Job Description

Regular/Temporary

Regular

Job Title

Instructional Assistant (IV) - Dept. of Biology

Job ID

72801

Location

Central Campus

Open Date

11/06/2025

Job Type

Short Term Employee

Close Date

11/13/2025

Employee Group

Unifor Unit 1, Staff

Favorite Job

Department

Biology

Salary Grade/Band

Grade 10

Salary Range

$32.81 - $52.36 (hourly)

Contract Duration

7.1 Months

Hours per Week

37.5

Posting Details

Schedule

Hours of work are anticipated to be 7.5 hours per day, 8:30 a.m.- 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday.

Education Level

Master's degree in a relevant experience.

Career Level

Requires 3 years of relevant experience.

#

JD1391

Anticipated Fill Date

Early December

Unit Description:

Undergraduate Support Staff in Biology work as a team, with an Instructional Assistant and a Laboratory Technician assigned to a suite of courses. Both will work as a team to deliver laboratory experiences for undergraduate students and support the delivery of large enrolment courses, particularly those with tutorials or labs. As a result, Biology expects its staff to have strong expertise in multiple disciplines in Biology that are reflected in the active learning experiences our undergraduates complete in levels 1, 2 and 3. This includes subsets of physiology, ecology, genetics, plant biology, microbiology and molecular genetics. Equally importantly, staff must demonstrate a willingness and aptitude for learning applications in the disciplines in which they are working (e.g., aseptic technique, PCR, and gel electrophoresis for molecular positions, plant propagation and/or animal handling of leading plant or animal courses, use of imaging and data acquisition systems). The Instructional Assistant will provide organizational and technical support for undergraduate courses in conjunction with a designated lab technician. In addition, they must demonstrate that they have relevant and recent working knowledge of each discipline to train or participate in the delivery and evaluation of course material provided in labs and tutorials. The Instructional Assistant must demonstrate a willingness and the aptitude to learn, and apply new pedagogical approaches. This is essential to fulfill Instructional Assistant job duties.


This position is a temporary position for the winter and spring/summer terms supporting the Level 1 Biology 1A03 - Cellular and Molecular Biology, Biology 1A02 - Foundations and Applications of Cellular and Molecular Biology, and Biology 1A01 - Cellular and Molecular Biology - Laboratory Skill Development.


Key components of the include:

corresponding and meeting with students to address concerns related to courses including, but not limited to, the resolution of contested grades. acting as a mediator between faculty and students when dealing with various issues such as special accommodations, scheduling conflicts, and grades. calculating student marks and submitting final grades to appropriate areas.

Job Summary:

Responsible for providing pedagogical and technical support to instructors, teaching assistants and students. Designs and modifies laboratory experiments, tutorial sessions, and lesson plans in accordance with the curriculum priorities of the instructor within an academic unit, department, or faculty. Forecasts operating budgets for lab and tutorial courses. Ongoing responsibility for supervising ten (10) or more Teaching Assistants.

Purpose and Key Functions:

Design, adapt, and modify laboratory experiments and tutorial sessions. Modify and adapt test procedures and equipment to meet specialized requirements. Forecast budgets and proposed expenditures for new program proposals, and for operating lab and tutorial courses. Write and design lesson plans in accordance to the curriculum priorities of the instructor. Provide formal supervision to teaching assistants and other part-time staff. Communicate curriculum to teaching assistants that is to be covered in tutorial sessions. Review current educational research literature to ensure curriculum follows best practices in teaching, education and learning. Organize and coordinate teaching laboratories, computer-based instruction, and tutorial classes accordingly. Introduce and demonstrate labs or tutorial sessions to students. Tutor students in programs and assist students with lab work. Train others on proper lab techniques, operating laboratory equipment, and on running efficient and effective tutorial sessions. Compose test questions and assignments, and prepare solution sheets for review by others. Assist staff with the preparation and set up of equipment and supplies for laboratories and tutorial sessions. Organize and monitor the on-line learning environment for courses in an academic unit, department, or faculty by ensuring that the appropriate course content information is made available to students. Write a variety of documents such as procedure manuals, correspondence, and reports. Prepare a variety of lecture materials including presentation slides and handouts. Provide guidance, advice, and solutions to teaching assistants when resolving student inquiries. Provide teaching assistants with appropriate teaching material as specified by the instructor. Ensure accurate grading of assignments is completed by teaching assistants and report discrepancies to the instructor. Correspond and meet with students to address concerns related to the course including, but not limited to, the resolution of contested grades. Liaise with instructors, teaching assistants, and students to ensure information within the academic unit is understood by all parties. Exchange technical and scientific information amongst colleagues. Operate, adjust, and maintain a variety of equipment and instruments. Troubleshoot equipment and perform minor repairs. Ensure major repair requests are escalated to the appropriate area. Assign tutorials to teaching assistants and arrange teaching assistant office hours. Section classes at the beginning of the year, dealing with all scheduling changes, room reservations, and scheduling conflicts. Assess the need for laboratory equipment and provide recommendations for the acquisition of materials and equipment. Calibrate laboratory equipment according to established calibration standards. Collect, track, and safeguard student marks and tests. Calculate student marks and submit final grades to appropriate areas. Input, maintain, and verify information in a variety of databases and spreadsheets. Pipette a variety of reagents and media. Prepare chemical reagents and biomedical media according to formulae and assume responsibility for accuracy in the preparation and standardization of solutions. Ensure that all laboratory waste is disposed of according to established policies and procedures.

Supervision:

Ongoing responsibility for supervising 10 or more casual employees at any one time.

Requirements:

Master's degree in a relevant field of study. Requires 3 years of relevant experience.

How To Apply

To apply for this job, please submit your application online.

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McMaster University is located on the traditional territories of the Haudenosaunee and Mississauga Nations and within the lands protected by the "Dish With One Spoon" wampum agreement.


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The University seeks qualified candidates who share our commitment to equity and inclusion, who will contribute to the diversification of ideas and perspectives, and especially welcomes applications from indigenous (First Nations, Metis or Inuit) peoples, members of racialized communities, persons with disabilities, women, and persons who identify as 2SLGBTQ+.


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