Chemistry Stockroom Manager

About the role

This position provides critical services for day-to-day operations of the Chemistry Stockroom [a central science stockroom for the Potsdam Hill Campus] at Clarkson University; and support for the department undergraduate teaching labs and research labs of the university.

Responsibilities

• Operate the stockroom, assisting faculty and students with materials, reagents and small equipment for running their teaching and research laboratories and maintaining the stockroom storage areas.
• Manage the Chemistry Stockroom budget, purchasing and selling chemicals to the Clarkson community and keeping account balances with monthly credit card reconciliations.
• Prepare charge cards for research.
• Organize and maintain MSDS inventory of chemical supplies, safety data sheets (SDSs), reagents and small equipment in the chemistry stockroom and the chemistry teaching labs.
• Aid faculty and students with information regarding purchasing and vendors for needed products and supplies, as it relates to chemistry supplies and small laboratory equipment.
• Recruit, train and supervise work-study students in stockroom.
• Dispose old chemicals, clean and decommission laboratories that have been vacated.
• Support and assist the department with activities such as marketing/recruitment, open house preparation and outreach.
• Assist the department with other projects, administrative duties, and initiatives as assigned.

Instructional Lab Support

• Maintain chemistry teaching laboratories in a clean, safe and orderly manner to ensure the safety of the instructional labs and working environment.
• Manage teaching laboratory assets.
• Prepare student lockers, chemicals, solutions, small equipment and laboratory set-up based on instructor’s course syllabi and instructor recommendations.
• Ensure that experiment set up, chemicals and supplies are ready at least the night before.
• Check the functioning of hoods, distillers, benches and other small laboratory equipment and submit work orders to Facilities as appropriate.
• Manage the inventory of reagents, solutions, and laboratory equipment, PPE and assist faculty and instructional staff with materials for running their teaching activities in the chemistry laboratories.
• Work with the Instrumentation manager to troubleshoot facilities and processing deliveries.

Safety

• Cook with the Environmental Health & Safety Officer the management of CBS department teaching and research lab hazardous waste per Clarkson University regulations.
• Prepare hazardous waste containers and documentation, transport hazardous waste to Clarkson’s main accumulation area, and properly store and log hazardous waste in the main accumulation area.
• Procure tax-free ethanol as the Ethanol Inventory Control Officer, documenting sales and maintaining monthly inventory records.
• Provide services and assist faculty, students and staff with safety-related concerns related to possible hazards of equipment, procedures and chemicals used in the CBS research and teaching laboratories.
• Manage and maintain accurate chemical inventory and SDSs for chemicals in the Chemistry Stockroom.

Education

• Minimal Qualifications: B.S. or M.S. (preferred) degree in Chemistry or closely related field.
• Experience: At least two years wet lab experience with knowledge of typical stockroom operations.
• Preferred experience: 2-5 years in a university chemistry stockroom, knowledge of and experience working with chemicals and hazardous materials, chemical management and inventory of chemicals and equipment; knowledge of and experience with chemicals hazardous waste management, including OSHA, NFPA, EPA, and DEC and related safety regulations and procedures with respect to chemistry laboratories and stockrooms; ability to assess risk and handle emergency situations that can arise in the laboratories; cognizant of chemical laboratory safety issues, chemical purchases and safe storage; understanding of teaching lab solution preparations (e.g. large-scale solution preparation) and storage; ability to communicate and work effectively with little or no supervision; ability to multitask, plan and prioritize on a daily basis; strong organizational skills; knowledge of and experience with small chemical equipment (e.g. pH meters, balances, refractometers, etc.); proficiency in software and data management tools (e.g. Excel, Word, Google Sheets, etc.); proficiency with hazard communication and understanding of chemical safety and hazardous waste regulations (e.g. OSHA, EPA, etc.).