Laboratory Technician 35

• Work on weekends and/or holidays may be mandatory, depending on operational needs.
• Must possess a Michigan driver’s license or have transportation to access sites around the City if necessary.
• Performs all wastewater laboratory testing procedures for wastewater samples. Responsibilities include performing all required laboratory tests to collected wastewater samples and/ or samples submitted to the wastewater laboratory, ensuring quality control of all tests and procedures, and maintaining a clean laboratory work environment, equipment, and instrumentation. Reports to Laboratory Supervisor.

IDEAL CANDIDATES WILL POSSESS THE FOLLOWING:  

• Associate’s degree or two (2) years of college with study in Chemistry, Biology, Chemical, Environmental or related science field and

• Two (2) years of laboratory work experience

• An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

ESSENTIAL POSITION FUNCTIONS INLCUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:

• Performs required laboratory testing of wastewater and/or related samples using approved methods, for a wide range of parameters such as phosphates, ammonia, biological oxygen demand, coliforms, solids and volatile solids, chemical oxygen demand, electrical conductivity, chloride, sulfate, microscopic identification, hardness, surfactants, alkalinity, and pH levels.

• Maintains Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) to ensure accurate and defensible data; documentation includes, sample receipt, preservation, sample prep and analysis, quality control samples, data reduction, transcribing and reporting results. Documentation is done making legible handwritten notations and/or input to a computer using various software programs. 

• Operates and maintains laboratory/field equipment, which may include inspecting equipment, calibrating equipment, sterilizing equipment, washing/cleaning equipment and surrounding laboratory work/test area, monitors equipment operations for efficiency and safety. Equipment may include: uv/vis spectrophotometer, atomic absorption spectrophotometer, ion-selective electrodes, variety of probes, meters, electronic pipettes, incubators, waterbaths, balances, ovens, muffle furnace, titrators, micro- and macro-distillation units, khjedahl digestion unit, hotblocks, microwaves, solid-phase extractor, microscope, computers. To operate and maintain the above requires hand eye coordination, lifting, finger dexterity and/or feeling, reaching, turning and twisting of hands and arms, walking, standing, talking and listening.

• Receives, collects, preserves and processes samples for both internal analyses, and those sent to outside laboratories.

• Follows procedures that may require the use of acids, bases, toxic or harmful substances, or irritants; this may include test procedures and/or cleaning of laboratory and glassware.

• Helps to compile regular required and/or special data for various reports or other purposes by gathering and organizing handwritten and printed information into various weekly, monthly, quarterly and/or annual reports based on interpretation of daily test documentation. This could include reports for State of Michigan EGLE (Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy), EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), IDEP (Illicit Discharge Elimination Program), various Process Control studies.

• Inventories chemicals and supplies used in the laboratory.

Salary : $55,160 - $82,466