Human Resources

Job Description Summary

Serve as the laboratory supervisor for university chemistry teaching laboratories to ensure high quality, hands-on, efficient, and safe laboratory experiences for ~1200 students in up to 69 sections annually. Responsibilities related to these laboratories include:

1. Supervise, coordinate, train, and evaluate teaching assistants and a laboratory associate or assistant.
2. Provide a consistent educational experience among sections.
3. Maintain inventory, ordering, preparation, and readiness for all materials (chemicals, supplies, equipment, instructional materials)

Essential Duties & Responsibilities (other duties may be assigned)

• Oversee the day-to-day operations of the teaching laboratories.
• Establish, teach, and monitor compliance of safety rules and practices for students, Teaching Assistants (TAs), and the lab associate/assistant, regarding use of equipment, handling chemicals, good laboratory housekeeping, and general laboratory safety.
• Be present/available during scheduled laboratories to assist, troubleshoot, monitor safety, and occasionally cover teaching for TAs.
• Develop, prepare, and provide all instructional materials for students and teaching assistants. Distribute instructional materials through University Learning Management System (Canvas).
• Maintain office hours to meet with students and teaching assistants.
• Maintain laboratory records, including chemical inventories, equipment and supply inventories, incident reports, student grades, TA assessments, etc.
• Prepare TAs to teach by providing guidance and training and meeting regularly to discuss methods/strategies, safety practices and issues, proper use of equipment, laboratory preparations and clean-up, grading issues, student issues, etc.
• Evaluate TAs and provide feedback on teaching effectiveness.
• Develop/improve procedures and policies for equipment, safety, laboratories, training, etc.
• In collaboration with the Undergraduate Programs Committee, assess student learning outcomes.
• Apply safety-related knowledge, skills, and practices to everyday work. Provide leadership to foster a culture of safety; promote safety through actions, communication, and training.
• Anticipate, recognize, and respond appropriately to potential and actual unsafe situations. Initiate accident/incident investigation process.
• Commit to learning about continuous improvement strategies and applying them to everyday work. Actively engage in University continuous improvement initiatives.

Required Education, Certifications, Licensures (minimum requirements)

• Master of Science degree in chemistry or closely related field

Required Experience (minimum requirements)

• Minimum 1 year experience managing a chemistry or biology laboratory

Desirable Education and/or Experience

• 2 years or more of experience safely managing a chemistry teaching laboratory
• Demonstrated experience managing personnel
• Demonstrated experience developing laboratory curriculum

Required Knowledge, Skills, and/or Abilities (minimum requirements)

• Demonstrated leadership in safety principles and practices
• Demonstrated communication and interpersonal skills
• Demonstrated ability to work with hazardous materials
• Demonstrated ability to safely perform necessary chemical preparations
• Demonstrated ability to organize, plan, and prioritize

Desirable Knowledge, Skills, and/or Abilities

• Experience providing hands-on training, evaluating, and providing feedback related to teaching
• Demonstrated success in, or potential future contributions to, working with persons from diverse backgrounds, creating a sense of belonging, and fostering a fair, objective, welcoming place to work for persons with a wide variety of personal characteristics and viewpoints
• Demonstrated ability to remain patient during difficult situations
• Demonstrated experience in utilizing continuous improvement strategies
• Demonstrated experience training individuals on using equipment
• Demonstrated experience maintaining equipment
• Demonstrated experience organizing and managing groups of people
• Demonstrated success in, or potential future contributions to, working with persons from diverse backgrounds, creating a sense of belonging, and fostering a fair, objective, welcoming place to work for persons with a wide variety of personal characteristics and viewpoints. 

Language, Mathematics and/or Reasoning Skills

Work Environment and/or Physical Demands

• The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate.

Required Training and Other Conditions of Employment

Every employee at Michigan Technological University will receive the following 4 required trainings; additional training may be required by the department.

Required University Training:

• Employee Safety Overview

• Anti-Harassment, Discrimination, Retaliation Training

• Annual Data Security Training 

• Annual Title IX Training

Background Check:

Offers of employment are contingent upon and not considered finalized until the required background check has been performed and the results received and assessed.

Other Conditions of Employment:

The successful applicant will be responsible for ensuring eligibility for employment in the United States on or before the effective date of the appointment. Visa sponsorship is unavailable at this time. This is not an E-Verified Position.

Michigan Technological University is an Equal Opportunity Educational Institution/Equal Opportunity Employer that provides equal opportunity for all, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities

1.0

FLSA Status

Exempt

Appointment Term

12 months

Shift

Pay Rate/Salary

Negotiable. No less than $55,000

Title of Position Supervisor

Department Chair

Posting Type

Dependent on Funding

Special Instructions to Applicants (if applicable)

Additional Information