Lab Assistant I, Immunology

Job Summary

Perform basic laboratory support and record-keeping tasks. Support the functions of the Laboratory Sciences department.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:  
•    Receive, monitor, and maintain inventory and stock levels of assigned areas.
•    Operate lab equipment and perform routine maintenance as needed. 
•    May be responsible for preparing lab solutions (e.g., buffers, media/common vehicles, and bleach solutions).
•    Wash and dry glassware and distribute to appropriate locations within the laboratory. Keep glass-washing area clean and organized. May sterilize glassware and other items using an autoclave.
•    Label tubes and perform laboratory set-up/clean-up.
•    Organize and perform inventory of department refrigerators or freezers.
•    Assist in the archiving of equipment/facility records.
•    Assist technical personnel with clerical duties (e.g., filing, making copies, shipments set-up etc.).
•    May record observations and measurements for basic lab/research task.
•    Perform limited troubleshooting and maintenance of instruments as appropriate for assigned area.
•    May generate forms, tables, and hand record data.
•    Perform all tasks in compliance with Good Laboratory Practice Regulations (GLPs) and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). 
•    Ship, store, and document received supplies (e.g., test articles, bio-hazard boxes, dry ice, reagents, etc.)
•    Assist technical personnel with laboratory supplies expiry check and discard as needed.
•    Perform all other related duties as assigned.

The pay range for this position is between $19.00 and $21.00 an hour. Please note that salaries vary within the range based on factors including, but not limited to, experience, skills, education, certifications, and location.

Job Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS:
•    Education:  High school diploma or General Education Degree (G.E.D.).
•    Experience:  None.
•    An equivalent combination of education and experience may be accepted as a satisfactory substitute for the specific education and experience listed above.
•    Certification/Licensure:  Must have valid, state-issued, driver’s license.
•    Other: Must be detail-oriented and have general familiarity with lab procedures. Good verbal communication skills required. Basic computer skills; familiarity with Microsoft Office software.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
•    Employees must be able to regularly lift, move, or manipulate heavy objects up to and including 50 pounds; this includes work materials, equipment, and/or supplies.
•    Must be able to perform procedures, which require standing or sitting for long periods of time.
•    Must be able to regularly move about the facility to access file cabinets, office machinery, and other buildings.
•    Regularly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine, and computer printer. 
•    Regularly uses laboratory instruments.  
•    Must be able to work in narrow spaces.
•    Must be able to wear safety equipment (PPE), as needed, according to OSHA regulations and company standards.
•    Must be able to regularly stoop, bend, kneel, stand, or reach up with hands and arms to manipulate objects on shelves from one and one-half to six and one-half feet above the floor on a repetitive basis each day.
•    Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
•    Must be able to communicate with employees, exchanging accurate information.
•    Must regularly move about inside the facility to access supplies which may require going up and down stairs. 

WORK ENVIRONMENT:
•    Works in a research environment, which requires use of sharp objects, working around mechanical parts, working with or near known or unknown toxic or caustic chemicals and/or biological hazards, exposure to fumes and airborne particles, working at noise levels ranging from moderate to loud. 
•    The noise level in the work environment ranges from low to moderate depending upon the task being performed. 

COMMENTS:
•    This position requires overtime, weekend, holiday, and/or after hours shift coverage as needed.