College Lab Svcs Spec - Biology Lab Coordinator

Bemidji State University (BSU) invites qualified applicants to join our team as the Biology Lab Coordinator. 
 
The Biology Lab Coordinator performs specialized work in the biology laboratories at BSU. The position will manage and optimize the Biology Department’s laboratory operations through strategic organization, safety, chemical hygiene, improved efficiency, program planning, compliance inspections, and purchasing.
 
Responsibilities of the Biology Lab Coordinator include:  

• Environmental, Health & Safety. (Percent of Time:  20%)
  • Providing compliance for safety training for student workers, graduate students, and undergraduate student researchers. Communicating safety updates to the Biology Department.
  • Collecting, organizing, cataloging, and disposing of hazardous waste. Ensuring proper autoclaving and disposal of biohazard waste.
  • Ordering and maintaining traceability of departmental chemical supplies.
  • Developing and deploying safety signage/posters, documentation, and procedures.
  • Coordinating and serving as a department resource for federal and institutional compliance requirements for faculty and staff, including IRB, IACUC, and Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) conformity.
  • Coordinating annual inspections of laboratory space to meet federal, state, and institutional requirements.
  • Participating in the Minnesota State College Lab Assistant (CLA) Safety Team and the Sattgast Safety committee.

• Managing freshman biology labs (Cellular Principles, Diversity of Life, Human Biology). (Percent of Time:  20%)
  • Supervising preparations for freshman lab courses, ensuring labs are prepared properly and in a timely manner. Performing routine reagent prep as needed for lab exercises.
  • Overseeing laboratory safety and maintaining safe operations in the lab spaces, ensuring first aid kits are available and stocked, broken glass containers and chemical spill kits are in appropriate spaces, and providing updates to lab safety sheets for in-class lab experiences.
  • Assisting faculty with weekly meetings for and supervision of Biology Graduate Teaching Assistants.
  • Providing in-classroom safety and technical support during freshman lab hours to undergraduate students and graduate teaching assistants.
  • Developing and maintaining preparation instructions and guidelines for introductory and freshman-level lab courses. Making these materials available for Graduate Teaching Assistant review.
  • Being available to faculty to assist as needed in independent student research projects for classes or advanced projects.     

• Department Laboratory and Research Coordination as requested by the department and feasible outside of other responsibilities. (Percent of Time:  15%)
  • Providing operational optimization and efficiency improvements for laboratory and research spaces.
  • Collaborating and coordinating with other departments across campus. Assisting in developing a process for sharing equipment, facilities, and opportunities for student and project collaboration.
  • Assisting and supporting faculty with input for the development, implementation, and updates to research etiquette guidelines and expectations for Biology Department users.
  • Providing a supporting role for Biology graduate assistant orientation, training, and handbook. Assist with relaying “Need to Know” information and expectations to graduate students.
  • Assisting with mentoring of student workers and researchers within the department.
  • Assisting with building access for student workers and researchers.

• Inventory and purchasing management for the Biology Department. (Percent of Time:  15%)
  • Managing equipment, resources, and supplies within the Biology Department. Ensuring proper inventory, management, and safe storage of chemicals.
  • Purchasing and coordination for labs, student needs, and faculty related to the Biology Department accounts. Ensuring timely receipt of goods and avoiding unnecessary orders for items currently in stock. Logging purchasing requests and receipt of items. Serving as the main point of contact for Central Receiving for the Department. Receiving and storing department shipments as needed.
  • Coordinating Chemical Purchases and inventory in partnership with Chemistry department and other campus divisions.
  • Maintaining the reputation of BSU as a viable business partner with outside vendors and partners.
  • Contacting vendors for calibration and repairs, mainly for instrumentation and equipment, but especially regarding the steam sterilizers, microscopes, and pipettes.
  • Working with the University Business Office and purchasing agents to request the preparation of requisitions for contracts and Marketplace orders/purchase orders. This position serves as a “Requestor” in Marketplace and does not set up or execute contracts.
  • Assisting with developing, updating, and maintaining research equipment checkout procedures and documentation.

• Student worker supervision/coordination. (Percent of Time:  15%)
  • Assessing department needs and resources for undergraduate workers.  Budgeting, hiring, supervising, and providing training to student workers or coordinating those activities with faculty employing the worker.
  • Providing safety training to student workers or ensuring faculty have provided lab-specific training.
  • Training student workers in greenhouse maintenance, taxidermy and other activities when appropriate.

• Managing physical spaces and major assets within the Biology Department. (Percent of Time:  10%)
  • Supervising the operations of the Biology Department preparation room, the teaching lab spaces, and the greenhouse. Other spaces within the Biology Department should be supported as feasible.
  • Serving as main point of contact for the Biology Department with Facilities, Physical Plant, and Central Maintenance and coordinating repairs and updates to labs and rooms within and around the Biology Department spaces in Sattgast Hall. Assisting with providing work orders for needed maintenance.
  • Implementing and managing resource-sharing calendars and checkouts for the boats, icehouse, and vehicles.
  • Managing, renewing, and storing titles, licenses, and registrations for boats and icehouse. Assisting with fuel needs for motorized vehicles.
  • Assisting wildlife and aquatic biology programs with material needs as feasible.
  • Supporting faculty in identifying facilities, resources, and major equipment use and needs.
  • Assisting faculty with the operations of the department's physical spaces; reviewing and providing input on the operational and maintenance documents and plans as needed.

• Serving as a facilitator and consultant for NTC Biology and other programs related to the hazardous waste stream and hazard identification. This does not include handling of hazardous waste from the NTC campus. (Percent of Time:  5%)

• Professional lab or science career experience.
• Knowledge of laboratory principles, techniques, and operation of sophisticated laboratory equipment.
• Knowledge of first-aid administration.
• Skill in the assembling, handling, and repair of delicate laboratory equipment.
• Ability to:
  • Plan, assign, and instruct others in principles, methods, and procedures.
  • Develop and maintain databases using Microsoft Office products (Word, Excel, Teams and more)
  • Work independently, assume responsibility, exercise initiative, and be flexible regarding workload adaptations due to department enrollment changes.
  • Understand and follow oral and written directions, chemical formulae, and charts.
  • Work effectively with students, staff, faculty, and purchasing vendors.
• A demonstrated commitment to the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism.

• Master’s degree in Biology, Chemistry, or a related field: related work experience may be considered as equivalent.
• Professional skills to develop procedures to ensure the safe storage of chemicals, recommend safety procedures for the laboratory and stockroom areas, and work effectively with laboratory users and regulatory agencies.
• Work experience in management relating to inventory control and purchasing.
• Experience with IBC compliance.