protected veteran status.

To apply, visit https://clemson.wd12.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Clemson_Careers/job/CLEMSON-SC/Lab-Specialist-II---Department-of-Biological-Sciences_JR-10816

Working at Clemson University

Clemson is a dynamic research university located in Upstate South Carolina at the center of the booming I-85 corridor between Charlotte, N.C., and Atlanta, Ga. One of the nation's most selective public research universities according to U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review, Clemson University is the school of choice among top students in South Carolina and is increasingly competitive for the best students in the region and the nation. More than 17,100 students select from 70 undergraduate and 100 graduate degree programs through five academic colleges: Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences; Architecture, Arts and Humanities; Business and Behavioral Science; Engineering and Science; and Health, Education and Human Development.

Clemson's transformation into a leading research institution — currently attracting in excess of $140 million in externally funded research and sponsored program awards per year — is based upon an academic plan that identifies eight emphasis areas in which the University has opportunities to increase education and research, to align with South Carolina's economic development needs and to draw upon faculty strengths. Emphasis areas include automotive and transportation technology, advanced materials, biotechnology and biomedical sciences, leadership and entrepreneurship, sustainable environment, information and communication technology, family and community living, and general education.

Major economic development initiatives that have emerged from the academic plan include the Clemson International Center for Automotive Research — a 250-acre campus in Greenville, which has generated more than $225 million in public and private commitments in just four years; an advanced materials initiative at the Clemson Research Park, which includes a new LEED Silver-certified facility; and the South Carolina Health Sciences Collaborative — an initiative of the state's three research universities and major health-care systems.

As the state's land-grant university, Clemson reaches out to citizens, communities and businesses all over South Carolina. The Public Service Activities division includes the county-based Cooperative Extension Service, five off-campus research and education centers through the Clemson University Experiment Station and critical regulatory responsibilities for plant and animal health.

The University boasts a 1,400-acre campus on the shores of Lake Hartwell within view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Surrounding the campus are 18,000 acres of University farms and woodlands devoted to research. A warm campus environment, great weather and recreational activities offered by proximity to both the natural surroundings and large cities are part of the Clemson Experience.

Points of interest at Clemson include the following:

The Clemson Conference Center and Inn is a state-of-the-art facility for symposia, meetings, seminars and special events. The complex includes the Madren Continuing Education and Conference Center, the Walker Golf Course and the Martin Inn.

The South Carolina Botanical Garden, a 295-acre public garden, features several thousand varieties of ornamental plants and a unique collection of nature-based sculptures.

The Robert Howell Brooks Center for the Performing Arts brings an exciting array of concert, theater, dance, comedy and other live performances to the community.

The Robert Campbell Geology Museum at the Botanical Garden displays meteorites, minerals, dinosaur fossils and the largest faceted-stone collection in the Southeast.

The T. Ed Garrison Livestock Arena is a showplace for livestock activities in the state and has hosted horse and livestock shows, rodeos, sales, 4-H activities, educational programs, and industrial and agricultural exhibitions.

Fort Hill, the home of John C. Calhoun and later of his son-in-law, University founder Thomas Green Clemson, is a registered National Historic Landmark located in the center of campus.

The Class of 1944 Visitors Center is the front door to Clemson — a friendly place to get tours, information, assistance and an introduction to this beautiful, historic university and community.