Job Description

About Queen's University

Queen's University is the Canadian research intensive university with a transformative student learning experience. Here the employment experience is as diverse as it is interesting. We have opportunities in multiple areas of globally recognized research, faculty administration, engineering & construction, athletics & recreation, power generation, corporate shared services, and many more.


We are committed to employment equity and diversity in the workplace and welcome applications from individuals from equity seeking groups such as women, racialized/visible minorities, Indigenous/Aboriginal peoples, persons with a disability, persons who identify in the LGBTQ+ community and others who reflect the diversity of Canadian society.


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Job Summary

1. Give a short summary of the duties and responsibilities of your job.

Undergraduate Program



In consultation with the academic staff, facilitates continual improvement of the laboratory component of the undergraduate program, and assists students working on senior year research projects. Responsibilities include: instructs fellow technologists, students, faculty and TA's in matters related to safety and the operation of the laboratory and scientific equipment, including sample procurement and preparation techniques.




Research/Graduate Support



To assist the principal investigators, graduate students and research associates in the design, purchase, construction and maintenance of research equipment.




Health & Safety



To exercise vigilance over chemical safety in the department including: the proper use and storage of chemicals, gas cylinders and the proper handling and disposal of hazardous wastes. The individual must be prepared to lead or assist in the handling of emergencies.




General Support



To be a resource person for the department. To provide general support for the day-to-day operations in the department including, set up/dismantling of laboratories and equipment, and arranging for the disposal of chemicals, scrap metal and surplus equipment. To assist with the planning and allocation of departmental resources and the design of the engineering laboratories. To assist the department with providing a high quality learning environment in the undergraduate laboratories.

2. To fulfil your duties what knowledge, skills and specialized techniques are required? How would each be normally acquired? How long would it take to become proficient in each of the areas of your work?

This position requires a three-year diploma in Chemical Engineering Technology with a minimum of three years practical experience in the related field.




Knowledge and Skills Required:



Familiarity and skilled in instrumental analysis Demonstrated skills in design, assembling, interfacing, maintaining and repairing bench and pilot plant scale equipment used in undergraduate and research labs/projects Knowledge of the properties of chemicals and chemical mixtures, such as is necessary for their safe storage, handling and disposal Knowledge of electrical and electronics in laboratory applications Knowledge of machine shop procedures and capabilities Knowledge in the use of computers and software in data acquisition systems Knowledge of good laboratory practices (safety, technique, housekeeping) Must be able to work in a safe and diligent fashion so as to comply with regulations set out under the Occupational Health & Safety Act Knowledge and training in handling emergencies Good organizational skills and time management are essential.


Proficiency should be reached with three years experience but only with continuous education through on-the-job training, workshops, seminar and self study to keep abreast of developments in areas of instrumental analysis, computer applications and software, and occupational health and safety.

3. Is it necessary in this position to oversee the work, or to instruct other staff? If so, what does this involve?

The incumbent instructs faculty, students and co-workers working in the undergraduate laboratories with respect to safety and provides instruction to undergraduate, teaching assistants, post-graduates, research associates and academic staff in the proper usage of various departmental equipment and analytical instruments.

4. What other people must you deal with in this job and why? (i.e. is there direct contact with students, teaching staff, other departments, people outside the university community).

The incumbent must interact on a daily basis with undergraduate students, teaching assistants and academic staff on issues pertaining to the undergraduate program. She/he must also interact with graduate students, faculty and research associates in connection with their research. Certain jobs will require the individual to work together with other technicians/technologists within the department and with other departments on campus. The incumbent will have direct contact with the University's Environmental Health and Safety Department in matters related to chemical storage, waste disposal and other safety issues. The incumbent will have personal and telephone contact with sales and service representatives for quotations, product/equipment specification and pricing of chemicals, laboratory equipment, analytical equipment, instrumentation, and other sundry materials and supplies.

5. How is your work assigned to you and how closely is your work checked by someone else?

The incumbent works independently, reporting directly to the Department Manager.



When the incumbent has an assigned project/job/task, she/he will work directly with the originator until completion, often changing plans or redesigning equipment in consultation with the originator. The originator may be a faculty member, graduate student, researcher, administrative assistant or the Department Head.




To support the undergraduate laboratories, the incumbent participates in the discussion on new equipment, the improvement of existing apparatus and works with the supervisor of that project.

6.a) Are the sorts of problems encountered in this job usually covered by established procedures or do you frequently have to develop or invent solutions to problems yourself?

Problems differ widely and solutions have to be developed according to circumstances. A significant portion of the job is applying common sense to trouble-shooting techniques in the undergraduate laboratory. Academic staff provides general information and technical assistance, and the incumbent is then required to design, construct, and assemble the apparatus. Problems are usually resolved through frequent discussions with the appropriate staff member.

6. b) Are you involved in establishing standard procedures? (Give examples)

The incumbent will, upon completion of a modification of a project, present a set of guidelines that pertain to that equipment's safe operation and maintenance, and provide technical information. The incumbent will assist the Administrative Assistant in modifying/revising the departmental safety manual and also assist researchers in establishing operating procedures for their research equipment.

7. a) What is the size of your department (i.e. #of classes for which you are involved with labs., # of students, # of staff you might come in contact with, # of technicians in department).

Number of Undergraduate Lab courses involved = 6

Number of Undergraduate Students = 400+

Number of Graduate Students = 90+

Number of Academic Faculty = 24

Number of Technicians = 2

Number of Research Associates/Post-Doc = 15+

Number of Support Staff = 9

Number of Supervisory = 1

7. b) What kind of equipment or material are you responsible for? Are you solely responsible for it and what is its approximate value?

The incumbent is responsible for maintaining approximately $4 million worth of laboratory equipment. The Undergraduate equipment would be valued at >$1,000,000. The Research equipment would be valued at > $3,000,000

8. Give details of any unusual factors affecting this job? i.e. hazards, unusual working conditions, requirement for a high degree of manual dexterity etc.

The incumbent must:



work in areas where toxic, flammable, explosive, carcinogenic chemicals and bio-hazardous materials are utilized and stored work with and/or handle all chemicals and bottled gases (potential explosion) work on systems that generate extreme heat or cold maintain delicate and expensive lab equipment occasionally work in a machine shop environment and its inherent hazards occasionally spend considerable time in noisy, distracting, or dirty environments occasionally move heavy objects (lab/research equipment, computers, etc.)


The incumbent must also adhere to legislated safety guidelines and is also bound by the same law to ensure the safe operation of all equipment, and advise others of their potentially dangerous operation of equipment and correct them. It is expected that the incumbent take WHMIS training, a fire extinguisher training course and also maintain a valid 1st aid certificate.

9. Do you have any general comments about this position which may not be covered by the preceding questions?

The incumbent must deal with conflicting demands and frequent interruptions. Contributes in numerous activities in the Department and University activities, such as Homecoming, Orientation, Hechmet, often representing the Department.

Employment Equity and Accessibility Statement

The University invites applications from all qualified individuals. Queen's is strongly committed to employment equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace and encourages applications from Black, racialized persons, Indigenous people, women, persons with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQI+ persons. In accordance with Canadian Immigration requirements, priority will be given to those who are legally eligible to work in Canada.


The University provides support in its recruitment processes to all applicants who require accommodation due to a protected ground under the Ontario Human Rights Code, including those with disabilities. Candidates requiring accommodation during the recruitment process are asked to contact Human Resources at hradmin@queensu.ca.