C&T Generic Job Description

Laboratory Assistant I

GRADE A

Representative Duties:

• Washes and sterilizes glassware and equipment. Distributes and stocks glassware and supplies.
• Sets up, operates and maintains standard laboratory equipment.
• Maintains work area and cleanliness of laboratory. Dispose of broken glassware.
• May prepare routine chemical solutions used in cleaning and sterilizing glassware.
• May order supplies.
• Performs additional functions incidental to laboratory activities.

Family: Research
Job Code: 603 Date: 2/89

The job duties listed above are representative and characteristic of the duties required and the level of the work performed in the job title. The duties will vary from incumbent to incumbent in the job title.

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Yale University Clerical and Technical Job Description
Job: 603 Laboratory Assistant I Grade A

Required Knowledge:

• General knowledge, high school level.

Required Skills:

• Understands short notes, basic written instructions, and forms.
• Occasional use of machine that requires little training to operate.
• Performs one or more simple, prescribed tasks.

Office and Administrative Skills:

• Refers callers and visitors to the appropriate individual.

Experience, Education and Formal Training:

• Little or no work experience and a high school level education, or an equivalent combination of experience and education.

Complexity and Organization:

• Job tasks composed of routine steps/processes.

Interpersonal Relations:

• Little or no involvement outside immediate work unit.
• Offers basic information or provides assistance on general matters.
• Understands and conveys simple messages and instructions verbally.

Supervisory Guidelines:

• Work is subject to general review on an occasional basis.
• Incumbent plans and schedules own work and/or the work of others based on the understanding of broadly defined objectives and priorities, supervisor reviews work after completion.
• Instruction provided only in new situations, methods, procedures that are not clearly related to existing tasks and duties.

Independent Judgment:

• Established procedures/policies govern most work situations.
• Little opportunity to exercise independent judgment or initiative.

Leadership Responsibility:

• Not applicable.

Impact and Consequence of Error:

• Work affects outside immediate work unit.
• Errors are not difficult to recognize and correct and only affect own work.

Working Conditions:

• Occasional possibility of safety risks.
• Stable and predictable.
• Some sustained concentration.
• Some physical effort or dexterity.

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Example 1

Laboratory Assistant I (603)
Salary: A

General Purpose:
Provide laboratory support for a research group working in the area of biochemical and molecular characterization of action based motor proteins.

Essential Duties of the Position:

1. Wash and sterilize laboratory glassware and other laboratory items primarily by hand and using a steam operated sterilizer.
2. Assist with clean up and organization of research equipment and spaces.
3. May prepare stock solutions and media plus pour media plates under sterile conditions.
4. May pick-up, deliver, shelve and inventory laboratory supplies from the stockroom.

Experience and Training:

1. Little or no work experience and a high school level education, or equivalent combination of experience and education.
2. PREFERRED: One year experience with similar duties in a research lab.
3. PREFERRED: General science courses.

Skills and Abilities:

1. Ability to wash glassware with minimal breakage, ability to use an autoclave (sterilizer), basic knowledge on laboratory safety procedures.
2. Ability to work both independently with limited supervision and interface within a diverse research group including faculty, students ad other staff.
3. Must be willing to work around live animals (chickens, mice).
4. Must be able to safely lift 30lbs.

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Example 2

Laboratory Assistant I (603)
Salary: A

General purpose:

Provide cleaning, sterilizing and shelving of laboratory glassware and plastic ware. Provide general assistance to the department administrator.

Essential duties of position:

1. Wash, dry and sterilize laboratory items (glassware, pipettes, etc.) in a timely fashion for four faculty laboratories.
2. Rack and return items to shelves.
3. Prepare cascade solutions as needed.
4. Prepare laboratory solutions as requested.
5. Collect and autoclave laboratory waste, sharps and red bucket contents and replace with new ones.
6. Assist the department administrator in coordinating laboratory moves. This may require heavy lifting of equipment and supplies.

Experience and training:
Little or no work experience and a high school level education; or an equivalent combination of experience and education.

Skills and abilities:

1. Ability to follow simple written and oral instruction.
2. Ability to learn simple procedures and operate machinery with little training.
3. Physically able to lift items weighing over 100 lbs.

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