Sample Control Officer​/CHE Lab Manager; SRA

Job Summary

The purpose of the position is to manage the IR-4 laboratory stationed at the Center for Health and Environment (CHE) and serve as the Sample Control Officer as defined under the federal register 40 CFR Part 160, Good Laboratory Practices
. As the manager of the CHE laboratory, the incumbent will oversee the daily analytical operations of the facility and the activities of the Assistant Sample Control Officer (SRA I) and the Archivist/Analyst (SRA III). The CHE manager will report directly to the Laboratory Research Director (LRD). The duties of the Sample Control Officer (SCO) include, but not limited to:
Sample receiving, processing and storage, including maintaining a sample database. The SCO is responsible for transporting samples between various freezers and the two IR-4 lab facilities in Sprocket Building and the Center for Health and Environment (CHE). In addition, the SCO is responsible for coordination of freezer maintenance, for ordering analytical standards and maintaining a database for standards. He will also function as an analyst of raw agricultural commodities for pesticide residues.

All of the aforementioned functions must be performed following U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Good Laboratory Practices (GLP), EPA’s 860 Guidelines, UC Davis’s Environmental Health and Safety Guidelines, and the IR-4 Western Region Laboratory’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).

06/03/2026 by 11:59 pm

• Required to hold a valid California driver's license, have a driving record that is in accordance with local policies/procedures, and/or enroll in the California Employer Pull Notice Program
• Degree (BS) in chemistry or biochemistry
• 3-5 years of experience working in an analytical laboratory operating under Good Laboratory Practices (GLP).
• Demonstrated knowledge of Good Laboratory Practices, Federal Regulations 40, Part 160, safety guidelines as required by campus and OSHA regulations. Proven ability to implement and follow Standard Operating Procedures and project protocols. Knowledge of the many analytical techniques used to obtain homogeneous samples (fruits, vegetables, nuts, herbs, etc.), and extraction methods used to remove pesticides and related chemicals of interest from these samples.
  
  Knowledge & experience with Agilent GC-MS and LC-MS/MS instrumentation using Agilent Mass Hunter software. Proven skill and ability to use basic laboratory equipment for sample processing and preparation (Hobart food processors, Robo Coupe processors, homogenizer/blender, centrifuges, water baths and analytical balances).

• Degree (BS) in Environmental Toxicology
• 3-5 years of experience with Quality Assurance critical phase inspections on work conducted in the laboratory. Experience with neutral-scheme inspections by US EPA.
• Ability to troubleshoot various equipment (mechanical/electrical) utilized in sample processing (Hobart, Robot Coupe, etc). Knowledge and Experience in analytical chemistry, agricultural or environmental chemistry, toxicology, food science or other related areas. Knowledge of the physical and chemical properties of pesticides and related chemicals so that the most useful cleanup can be applied to remove interfering crop compounds and materials. Proven ability to use library facilities to maintain current knowledge of field.
  
  From up-to-date knowledge and personal creativity, ability to attain insight to identify solutions to problems encountered with experimental procedures and equipment. Communication skills, written and oral, for clear and accurate reporting of experimental results, as well as the ability to work with tact and diplomacy while interacting with a diverse array of personalities.

• 35% - CHE Manager
• 40% - Sample Control Officer
• 20% - Principal Analyst
• 5% - Research

The Interregional Research Project No.4 (IR-4 Project) was established in 1963 by Directors of the State Agricultural Experiment Stations, located at Land Grant Universities throughout the United States, to obtain residue tolerances for minor use pesticides on food and feed crops. Since 1974, The Western Region…