Course Technician

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Please refer to the How to Apply for a Job (for External Candidates) job aid for instructions on how to apply. If you are an active McGill employee (ie: currently in an active contract or position at McGill University), do not apply through this Career Site. Login to your McGill Workday account and apply to this posting using the Find Jobs report (type Find Jobs in the search bar). Faculty of Science Department of Biology Position Summary: The Course Technician works in close collaboration with the Lab Course Coordinator and other technical staff members to ensure the smooth daily operations of two large undergraduate biology laboratory courses. Key responsibilities include preparing and aliquoting solutions, materials, and supplies and rearing various organisms. The role also involves preparing materials and samples for upcoming laboratory sessions, as well as processing orders, maintaining inventory, and ensuring that all laboratory activities meet the safety and quality standards. Teaching labs are held on several weekday evenings, and afternoons of the fall and winter terms. Working Hours: Monday to Friday, 11:00am to 7:00pm. Major Duties and Responsibilities: Prepare and organize the materials and supplies for the weekly, daily teaching laboratory sessions of the fall and winter terms. Daily inspection of prep room and teaching lab cubicles to identify any issues (i.e.: leaks, damaged or missing equipment, state of teaching cubicles, etc.), to ensure that the spaces are safe and functional before the next lab session. Perform a variety of specialized technical tasks to prepare and aliquots the solutions, reagents, samples, materials, supplies and organisms (bacteria, fungus, algae, seeds, plants, invertebrates and dissection specimen, etc.) required for the daily lab sessions. Hazardous substances are involved. Suggest improvements for the existing or new prep room and teaching procedures and logistics. Apply modifications, documents and updates methodologies electronically on shared spaces (text and photos), when needed. Resolve problems and advise the Lab Course Coordinator and the other technical team members about any sub- or non-functional prep room and teaching cubicle materials, items and equipment. Perform regular maintenance and organize the repair of the prep room and teaching spaces, items or equipment, when needed. Maintain shared electronic inventories for chemicals, consumables, glassware, plasticware (Mylab, MSDS) and equipment. In collaboration with the Lab Course Coordinator and other technical staff members, plan and complete purchase requisitions for materials, supplies, chemicals, organisms (live and preserved) and equipment through McGill Market Place (MMP). Ensure timed purchase of all items, including perishables and live specimens. Follow-up on orders and planned delivery dates, quality controls all goods on arrival and follows up about missing, damaged or incorrect items directly with the suppliers. Ensures safety of teaching lab areas and gives directions to students (location of lab cubicles, locker area, etc.) upon their arrival and waiting for their lab session to start. Maintain and update the prep room desk calendar with their own year-round, daily tasks and the scheduled deliveries, ensuring colleagues have permanent access to this information for both terms and the preparation/clean-up periods (December, spring and summer). Update and maintain (text and photos) the Biol 111-112 prep room, Procedural Manual (procedures done by the Course Technician) and the Teaching Material Manuals (materials and equipment provided to TAs to deliver the lab sessions), in both online and physical formats, to ensure accuracy and permanent accessibility for all technical staff. Participate in the training and supervision of new (or casual) technical staff and quality control of their work and of the teaching materials they prepare. Ensure compliance with safety regulations and good lab practices in the lab (WHMIS, safety courses) and with the use of equipment. Ensure proper use, storage, handling and disposal of hazardous materials. In collaboration with the other technical staff members, apply any identified needed corrections, following the EHS lab inspections. Attend and participate in the weekly Biol 111-112 prep room lab meetings. Assist Lab Course Coordinator with exam viewing sessions. Act as a backup for other Biol 111-112 technical staff, in case of sporadic absences. Keep abreast of new developments in the field to update skills and knowledge. Use a variety of lab instruments and equipment: balance, pipettes, microscopes, spectrophotometer, autoclave, dishwasher, pH-meters, photometers, UV lamps, centrifuges, incubators, Bunsen burner, fume/flow hoods, electrophoresis, water purification apparatus, computers, photo-documentation, etc. The list of duties and responsibilities outlined above is representative and not a complete and detailed list of tasks whi

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