Academic Lab Manager II - Department Of Chemistry

The Department of Chemistry in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at West Virginia University is currently accepting applications for an Academic Lab Manager II.

About the Opportunity

Under the direction and supervision of the Academic Laboratory Manager III, the employee must organize, coordinate, and supervise the day-to-day operation of the chemistry laboratories in the C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry. The employee will oversee and participate in various critical operations in the laboratory preparation facilities and will assist faculty in the development and testing of new experiments.

We strongly believe in work-life balance and keeping time for things we love outside our work. WVU offers generous benefits, including:

• 37.5-hour work week
• 13 paid holidays (staff holiday calendar)
• 24 annual leave (vacation) days per year or more based on years of service (employee leave)
• 18 sick days per year (for when you're ill, for when you need time to care for sick family, for your own, or your family's, regularly scheduled medical appointments. Who is family for the purpose of this leave? A lot of people in your life including immediate relatives and in-laws as well as others considered to be members of your household living under the same roof)
• WVU offers a range of health insurance and other benefits
• 401(a) retirement savings with 6% employee contribution match, eligibility to continue health insurance, and other retiree perks. Looking for more retirement benefits information? Check out retirement health insurance benefits, retirement income, and FAQ's.
• Wellness programs

What You'll Do

Laboratory Management

• Prepares chemicals, solutions, and materials used in the chemistry laboratories and by faculty who perform lecture demonstrations.
• Dispenses the solutions, labels containers, and delivers all chemicals and solutions prior to the beginning of each laboratory session.
• Manages specific areas of the Chemistry Preparatory Facilities as assigned by the supervisor, maintaining quality and consistency of laboratory chemicals to ensure that teaching laboratory sections operate seamlessly and consistently.
• Ensures work areas are hazard- and obstruction-free, and regularly reevaluates location of storage, equipment and personnel to optimize laboratory spaces.
• Assists faculty members and colleagues with the development and testing of new teaching lab experiments.
• Works with colleagues to solve problems associated with specific experiments and makes recommendations for changes based on literature reviews, as necessary.
• Pre-runs proposed experiments to determine efficacy, checks for inherent safety techniques, and determines the time needed for the experiment to be performed by undergraduate students.
• Understands the risks of handling chemicals and exercises good practices in their storage and usage.
• Responds to requests from Teaching Assistants and effectively delivers the supplies to the laboratories. Maintains a working knowledge of appropriate concentration of solutions in units such as molarity, normality, molality, and percent and prepares them accurately.
• Maintains a working knowledge of laboratory equipment used in undergraduate chemistry courses including balances, pH meters, mel-temps, gas chromatographs, refractometers, centrifuges, digital thermometers, etc.
• Oversees and participates in the distribution and maintenance of equipment and glassware/supplies, located in the stockroom, used in the laboratories by relocating, repairing, or coordinating repairs with appropriate personnel.
• Coordinates chemistry laboratory functions with faculty members and supervisor to ensure materials, supplies and equipment are readily available.
• Oversees the storage of chemicals in the Chemistry Prep Facilities according to OSHA regulations and their corresponding SDS documentation.
• Assists in maintaining a working inventory of chemicals and supplies needed for the Chemistry Prep Rooms and prepares new orders through Mountaineer Marketplace when necessary.
• Maintains good housekeeping in assigned areas and participates in routine summer and winter laboratory cleaning, as requested.
• Stocks gloves, towels, and other items, as needed.
• Coordinates and oversees demonstration events involving on-site participation during working hours, or eventually during evenings or weekends, as needed.
• Participates on departmental committees, as requested.

Safety and Supervisory Responsibilities

• Complies with Federal, State, University, and departmental safety practices and regulations.
• Exercises acceptable safety practices and monitors the Prep Room/Stockroom areas for potential hazards.
• Supervises and monitors student workers' performance, ensures they are equipped with the proper supplies, and ensures tasks are completed accurately and on time.
• Trains student workers in handling, dispensing, storing and transporting chemicals for laboratories and ensures adherence to safety measures.
• Observes laboratory operations to ensure student compliance with safety regulations and reports concerns and non-compliance to supervisor and faculty member in charge.
• Completes first-aid and CPR training and maintains certification to be prepared to administer first aid to students or employees.
• Inspects safety showers and eyewash stations four times per year, or as requested by the supervisor.
• Coordinates and participates in Graduate Teaching Assistant meetings to discuss upcoming experiments and special safety concerns.
• Trains and cross-trains with Chemistry Prep Laboratory Staff to remain knowledgeable about current best practices.

Hazardous Waste Collection and Disposal Responsibilities

• Determines preliminary hazard parameters for chemical waste, removes chemical waste from laboratories and submits removal requests with WVU EH&S.
• Creates and maintains labels for liquid and solid waste containers for collection, storage, inventory, and disposal.
• Assures that hazardous waste collection and requests for disposal are in compliance with EH&S and federal disposal rules and regulations.
• Completes the mandatory EHS hazardous waste training annually.
• Completes weekly Resource Conservation and Recovery Act's (RCRA) 90-day Waste Container Checklists.
• Oversees laboratory clean-outs and ensures chemicals, solutions, and other hazardous materials are properly labelled.

Chemical and Equipment Inventory Management

• Oversees central receiving of Research Materials Management System (RMM) in coordination with EH&S Chemical Inventory Specialist, and of other shipments.
• Completes New Equipment Acquisition forms and tags new equipment under the direction of WVU's Asset Management Group.
• Maintains a working inventory of chemicals and supplies in prep rooms, laboratories, and stockrooms, communicates inventory levels and requests ordering of replenishments.
• Receives glassware and supplies inventory and replenishes the stockroom inventory.
• Coordinates storage and/or removal of surplus equipment/instruments.
• Oversees gas cylinder inventory, liquid nitrogen tank levels, tracks usage, submits requests for refills, and performs yearly audits with Airgas and WVU Purchasing.
• Assists in completing a bi-annual inventory of major assets in collaboration with WVU Inventory Management.
• Serves as contact for symposia poster board reservations.
• Oversee the departmental lab coat cleaning services. Accept custody of delivery weekly and coordinate with groups for collection of clean lab coats.

Online-Lab Content Support

• Collaborates with the Academic Affairs Coordinator, faculty and college committees for online laboratory experiments.
• Collaborates with the Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies to coordinate the online labs.
• Coordinates and participates in pre-semester TA training sessions to prepare new graduate students for their roles in the academic laboratories.
• Participate in TA meetings. Develop and present informative talks at meetings regarding upcoming experiments and any special safety concerns.
• Responds to questions from students and assists in providing optimal solutions.
• Collaborates with faculty on complex teaching laboratory development by pre-running proposed experiments online to determine efficacy, and time limits needed to perform new experiments. Provides detailed evaluations to the faculty and participates in strategic planning sessions for future laboratory development.
• E-Campus support for Chemistry online laboratories.

Other Duties as Assigned

• Remains knowledgeable and able to perform other staff members' duties, in the case of vacation leave, illness, position vacancy, or emergency.
• Escorts departmental personnel to obtain bulk solvents.
• Communicates with vendors to select appropriate supplies and equipment.
• Prepares the shipment of laboratory samples and schedules of pick-ups.
• Oversee the department's receipt of shipments daily. Accept custody of shipments of chemicals and equipment (e.g. via UPS, Yellow Freight, etc.) by signing the waybills, properly storing items, and contacting the proper person for pick-up in a timely manner. Transport the items to the appropriate destinations, when needed.
• Attain and maintain DOT-IATA certification and serve as a member of the departmental hazardous materials shipping team.
• Assist graduate students and faculty with requests for materials, research projects, or community outreach events.
• Transport departmental furniture and equipment as requested by the supervisor.
• Assist in the transport of 55-gallon and 20-liter drums of solvents using a dolly.

Performs other duties as assigned

• Bachelor's degree in chemistry or related science field required.

• A minimum of one (1) year of the following preferred:

• Working in a laboratory setting.

• Hazardous material management.

• Supervisory responsibilities.

• Online teaching experience or equivalent online academic activity delivery.

• Any equivalent combination of related education and/or experience will be considered.

• All qualifications must be met by the time of employment.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Demonstrated knowledge of chemical and physical principles.
• Ability to pass First aid/CPR certifications as needed.
• Ability to pass DOT/IATA certification as needed.
• Knowledge of laboratory techniques, equipment, and terminology used in chemistry, including ability to operate such equipment.
• Knowledge of equipment, chemicals and techniques used in organic chemistry is preferred.
• Ability to supervise and train other staff members and student workers.
• Ability to organize an academic laboratory and to maintain good housekeeping in assigned areas.
• Ability to analyze and monitor program success and identify improvement opportunities.
• Self-directed and self-motivated with the ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to work independently, as required.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive information.
• Ability to effectively give and receive oral and written communications and to follow work assignments.
• Ability to plan and complete both short-range and long-range projects for the supervisor.
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative, productive working relationships with all departmental personnel and students.
• Ability to follow safety codes and policies established by the department, University, State and Federal regulations.
• Ability to function cooperatively in a team environment.
• Ability to maintain proper unit attendance and punctuality standards.