Academic Lab Manager & CHO - Department of Chemistry

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 & CHO.

About the Opportunity

Under the direction and supervision of the Chemistry Operations Manager and Department Chairperson, the incumbent must organize, coordinate, and supervise the day-to-day operation of the Foundational Chemistry Laboratories in the C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry. The employee will serve as the Chemical Hygiene Officer and Director of Laboratory Safety for the C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry.

We strongly believe in work-life balance and keeping time for things we love outside our 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. Looking for more retirement benefits information? Check out retirement health insurance benefits, retirement income, and FAQ's.
• Wellness programs

What You'll Do

Director of Foundational Chemistry Laboratory Operations (200- 300- and 400 level laboratories)

• Responsible for overseeing the operation and supervision of the 200-level organic and analytical chemistry laboratories [15-20 teaching assistants (TAs) in 30 in-person laboratory sections with more than 800 undergraduates enrolled per semester]. Responsible for troubleshooting and resolving issues associated with the labs in collaboration with the faculty coordinators/instructors. Must resolve complex administrative challenges and requests.
• Manage laboratory scheduling and staffing for CHEM 233L, 234L and CHEM 215L. Collaborate with the Student Success and Academic Affairs Coordinators, and appropriate faculty and college level committees. Brainstorm with department administration to determine creative methods to accommodate increasing enrollments in the undergraduate chemistry laboratories.
• Oversee staff providing and provide direct support, as time allows, to upper-level Chemistry laboratories, including CHEM 310L, CHEM 335L, CHEM 422L, CHEM 462L.
• Create budgets for organic and analytical chemistry laboratories ensuring supplies and equipment will enable the smooth facilitation of the curriculum. Collaborate with departmental budget officers to ensure budget constraints are considered.
• Collaborate with faculty on lab development and testing of new experiments which range from simple to complex that are designed for use in the organic and analytical chemistry laboratories. Be proactive and independently solve problems that are associated with specific experiments. Make recommendations for new laboratory experiments by researching the current literature in chemical education.
• Plan and participate in pre-semester TA training sessions to prepare new graduate students for their roles as instructors in the academic laboratories.
• Participate in TA meetings (daily and weekly). Develop and present informative talks at meetings regarding upcoming experiments and any special safety concerns. Collaborate with Faculty Laboratory Coordinators/Instructors of organic and analytical laboratory courses to produce new and update current eCampus course pages, including posting documents. Troubleshoot and resolve problems with eCampus course pages in collaboration with Faculty Laboratory Coordinators/Instructors, including managing TA assigned grades online.
• Pre-run proposed experiments with supervisees and undergraduate students to determine efficacy, check for inherent safety techniques, and determine that time will allow this experiment to be performed by undergraduate students. Provide detailed evaluations of the pre-run trials to the organic and analytical chemistry faculty.
• Participate in strategic planning sessions for future laboratory development.
• Manage the absences of TAs (20) and notify all affected personnel in a timely manner. Maintain up-to-date list of current TAs and distribute the list to all TAs, and undergraduates, so they may identify substitutes when needed.
• In coordination with the Faculty Laboratory Coordinators/Instructors, schedule Teaching Assistants for laboratory placements. TAs in all laboratory courses to rooms and drawer series at the beginning of each semester.
• Maintain a comprehensive log regarding TA safety performance, laboratory maintenance checklists, and daily activity information. Provide feedback and counsel to TAs who fail to maintain unit standards.
• Provide formal TA evaluations to the faculty each semester.
• Collaborate with instructor(s) of physical chemistry courses/laboratories (CHEM 341L) to ensure supplies and equipment will enable the smooth facilitation of the curriculum. Collaborates with departmental budget officers to ensure budget constraints are considered for physical chemistry laboratory curricula.
• Respond to questions from students and resolve problems in a timely, professional manner.
• Assess and address student attendance issues, including medical issues, chemical sensitivities, and service animal issues.
• Authorized to approve all academic laboratory purchases (chemicals, gas cylinders, apparatus, glassware) in Mountaineer Marketplace.
• Oversee all operations in the organic chemistry preparation room, analytical chemistry teaching laboratories, physical chemistry laboratories (3rd and 4th Floor Clark Hall) and advanced synthesis laboratory (CRL 480).
• Oversee and maintain good housekeeping in all assigned areas of Clark Hall and CRL.
• Administer first-aid to students and employees, as needed.
• Achieve and maintain DOT-IATA certification and serve as a member the departmental hazardous materials shipping team.

Chemical Hygiene Officer/Director of Laboratory Safety

• Serve as the Bennett Department of Chemistry Chemical Hygiene Officer (CHO). Provide interpretation of federal regulations that pertain to hazardous materials management to faculty, staff, and students. Oversee all aspects of hazardous materials management within the department, including procurement, receiving, handling, storage, and waste disposal. Oversee laboratory close-outs and ensures that all actions are accomplished in a safe and efficient manner.
• Remain available for emergency responses.
• Create and maintain safety rules for faculty, staff, graduate students, postdocs, and undergraduate students.
• Compile and maintain an up-to-date master list of chemicals and solutions that are used in each laboratory experiment and provide the list to students, as requested, for consultation purposes with their physicians.
• Create budgets for safety-related purchase or training as appropriate.
• Oversee departmental Service Animals in Laboratories Program. Ensure that all service animals wear the appropriate safety equipment and that they are placed within the laboratory to ensure that they can perform all assigned tasks. Work closely with the WVU Office of Accessibility Services to enhance the educational experiences of students with service animals in chemistry laboratories.
• Develop policies and programs in support of the goals of hazardous materials management and chemical safety, including design safety of equipment and facilities and other process safety criteria. Identify and remain knowledgeable of legal requirements and government regulations (e.g., OSHA, EPA, NFPA, ANSI). Evaluate the effectiveness of the department-level safety policies and determine when modifications or changes are necessary to increase the effectiveness of the policies. Present seminars on safety-related topics.
• Coordinate and oversee departmental chemical inventory. Work with EHS on department chemical inventory issues.
• Oversee and train staff in Central Receiving of the Research Materials Management System (RMM) for the Department of Chemistry in coordination with EH&S Chemical Inventory Specialist. Maintain a department-wide bar-coding system for all chemicals, solvents, and gas cylinders in the department (current inventory = ~12,000 entries).
• Maintain comprehensive departmental records of mandatory annual hazardous waste training compliance. Send monthly reminders to personnel to ensure compliance with the WV DEP regulations. Provide records to DEP personnel, upon request. Remain in compliance with EHS mandatory hazardous waste training and complete the training on an annual basis.
• Coordinate with EH&S to oversee departmental inspections of all laboratories, chemical storage rooms, prep rooms, and shops in the department. Conduct follow-up with laboratory supervisors, as needed, to ensure compliance.
• Develop and oversee accident and injury forms and investigations. Investigate laboratory accidents. Determine causes, evaluate response efforts, and prepare appropriate documentation. Submit accident reports to appropriate WVU units and administrators. Document facts surrounding the incident and develop recommendations to prevent reoccurrences. Discuss accident reports with departmental Safety Committee members. Ensure that the laboratory staff are certified in first aid and CPR.
• Provide leadership and manage the safety equipment inspection program within the Bennett Department of Chemistry. Oversee the quarterly inspection of all eyewash stations and safety showers in the chemistry facilities on the Downtown campus. Maintain safety equipment inspection reports and arranges for timely repairs, as needed.
• Coordinate, prioritize and schedule activities related to the collection, processing, storage, transportation, and disposal of laboratory-generated hazardous waste. Oversee the hazardous waste program for Chemistry Department.
• On a weekly basis, collect and provide signatory authorization to RCRA waste container checklists for two 90-day storage rooms in Clark Hall. Submit all checklists on a monthly basis to EHS. Failure to obtain the checklists on a weekly basis and/or submit the checklists in a timely manner can result in DEP fines for non-compliance.
• Serve as Chair of the Departmental Safety Committee. Serve on other committees, as assigned. Serve on various University-level and national committees, as appropriate for this position.
• Maintain a library of laboratory safety reference materials and pertinent federal codes and standards.
• Oversee the departmental peroxide testing program in an effort to ensure a safe environment in which to conduct research and to avoid expensive high hazard waste pickups.
• Coordinate purchases of ethanol from HSC Facilities Management, as needed.
• Oversee, review, advise, and serve as a departmental liaison with, the ECAS Facilities Coordinator, architects, engineers, and user groups regarding design or renovation of new or existing laboratories in Clark Hall, the Chemistry Research Laboratory Building, and the Chiller Addition. Attend planning and progress meetings, as scheduled. Inform and advise departmental leadership during laboratory renovation and planning in Clark Hall, based on knowledge of the day-to-day operations of the program.
• Work with Key Control Manager (Building Manager). Issuing key access to departmental personnel on a need-for-access basis and maintaining appropriate documentation.
• Follow appropriate federal, state, University and departmental safety practices and regulations. Remain aware of acceptable safety practices and monitor the laboratories and prep rooms for situations that might become hazardous.

Supervisory and Safety

• Supervise one full-time staff position. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, training, disciplining, and conducting performance reviews. Approve leave requests.
• Work in close collaboration with the Operations Manager to coordinate supervisory, operational, and safety-related activities, ensuring alignment across laboratory operations and departmental priorities.
• Work closely with the WVU Office of Student Employment to recruit/advertise for work study/hourly student workers prior to the start of the academic year. Meet all deadlines for hiring and processing the requisite paperwork. Perform student evaluations during the fall and spring semesters.
• Properly train and supervise staff and student workers regarding handling, dispensing, storage, and transport of Chemicals to ensure the employees' safety in the preparation room and laboratory areas.
• Supervise the safety responsibilities and teaching methods of upper -level Teaching Assistants (200-, 300-, 400-)
• Ensure student workers and Teaching Assistant activities are monitored during each laboratory session to maintain compliance with all applicable safety rules and regulations. Work with faculty coordinating Introductory Chemistry Laboratories to address problems or issues of concern with the Associate Chairs for Graduate and Undergraduate Studies and/or the Department Chairperson as appropriate.
• Attend professional development events designed for supervisors.
• Chemical Management and Hazardous Chemical Waste
• Oversee the storage of chemicals in the Chemistry Organic Prep Room (CRL 402) according to OSHA regulations. Many of the chemicals are toxic, flammable, corrosive, carcinogenic, and/or pyrophoric and hence must be handled with care. Knowledge of proper safety practices is essential.
• Be familiar with the standard operating procedures of handling chemicals and exercise good practices in their storage and usage.
• Oversee the hazardous waste labelling, collection, storage, inventory, and disposal.
• Assure that all hazardous waste collections and requests for disposal are in compliance with EHS, state, and federal disposal rules and regulations.
• Follow appropriate federal, state, University, and departmental safety rules and regulations on a daily basis.

Other Duties

• Remain knowledgeable and be able to perform the duties of other staff members, in the case of vacation leave, illness, position vacancy, or emergency.
• Other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

• Bachelor's degree required.
• A minimum of two (2) years of experience involving:
  • Laboratory management.
  • Supervisory responsibilities.
  • Hazardous materials management, including chemical procurement, handling, storage, and waste disposal.
  • Experience working in a regulated environment and ensuring compliance with institutional, state, and federal safety standards.
  • Demonstrated experience managing multiple competing priorities and shifting demands in a fast-paced, high-volume academic setting within an established facility environment.
  • Proficiency with computer systems and software used to support laboratory and administrative functions.
• Any equivalent combination of related education and/or experience will be considered.
• All qualifications must be met by the time of employment.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Demonstrated knowledge of chemical and physical principles especially in Organic and Analytical Chemistries.
• Knowledge of laboratory techniques, equipment, and terminology used in chemistry, including ability to operate such equipment.
• Ability to organize academic laboratories and to maintain good housekeeping in assigned areas of Clark Hall and the Chemistry Research Laboratory Building (CRL).
• Mathematical skills to perform calculations.
• Demonstrated ability to perform financial calculations, collect and analyze data, prepare relevant financial reports, and make recommendations.
• Knowledge of principles of fiscal record keeping and excellent financial transactions skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to file and retrieve information quickly and accurately upon request.
• Ability to understand and follow written work assignments.
• Ability to adhere to all pertinent safety rules and regulations as established by the department, University, State and Federal government. Ability to handle numerous tasks simultaneously and efficiently, maintaining attention to detail and service quality.
• Ability to manage multiple competing priorities and shifting demands in a fast-paced, high-volume academic setting within an established facility environment.
• Skilled at balancing urgent laboratory needs, long-term projects, and stakeholder expectations in a large facility.
• Ability to assist with the unloading and transportation of chemicals and equipment shipments.
• Ability to clean and maintain laboratory glassware, instruments, and equipment.
• Ability to work independently as required to balance workload to meet all deadlines.
• Ability to supervise student laboratory assignments.
• Ability to give and receive oral and written communications and to follow work assignments.
• Ability to plan and complete both short-range and long-range projects for the supervisor.
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative, productive working relationships with all departmental personnel and students.
• Good interpersonal skills and ability to function as a team player.
• Must possess good organizational skills and be able to handle numerous tasks simultaneously and efficiently to provide the department with quality, timely work products.
• Ability to use a personal computer and software that is used within the department, college, and University.
• Ability to maintain proper unit attendance and punctuality standards.
• Ability to stoop, bend, lift, push, carry, walk, reach, stand, and sit for extended periods of time.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree.
• Experience with purchasing processes and inventory tracking.
• Experience with budget development and expense tracking.

Licenses/Certifications

• Obtain First aid/CPR training within three months of hire and maintain certification as required by WVU EHS for staff overseeing the delivery of academic laboratories in the Department of Chemistry.
• Obtain DOT-IATA hazardous materials shipper's certifications within six months of hire and maintain certification as required during employment to ship chemicals and chemistry research products in accordance with federal law.

Physical Demands & Physical Coordination

The employee must have good hand/eye coordination and good visual attention for preparation of chemical solutions and maintenance of laboratory equipment. Work requires the ability to read, write, review, sort, and file materials and documents. The employee must be able to operate a personal computer. Mobility is important in this position as this person must be capable of traversing two large buildings (comprising 12 floors) on a daily basis in the performance of job duties. Incumbent must be able to stoop, pend, push, carry, lift, walk, reach, stand, and sit for extended periods of time. Employee must unload chemicals and equipment and transport them to their proper location within the department (i.e. heavy solvent drums that weigh approximately 250 pounds).

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At WVU, you will discover a supportive community that champions work-life balance and fosters a collaborative atmosphere. Our core values - service, curiosity, respect, accountability and appreciation - unite us as Mountaineers.

Join us at West Virginia University, where your work will make a lasting impact. To learn more about WVU, visit wvu.edu.

West Virginia University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We invite all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or Veteran status.