Advanced Instrumentation Specialist

Please review the details for the position before applying for the opening. If you are an internal employee, please apply through the internal portal on Workday. You should have your completed resume/cv and cover letter ready to upload. You should upload both documents on the third page (the required section is named resume/cv – this is also where you should upload your cover letter). These documents should either be in a PDF format (.pdf) or a Word document (.doc) format. Job Posting Title Advanced Instrumentation Specialist Job Description Summary Admin Exempt Job Description The Advanced Instrumentation Specialist (AIS) is part of a team that oversees a large suite of complex scientific instrumentation for use in teaching and research. The AIS is responsible for oversight for these instruments from day-of-purchase to day-of-disposal and assisting students and faculty with instrument use and troubleshooting. Primary Position Responsibilities: Maintain a suite of instruments at the Science Center primarily for the Biology, Chemistry, Geoscience, Neuroscience and Physics departments. Diagnose and troubleshoot problems, provide repairs, or arrange for off-site repair as required. Work with the manufacturer’s Technical Support group and install repair parts as necessary. Provide training for faculty, staff and student users on advanced instrumentation, including the preparation of user documentation distilled from vendors operating manuals. Write up basic instructions for the safe start-up, operation, maintenance and shut down of the unit. Prepare standard operating procedures for use of advanced instrumentation. For new instrumentation, research and advise faculty and staff on the selection of equipment prior to purchase, ensure site is prepared for the installation of new equipment, add equipment to inventory, and monitor the install. Perform periodic maintenance on existing equipment. Design and run tests on the instruments to check performance at regular intervals. Advise department heads when major pieces of equipment are nearing the end of useful life. Coordinates responsible disposal of equipment at end of life cycle. Maintain inventory of equipment in the Science Center. Coordinate and maintain service contracts when appropriate. Coordinates with Environmental Health and Safety and the Associate Provost and Director of the Science Center to ensure safe operating procedures are followed by faculty, staff, and students. Work collaboratively with other Science Center Staff (Advanced Instrumentation Specialist, Instrument Technician, Machinist, and others) to maintain the suite of instrumentation within the Science Center. Partners with the other Advanced Instrument Specialist, the Instrumentation Technician and the Machinist to design and build custom instrumentation as needed. Performance Profile: Instrumentation support is prompt, effective and responsive to teaching and research needs. At all times, tries to provide preventative maintenance and training, so as to pre-empt and anticipate potential failure and problems. Diagnoses technical problems quickly and takes actions to resolve them while working under pressure. Proactively identifies recurrent problems and offers input to resolve complex problems Response to requests for service due to instrument failure and/or building needs is prompt and thorough. This may require work outside normal business hours, including response on weekends and holidays. Special projects are completed according to specified time frames and stated objectives. Detailed and thorough records are maintained on all work, and are available as needed for inspection by EHS, OSHA, Radiation Control program, etc., as well as by request from supervisor and other Science Center or College staff. Supervises: Possibility of supervision of student assistants Education Required: M.S. in one of the sciences required, preferably in Biochemistry Experience Required: Minimum of 3 years’ experience maintaining advanced scientific instrumentation Prior teaching/training experience preferred Background in electronics would be a plus Skills and Abilities Required: Strong technical skills and prior electronic/electromechanical and repair experience required. Strong organizational and communication skills (oral, written, technical) required. Ability to learn "on-the-job" and to keep up with changes in instrumentation and regulations required. Ability to work with diverse learners and to help users with differing levels of experience gain technical expertise required. Prior teaching/training experience preferred. Customer-service mindset/attitude required. Ability to manage multiple projects/tasks at once essential. Other: Current instrument mix includes: NMRs, Confocal Microscope, Atomic Force Microscope, Fluorescent Microscopes and Spectrometers, GC/MS systems and MALDI-TOF MS/MS, HPLCs, LC systems, FTIRs, various UV/VIS Spectrometers and Microarrays, PCR units, ICP spectrometer, Element Analyzer, Particle Sizer, X-ray Element analyzer, Scintillation Counter and all of the support equipment required to prepare samples for use by these instruments. The Advanced Instrumentation Specialist must be a team player, willing to work whenever needed to keep instrumentation functioning; for example, when a power failure occurs, all instrumentation must be manually re-started, regardless of when the failure takes place. This means that the Advanced Instrumentation Specialist must respond to issues that arise 24/7/365. In addition, this position is frequently asked to take help with other issues that arise on an as-needed basis; these require a broad range of potential problem-solving skills, and may include a requirement to take on new tasks as regulations change or as the need arises within the building. Although daunting, the Advanced Instrumentation Specialist works as part of a team of instrumentation specialists, and thus, has talented colleagues to work with (the other Advanced Instrumentation Specialist, the Instrument Technician, and the Machinist, as well as talented faculty and staff within departments). All employees hired after August 2, 2021 are required to upload proof of vaccination and booster against COVID‐19, subject to approved medical or religious exemptions or disability accommodations. Worker Sub-Type Administrative Time Type Full time EEO Statement At Wellesley, we embrace and honor difference and diversity. We believe the best ideas—the best solutions—draw on a range of voices, perspectives, and experiences. As a college, and as a community, we are dedicated to assuring that all members for the Wellesley community have an equal opportunity to flourish. Wellesley College is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we are committed to increasing the diversity of the college community and the curriculum. Wellesley College and all its subcontractors shall abide by the requirements of 41 CFR 60–1.4(a), 60–300.5(a) and 60–741.5(a). These regulations prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities, and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin. Moreover, these regulations require that Wellesley College and all of its subcontractors take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or veteran status. Candidates who believe they can contribute to that goal are encouraged to apply. Wellesley’s mission is to provide an excellent liberal arts education to women who will make a difference in the world. We advance our mission by working together as a community—faculty, students, staff, and alumnae—guided by deeply held shared values: Intellectual Discovery and Excellence: We believe in the transformative power of curiosity, learning, and teaching. Gender Equality: As a women’s college, we have always been committed to gender equality as foundational to societal progress. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: We affirm that diversity is essential to educational excellence, and we are committed to being a community in which each member thrives. Connection and Community: We value the equal dignity of every member of the community and our sustained connection to one another, to our campus, and to our mission. Empowerment and Social Change: We believe in the power and potential of our students and all members of our community to envision the world in which they want to live and to take action to make it real. Integrity and Academic Freedom: We commit ourselves to high standards of personal and intellectual integrity, we embrace the principles of freedom and rigor in scholarly inquiry, and we assert the importance of holding to the truths such inquiry reveals.