Academic Lab Manager II - Department of Chemistry

Academic Lab Manager II

The Department of Chemistry in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at West Virginia University is currently accepting applications for an Academic Lab Manager II.

Under the direction and supervision of the Academic Laboratory Manager III, the employee must organize, coordinate, and supervise the day‑to‑day operation of the chemistry laboratories in the

C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry. The employee will oversee and participate in various critical operations in the laboratory preparation facilities and will assist faculty in the development and testing of new experiments.

We strongly believe in work‑life balance and keeping time for the things we love outside of work. WVU offers generous benefits, including:

• 37.5‑hour work week
• 13 paid holidays (staff holiday calendar)
• 24 annual leave (vacation) days per year or more based on years of service (employee leave)
• 18 sick days per year (for when you’re ill, for when you need time to care for sick family, for your own, or your family’s, regularly scheduled medical appointments—who is family for the purpose of this leave? A lot of people in your life including immediate relatives and in‑laws as well as others considered to be members of your household living under the same roof)
• WVU offers a range of health insurance and other benefits
• 401(a) retirement savings with 6% employee contribution match, eligibility to continue health insurance, and other retiree perks.
• Wellness programs

• Prepares chemicals, solutions, and materials used in the chemistry laboratories and by faculty who perform lecture demonstrations.
• Dispenses the solutions, labels containers, and delivers all chemicals and solutions prior to the beginning of each laboratory session.
• Manages specific areas of the Chemistry Preparatory Facilities as assigned by the supervisor, maintaining quality and consistency of laboratory chemicals to ensure that teaching laboratory sections operate seamlessly and consistently.
• Ensures work areas are hazard‑ and obstruction‑free, and regularly reevaluates the location of storage, equipment and personnel to optimize laboratory spaces.
• Assists faculty members and colleagues with the development and testing of new teaching lab experiments.
• Works with colleagues to solve problems associated with specific experiments and makes recommendations for changes based on literature reviews, as necessary.
• Pre‑runs proposed experiments to determine efficacy, checks for inherent safety techniques, and determines the time needed for the experiment to be performed by undergraduate students.
• Understands the risks of handling chemicals and exercises good practices in their storage and usage.
• Responds to requests from Teaching Assistants and effectively delivers the supplies to the laboratories. Maintains a working knowledge of appropriate concentration of solutions in units such as molarity, normality, molality, and percent and prepares them accurately.
• Maintains a working knowledge of laboratory equipment used in undergraduate chemistry courses including balances, pH meters, thermometer‑rereferometers, gas chromatographs, refractometers, centrifuges, digital thermometers, etc.
• Oversees and participates in the distribution and maintenance of equipment and glassware/supplies, located in the stockroom, used in the laboratories by relocating, repairing, or coordinating repairs with appropriate personnel.
• Coordinates chemistry laboratory functions with faculty members and supervisor to ensure materials, supplies and equipment are readily available.
• Oversees the storage of chemicals in the Chemistry Prep Facilities according to OSHA regulations and their corresponding SDS documentation.
• Assists in maintaining a working inventory of chemicals and supplies needed for the Chemistry Prep Rooms and prepares new orders through Mountaineer Marketplace when necessary.
• Maintains good housekeeping in assigned areas and participates in routine summer and winter laboratory cleaning, as requested.
• Stocks gloves, towels, and other items, as needed.
• Coordinates and oversees demonstration events involving on‑site…