Biology Teaching Lab Technician

About the role

The Department of Biology at the University of British Columbia is seeking a dedicated Biology Teaching Lab Technician to support undergraduate and graduate laboratory courses. The role involves preparing, setting up, and maintaining teaching labs while ensuring safety and compliance.

Key responsibilities

• Prepare solutions, sterile microbiological growth media, and demonstration materials for biology courses.
• Maintain microbial cultures (Risk Groups 1 and 2) and manage associated waste disposal.
• Set up laboratory equipment, conduct clean‑up after sessions, and maintain storage areas.
• Purchase, receive, and distribute living and non‑living supplies, tracking an annual budget of approximately $75,000.
• Maintain inventory of supplies, schedule microscope repairs, and catalogue herbarium specimens.
• Perform weekly, monthly, and annual health and safety inspections and update Safety Data Sheet (SDS) records.

Required profile

• Experience working in teaching laboratories supporting biology courses.
• Familiarity with sterile technique and microbiological culture handling.
• Ability to manage inventory, process purchase orders, and reconcile expenditures.
• Commitment to laboratory safety standards and environmental compliance.

Required skills

• Preparation of sterile microbiological media
• Maintenance of microbial cultures (Risk Groups 1 & 2)
• Laboratory inventory management
• Laboratory safety inspections and SDS updates
• Microscope maintenance and repair scheduling
• Herbarium specimen mounting and cataloguing

What we offer

• Competitive monthly salary ranging from $5,202 to $5,963 CAD
• Inclusive and diverse workplace committed to equity
• Opportunities for professional development within a leading research university