Analytical Chemist HPLC GC LCMSMS

High-Throughput HPLC, GC and LC-MS Testing

Pay: $22.00–$28.00 per hour

PERMANENT SHIFT REQUIREMENT

The successful applicant will be hired for one of the following schedules:

• Saturday–Tuesday: four 10-hour shifts
• Thursday–Sunday: four 10-hour shifts
• Monday–Friday, second shift: 2:30 p.m.–11:00 p.m.

This is a permanent shift assignment. The employee will be expected to remain on the assigned schedule indefinitely. Do not apply if you expect to request a weekday day-shift schedule after a few weeks or months.

Vanguard Laboratory is an established, family-owned analytical laboratory in Olympia, Washington. We test food, agricultural, drinking water, environmental, nutritional supplement, pharmaceutical, research chemical, small-molecule, and peptide samples.

We are an ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited laboratory focused on technical quality, high-throughput testing, continuous improvement, and method development.

We are hiring an Analytical Chemist with hands-on industry experience using one or more of the following:

• HPLC or UHPLC
• LC-MS or LC-MS/MS
• High-resolution mass spectrometry
• GC-FID or GC-MS
• ICP-MS

This position has a strong production-testing focus. The successful candidate must prepare and analyze a high volume of samples while maintaining accurate documentation, appropriate quality controls, defensible integration, and reliable instrument performance.

This is not an entry-level training position for someone whose laboratory experience is limited to academic coursework. Applicants must have practical experience in a commercial, pharmaceutical, supplement, environmental, food, contract-testing, or other industry laboratory.

Experience with small molecules, peptides, pharmaceuticals, or nutritional supplements is especially valuable. Experience with Agilent, SCIEX, Thermo Scientific, Shimadzu, or comparable systems is helpful.

• Prepare, run, and analyze high volumes of samples using HPLC, UHPLC, GC, LC-MS, LC-MS/MS, HRMS, ICP-MS, or related techniques.
• Prepare small-molecule, peptide, pharmaceutical, supplement, research chemical, food, water, and environmental samples.
• Prepare standards, calibration solutions, controls, blanks, dilutions, extraction solutions, mobile phases, and reagents.
• Follow batch sequences, priority lists, hold times, and client turnaround requirements.
• Maximize instrument capacity without sacrificing accuracy, quality, or traceability.
• Recognize preparation errors, failed controls, questionable results, or instrument problems before data are reported.
• Communicate promptly when an issue may delay completion.

• Review chromatograms and spectra, integrate peaks, evaluate calibration curves, verify calculations, and apply system-suitability requirements.
• Evaluate retention time, peak shape, resolution, baseline quality, carryover, blanks, standards, controls, and replicate agreement.
• Identify questionable integrations, inconsistent results, coelution, contamination, matrix interference, or instrument instability.
• Reprocess data only when scientifically justified and document changes appropriately.
• Produce complete, traceable, technically defensible data packages.
• Assist with technical review and Certificate of Analysis preparation.

• Operate HPLC, GC, LC-MS, and other analytical systems safely and consistently.
• Perform mobile-phase preparation, column installation and storage, source cleaning, inlet maintenance, consumable replacement, tuning, calibration, and system flushing.
• Identify declining sensitivity, leaks, pressure problems, retention-time shifts, carryover, contamination, poor peak shape, or other developing issues.
• Perform basic troubleshooting and…