Lab Administrator & Senior Instrument Specialist

Date Posted: 12/05/2023
Req ID: 35258
Faculty/Division: Faculty of Arts & Science
Department: Department of Earth Sciences
Campus: St. George (Downtown Toronto)
Position Number: #
Description:
About us:
The Faculty of Arts & Science is the heart of Canada’s leading university and one of the most comprehensive and diverse academic divisions in the world. The strength of Arts & Science derives from our combined teaching and research excellence in the humanities, sciences and social sciences across 29 departments, seven colleges and 46 interdisciplinary centres, institutes and programs.
We can only realize our mission with the dedication and excellence of engaged staff and faculty. The diversity of opportunities and perspectives within the Faculty reflect the local and global landscape and the need for curiosity, innovative thinking and collaboration. At Arts & Science, we take pride in our legacy of innovation and discovery that has changed the way we think about the world.
The Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Toronto is ranked among the best institutions globally. Our department is internationally regarded for research in fundamental geoscience, having given rise to major advances in a number of areas. Counted among the departmental alumni are many leaders in academia, government, and industry. The Department of Earth Sciences emphasizes a tradition of excellence with a focused emphasis on research training, field and lab-based experience as a keystone of its comprehensive programs in geology, environmental geoscience and geophysics.
Your opportunity:
The Lab Administrator &Senior Instrument Specialist will operate and manage key, cutting-edge, facilities in the Department of Earth Sciences. They will be responsible for the daily operation of the GEMINAE (Geochemistry of Elements and Metal Isotopes in Nature and Experiments) lab, which houses two mass spectrometers (Thermo Scientific Neoma MC-ICPMS and Agilent 7900 ICPMS), and two laser ablation systems (NWR193 and NWRfemto). The incumbent will be the point of contact for the planning, construction, and set-up of a trace-metal cleanroom, and may also be involved in supporting operations in additional Earth Sciences labs including the experimental petrology lab (comprising 2 piston cylinder presses, 3 Deltech furnaces, 1 multi-anvil press, and 2 cold-seal vessels).
The coupled femtosecond laser ablation multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICPMS) system is new and unique in Canada. The Lab Administrator & Senior Instrument Specialist will thus become an integral part of a team that will establish the University of Toronto as a world leader in in-situ isotopic analyses. In addition, we are the only group in Canada to work at the intersection of experimental petrology and isotope geochemistry, breaking new ground by experimentally constraining the behavior of isotopes in igneous, metamorphic, sedimentary, and hydrothermal systems. The incumbent will join a vibrant and diverse team of researchers and play an essential role by training future generations of geochemists.
Your responsibilities will include:
-Overseeing day-to-day operational needs for one or more labs/workshops
-Assessing needs and contributing to the development of operational plans for facilities
-Troubleshooting issues with lab equipment; coordinating routine maintenance of lab equipment
-Serving as a technical resource on the development of new laboratory protocols; developing manuals on best practices for lab operations
-Performing lab experiments that requires great precision and attention to many details
-Training students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty, collaborators, and other lab users on the safe operation of all lab equipment, ensuring compliance with all safety protocols.
-Coordinating the use of lab equipment and resources with internal and external contacts; liaising with stakeholders
-Managing finances, scheduling, inventory, and resupply to ensure smooth lab operation
 
Essential Qualifications:
-Master of Science in Earth Sciences or related discipline. Ph.D preferred
-Five years hands-on experience operating and maintaining ICPMS systems and other laboratory equipment
-Relevant hands-on experience managing the operational needs of an instrumental lab and clean room facilities
-Experience with quality control of ICPMS analyses
-Experience drafting documentation detailing lab procedures and best practices
-Experience managing lab accounts, including of ordering lab inventory and resupply
-Experience training lab users of various expertise on safe operations of lab equipment
-Sound technical knowledge of mechanical and electrical systems and how components work
-Strong team-oriented mindset. Ability to work closely with the PI's to ensure that the workflow and scientific direction of the labs align with strategic vision
-Excellent written and oral communication skills with timely response to all inquiries
-Excellent organizational skills (both bookkeeping and maintaining tidiness of labs)
Assets (Nonessential):
-PhD degree specializing in Geochemistry
-Experience with laser ablation systems (excimer and/or solid-state)
-Experience with multi-collector ICPMS
-Experience designing a trace-metal cleanroom
-Experience with experimental petrology equipment
To be successful in this role you will be:
-Cooperative
-Motivated self-learner
-Multi-tasker
-Problem solver
-Responsible
 
Closing Date: 01/05/2024, 11:59PM ET
Employee Group: USW 
Appointment Type: Budget - Continuing 
Schedule: Full-Time
Pay Scale Group & Hiring Zone:  
USW Pay Band 15 -- $93,752 with an annual step progression to a maximum of $119,892. Pay scale and job class assignment is subject to determination pursuant to the Job Evaluation/Pay Equity Maintenance Protocol. 
Job Category: Engineering / Technical
Recruiter: Daniel Hoverd
Lived Experience Statement
Candidates who are members of Indigenous, Black, racialized and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, persons with disabilities, and other equity deserving groups are encouraged , and their lived experience shall be taken into consideration as applicable to the posted position.