Lab Supervisor - Instrument Specialist

Primary Duties

• Instrumentation
  • Ensure that departmental instrumentation is well maintained, calibrated and in working condition.
  • Manage the scheduling of instruments in the department, and leading the training of faculty, staff, and students on the instrumentation to ensure proper instrument usage and safety.
  • The training of students will be in both classroom and research settings.
  • Maintain cryogens and compressed gases for necessary instrumentation.
  • Serve on Chemistry department’s Facilities Committee and assist faculty and staff in the purchase of equipment and consumables related to in-house instrumentation.
  • Collaborate with faculty and students to aid in departmental research efforts, assisting in proper instrument use.
  • Coordinate with faculty and other staff members for use of instrumentation in chemistry laboratory courses.
  • Maintain a central repository for all instrumentation software, manuals, and documentation both electronically and physically for communal departmental use.
  • Work with the College IT staff on instrument computer system management.
  • Perform other duties as required/assigned by leadership.
• Lab Support
  • Oversee the daily operations of multiple assigned laboratory spaces, ensuring they are well-maintained and ready for use.
  • Communicate area-specific facilities needs to the Lab Manager.
  • Collaborate with intradepartmental faculty members and instructional coordinators to develop up-to-date laboratory preparation protocols for teaching labs, including the most efficient use of lab space for the classrooms.
  • Develop detailed Laboratory Preparation Sheets for student employees to outline materials, methods, and protocols for specific experiments and courses.
  • Prepare, set out, maintain and break down required lab materials for lab courses.
  • Serve as an intradepartmental resource to faculty and students concerning teaching labs and shared laboratory equipment and spaces addressing questions and concerns as they arise.
  • Facilitate makeup lab exercises.
  • Troubleshoot lab exercises as needed.
  • Maintain cleanliness and organization of the teaching labs and stockrooms.
  • Restock general supplies and consumables for use in common areas and in research labs.
  • Instrument and other equipment training for intradepartmental faculty and students.
  • Develop SOPs to be posted by equipment for common use.
  • Work with faculty and the Student Accessibility Resources office (SAR) to coordinate student accommodation requests.
  • Cook up logistics of off-campus trips associated with lab courses: transportation, equipment, scheduling, and ensuring all details are handled efficiently.
  • Oversee the day-to-day operations of core/shared facilities, ensuring they are clean, organized, and fully operational.
  • Develop and implement policies and procedures for area-specific facility usage, safety, and maintenance.
  • Cook up scheduling, access, and allocating shared facility resources to maximize utilization and support departmental needs.
  • Cook up logistics of equipment checkout for usage outside of labs (field, research uses, lectures, office hours, tutoring, etc.). Verify the return of materials.
  • Cook up with Science IT Specialist to determine computer usage needs in the area-specific teaching labs.
  • Inventory Management
    • Maintain up-to-date inventories of collections, equipment, supplies, and chemicals using the Resource Management System (RMS).
    • Maintain accurate records of area-specific laboratory equipment cleaning schedules, and maintenance activities.
    • Monitor inventory levels and report any ordering needs to the Lab Manager.
    • Organize and maintain storage areas for easy access to supplies and equipment.
  • Purchasing
    • Make purchases of area-specific supplies (grocery, amazon, hardware store, etc.) and small equipment for instructional labs.
    • Reconcile purchasing card expenses in Workday.
    • Receive and distribute ordered resources for courses and faculty research.
    • Cook up contracts with outside vendors (Chemdraw+ Mnova, cadavers, etc.) for area-specific needs.
  • Laboratory Safety
    • Implement and follow EH&S procedures for the safe handling, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste.
    • Conduct and maintain records of regular inspections of teaching lab spaces as well as hazardous waste storage areas according to EH&S policies and procedures.
    • Make sure proper PPE and safety equipment is available and is in working order.
    • Identify safety concerns associated with proposed laboratory procedures and communicate with the Laboratory Manager to ensure that activities align with EH&S guidelines.
    • Support faculty, staff, and students on hazardous chemical and waste management, safety protocols, proper labeling, and emergency procedures.
    • Provide training to staff and students on safe laboratory practices to promote a culture of safety.
  • Outreach
    • Affiliate with professional associations.
    • Assist with outreach events such as the Science Olympiad, department activities, club events and/or other community outreach programs.
  • Student Employee Supervision
    • Work with Manager to hire, train, schedule, and supervise student employees.

  Department/Division

  CLAS - Chemistry

  Campus

  ValleyCampus - Allendale, Michigan