Research Assistant (Brown Lab)

Staff - Non Union

Job Category

Non Union Technicians and Research Assistants

Job Profile

Non Union Salaried - Research Assistant /Technician 4

Job Title

Research Assistant (Brown Lab)

Department

Brown Laboratory | Department of Paediatrics | Faculty of Medicine

Compensation Range

$4,558.75 - $5,354.67 CAD Monthly

Posting End Date

September 5, 2023

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the day prior to the Posting End Date above.

Job End Date

Nov 22, 2024

This position is expected to be filled by promotion/reassignment and is included here to inform you of its vacancy at the University.

This offer is conditional upon successful completion of a Criminal Record Check.

This position is located within a health-care facility, therefore, the successful candidate will be required to provide verification of full vaccination against Covid-19 provided prior to the start date, as required by a provincial health mandate.

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Job Summary

• Will be responsible for reconciling accounts and maintenance of lab financial records.
• Will be responsible for a number of duties to assist in overall functioning of the lab and graduate student research projects.
• Will assist, where required, in the investigation of biological samples and other laboratory experiments through general molecular biology, biochemistry, and immunology techniques. Assays include but are not limited to standard and multiplex ELISA, immunoblotting, PCR, and multi-color flow cytometry.
• Will be responsible for the receipt, processing, storage and inventory of clinical samples.
• Will assist, where required, with the approach and consenting of individuals (patients and healthy donors) to research studies.
• Will be responsible for onboarding/offboarding of trainees, providing lab safety training, keeping lab training records, maintaining safety equipment, and being available for safety inspections
• Will be responsible for lab organization tasks (inventory of fridges/freezers), maintaining lab equipment (QC, calibration), ordering supplies, tracking orders, and making stock solutions.

Organizational Status

• Reports directly to faculty member, where needed, for experiments and for organizational tasks.
• Work will be performed in a 4th floor, open-concept, north-facing research laboratory in the BCCHRI. Will have use of a lab bench, desk and computer. Chemical fume hoods, tissue culture facilities, freezers, fridges, bench top equipment, core facilities and safety items (eyewash, shower, fire extinguishers, spill and first aid kits) are located in the lab or within the BCCHRI.
• Will assist with the supervision of undergraduate work/study students or volunteers.
• Will be part of the Division of Pediatric Rheumatology and the BC Children s Hospital Research Institute (BCCHRI), both located on the BC Children s Hospital campus. Is expected to work alongside all members in the Division of Rheumatology and with collaborators internal and external to the University who are involved in research studies

Work Performed

• Responsible for onboarding/offboarding of trainees and training in basic laboratory procedures such as appropriate PPE/safety, documenting experiments, patient confidentiality and privacy, professional behaviour etc
• Responsible for the overall care, maintenance, organization and disposal of lab/chemical stocks and/or lab equipment
• Orders equipment, reagents and supplies: placing phone and/or written orders for lab supplies either directly to the companies or through BCCHRI purchasing; using computer to keep records of ordering; keeping track of supply inventory; unpacking lab supplies and proper storage of supplies.
• Writes reports, assists in writing ethics applications inclusive of consent forms, and is responsible for biosafety certifications. These duties require use of the UBC RISe administration tool.
• Coordinates clinical samples that are collected as part of local, national and international research projects. Receives samples and ensures they are processed, stored and inventoried with accurate and timely data entry.
• Manages and oversees the daily operations and finances of a lab or technical operations for a department, including responsibility for budget, large purchase, inventory, forecasting and maintenance of financial records, administration of staff. Has an extensive knowledge of Workday, account reporting, and general budgeting in order to complete these tasks.
• Organizes weekly lab meetings
• Where required, will develop and optimize standard operating protocols for existing and new laboratory techniques.
• Performs experiments where needed involving standard molecular biology, biochemical, immunological and tissue culture techniques. Will work with clinical samples, blood and blood products and BSL2 hazards. All techniques to be performed by defined protocols and will directly relate to ongoing research in the lab.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

• Will be expected to have frequent discussion of tasks and priorities with faculty member.
• Will adhere to defined guidelines and procedures related to general lab and BSL2 safety, patient confidentiality and privacy, and limiting, irreplaceable pediatric clinical samples.

Supervision Received

• Works under minimum supervision, receiving specific instructions only on unusual problems or on matters which depart significantly from established policy and procedure.

Supervision Given

• Responsible for onboarding all new students. This includes training for suitable tasks, ensuring safe and rigorous work-ethic, scheduling their hours, and advising on record keeping, privacy and confidentiality etc.

Decision Making/ Accountability

• Exercises a considerable amount of judgement, responsibility, and initiative in determining work procedures and methods, and coordinating the work of the unit

Minimum Qualifications

• Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion.
• Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own.
• Completion of a university degree in a relevant discipline or technical program and a minimum four years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Some positions may require a graduate degree.

Preferred Qualifications

Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline or Graduation from a technical college or institute. Bachelor’s degree (B.Sc.) in the biological sciences, preferably with a focus on immunology. Knowledge of medical terminology an asset. Knowledge of UBC finance, safety and ethics policies, processes and software an asset. Training in biohazard safety must be completed if not already certified. Minimum of 3 years related experience or the equivalent combination of education and experience. Relevant experience in a research lab preferred. Familiarity with handling, shipping and biobanking clinical samples as well as performing experiments involving blood cell purification, primary cell culture, flow cytometry, ELISA, immunoblotting and PCR. Ability to use Macintosh computers. Excellent oral and written communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills with a demonstrated ability to multi-task, organize and complete assignments independently. Ability to carry out written and verbal instructions, and maintain accuracy and attention to detail. Can participate in a collegial manner with a multidisciplinary team of people from diverse backgrounds and can exercise tact, discretion and confidentiality