Lab Ops

Lab Ops & Safety Specialist

About Northeastern:
Founded in 1898, Northeastern is a global research university and the recognized leader in experience-driven lifelong learning. Our world-renowned experiential approach empowers our students, faculty, alumni, and partners to create impact far beyond the confines of discipline, degree, and campus.

Our locations—in Boston; Charlotte, North Carolina; London; Portland, Maine; San Francisco; Seattle; Silicon Valley; Toronto; Vancouver; and the Massachusetts communities of Burlington and Nahant—are nodes in our growing global university system. Through this network, we expand opportunities for flexible, student-centered learning and collaborative, solutions-focused research.

Northeastern's comprehensive array of undergraduate and graduate programs— in a variety of on-campus and online formats—lead to degrees through the doctorate in nine colleges and schools. Among these, we offer more than 195 multi-discipline majors and degrees designed to prepare students for purposeful lives and careers.

About the Opportunity:
The Department of Chemical Engineering is seeking a Lab Operations and Safety Specialist to support their Department.

Responsibilities:
1. Serve as the Departmental Safety Officer for Chemical Engineering for all research labs, including shared laboratories like the SPARK lab. This responsibility includes (a) serve as the principal liaison with COE Assistant Director of Academic Operations, COE Assistant Director of Lab Operations, and the Department of Environmental Health and Safety to ensure that all lab personnel are properly trained before laboratory access is granted and that their training is kept current; (b) ensure all personnel seeking access to common equipment are properly trained; (c) Send reminders to faculty, students, and other researchers when refresher training is required ensure that ChemE labs are compliant with university and regulatory safety policy at all times; (d) Arrange for access (card authorization, keys, combinations, etc.) to the appropriate labs; (e) Maintain records of who has access to each lab and remove access to lab personnel who have graduated or left university or whose safety training has lapsed; (f) Ensure that assigned ChemE labs are compliant with university safety policy at all times; (g) conduct informal research lab inspection periodically throughout the year and attend EHS official inspections in order to follow up with lab groups regarding any action items; (h) Serve as department representative for Laboratory Safety Committee meetings and communicate any essential information to ChemE faculty/staff; (i) Work closely with the departmental technician particularly related to safety issues and work with DSO for other departments within shared research spaces.

2. Space Planning - Strategically design, facilitate and oversee development, renovation and operations for Chemical Engineering research and teaching labs. Assist with new hire laboratory start-ups and laboratory decommissions. Work closely with all college and facilities personnel, ChemE department chair, business manager on lab space in Mugar, Egan, ISEC, Snell and other buildings across Northeastern campus where ChemE laboratories are located.

3. Lab Purchasing - Advise faculty and staff on all purchasing related to ChemE research and teaching labs. With given specifications, research vendors, obtain multiple quotes when required, and negotiate discounts with vendors if appropriate. Coordinate visits by vendors if appropriate. Manage the placing of orders with ChemE staff. Track orders and arrange delivery to lab. Manage the process related to lab facilities requests, such as transportation, and logistics with large and biohazard materials. Coordinate facilities, transportation, and logistics when equipment is moved from one lab to another, or when major equipment is installed or removed.
4. Supervise safety training of teaching assistants, faculty and students in teaching labs. Arrange for and complete annual testing and certifications of biological safety cabinets. Continue to review proposed projects with faculty and advice students on safety of project specifications. Advice student teams with respect to compliance and safety, including IRB (Institutional Review Board), IACUC (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee) and IBC (Institutional Biosafety Committee).

5. Maintain ChemE equipment and software inventory. Develop and maintain electronic copies of department facilities. Coordinate and schedule access to equipment in core facility. Maintain records and advise on departmental lab equipment maintenance.

The Laboratory Operations and Safety Manager will report to the Business Manager of the Chemical Engineering department.

Qualifications:
Masters degree preferred or Bachelor Degree with 3-5 years of experience in chemical engineering or related field. At least 2 years of experience working in an industry or academic laboratory operations, preferably within a shared laboratory setting required. Strong written and verbal communication skills are required together with strong computer skills including Windows, Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook). Strong proficiency with Excel required. Ability and willingness to learn new systems independently required and to evolve with technological advances as appropriate. Ability to work well independently as well as within a team environment. Strong organizational skills and a problem-solving mindset are required. The candidate will naturally be proactive with the ability to take initiative and ownership of responsibilities. Ability to work and service labs, PIs, and students across multiple buildings on the Boston campus.


Preferred Qualifications:
N/A

Salary Grade:
11

Additional Information:
Northeastern University is an equal opportunity employer, seeking to recruit and support a broadly diverse community of faculty and staff. Northeastern values and celebrates diversity in all its forms and strives to foster an inclusive culture built on respect that affirms inter-group relations and builds cohesion.

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

To learn more about Northeastern University's commitment and support of diversity and inclusion, please see www.northeastern.edu/diversity.



To apply, visit https://careers.pageuppeople.com/879/cw/en-us/job/504002

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