Research Assistant Technician 1

Staff - Non Union

Job Category
Non Union Technicians and Research Assistants

Job Profile
Non Union Salaried - Research Assistant /Technician 1

Job Title
Research Assistant Technician 1

Department
Leavitt Laboratory | Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics | Faculty of Medicine

Compensation Range
$3,989.78 - $4,375.79 CAD Monthly

Posting End Date
June 2, 2024

Job End Date

Jul 31, 2025

This position is located within a health-care facility, therefore, the successful candidate will be required to provide verification of full vaccination against Covid-19 provided prior to the start date, as required by a provincial health mandate.

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career. 

Job Summary
This position will provide technical support to the Leavitt lab at the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics. This is a research position in which routine technical tasks are performed. The successful candidate will engage in day-to-day activities supporting the histology, molecular biology, mouse colony maintenance, and breeding activities of the lab. Some weekend work is required
Organizational Status
The Research Technician 1 works with other Technicians and will take direction from senior laboratory members. Reporting will be directly to Dr. Blair Leavitt, Senior Scientist at the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics and Professor of the Department of Medical Genetics. The employee will work in a laboratory affiliated with the University of British Columbia universities’ workplace safety rules.
Work Performed

The candidate will be responsible for day-to-day operations in the Leavitt lab, including histology, molecular biology, mouse colony maintenance, mouse experiments, and breeding. 

This will involve:

• Assists with performing techniques in histology including harvesting mouse tissues, embedding and sectioning tissues using a cryostat, and antibody staining & photography of tissues using fluorescent and confocal microscopes.
• Assists with performing techniques in molecular biology including isolation and characterization of DNA, restriction enzyme digests, PCR assays, and cloning.
• Assists with performing techniques in mouse colony maintenance and breeding including: husbandry, maintenance, weaning, genotyping, phenotyping.
• Performing basic literature searches and keep up with current literature in the field and present at weekly lab meetings.
   

Consequence of Error/Judgement

In general, the work described follows well established protocols and techniques. Adherence to these protocols is mandatory for the success of the projects. Errors will likely be non-critical but will require the task be performed again correctly and may cause delays in meeting project goals. Most decisions will be discussed among the team but all major decisions will ultimately be the responsibility of Dr. Leavitt.

Supervision Received
Supervised by Dr. Blair Leavitt, the candidate would also be expected to report to and accept guidance from senior laboratory members.

Supervision Given
The position has no supervisory responsibility.
Minimum Qualifications
High school graduation and a minimum one year of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own

- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

B.Sc. in Biological Sciences preferred

Valuable laboratory experience would include knowledge of mouse genetics, molecular biology, histology, and familiarity with laboratory safety techniques and protocols.

Computer experience is required (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Endnote, Photoshop, Illustrator).

The individual must like animals and have a philosophy compatible with animal-based research.

Effective oral and written communication and organizational skills as well as the ability to plan and complete work assignments.