Research Technician

Staff - Non Union

Job Category
Non Union Technicians and Research Assistants

Job Profile
Non Union Salaried - Research Assistant /Technician 5

Job Title
Research Technician

Department
Research | Jefferies | Michael Smith Laboratories | Faculty of Science

Compensation Range
$5,910.91 - $6,763.37 CAD Monthly

Posting End Date
March 11, 2024

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the day prior to the Posting End Date above.

Job End Date

Mar 31, 2025

This position is expected to be filled by promotion/reassignment and is included here to inform you of its vacancy at the University.

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

The Senior Research Technician will lead a vaccine research project for an immunology lab and generate data for grant applications and scientific papers. This position will carry out complex molecular and cellular experiments as part of active research projects and will keep abreast of new techniques and developments in the area of vaccines. They will be highly skilled with extensive training and experience in molecular biology and cell biology, and serve as an expert resource to other researchers, trainees and collaborators. The individual will be joining an interdisciplinary lab with molecular biologists, animal model researchers, and immunologists, with the vaccine-based research focused on development of clinically translatable nucleic acid vaccines against viruses (e.g. SARS-CoV-2, influenza) and cancers (e.g. prostate, breast).

Organizational Status
The Senior Research Technician will work alongside the Principal Investigator to run the vaccine research program in the lab, and serve as an expert resource to lab members and external collaborators. The individual will interact with a wide range of individuals, including research associates, postdoctoral fellows, graduate and undergraduate students, research technicians; UBC and department staff; collaborating industrial partners on matters of progress reports; and scientific sales managers.
Work Performed

Technical duties

- Supervises research projects in the lab, including those of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, advises on the design of experiments for vaccine development and assays to test their efficacy, coordinates in vivo vaccine studies, and provides guidance to the interpretation and analysis of the vaccine research

- Researches, designs, analyzes and interprets results particularly in the areas of rational vaccine development, including molecular biology, bioinformatics, rodent and human immunology, and mammalian cell biology

- Develops proposals for experimentation, provides technical consultation, advises and instructs on the selection and modification of specialized techniques in areas of molecular biology and cell biology

- Designs and tests methodologies in the area of vaccine development for their production nationwide, including the design and cloning of new plasmids/vector systems and synthesizing RNA and DNA

- Troubleshoots complex experiments and trains other lab members in those processes

- Maintains organization of electronic notebooks and associated files on all experiments and procedures performed in the lab

- Acts as a consultant to external research facilities to provide technical advice and/or complex analysis of research data, some of which leads to joint authorship of scientific papers

- Analyzes and compilates data for industrial funding agencies, presents results at conferences, writes scientific manuscripts and contributes towards writing ethics proposals and grant applications

- Operates and oversees the maintenance of research equipment in the laboratory (e.g. PCR and RT-PCR machines and others)

- Identifies and implements strategies and procedures to ensure the safe operation of research laboratories, and ensures compliance with safety regulations in the lab

- Oversees the technical functioning of the lab and assists with the operational management of the laboratory, including administration of other staff, purchase recommendations, and inventory

- Coordinates weekly meetings for research team

- Undertakes the supervision , scheduling , and training of staff and makes recommendations with respect to hiring and providing input into staff performance

- Carries out any other related duties as required in keeping with the qualifications and requirements of positions in this classification.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
The work performed is expected to be of professional quality and completed in a timely manner. The employee will be given a high degree of latitude and must be capable of excellent judgment, responsibility, and initiative in conducting research. Failure to achieve this level of performance will jeopardize continued funding of research projects. Failure to meet goals may result in suspended funding and will negatively impact the ability to attract future funds.
Supervision Received

This position operates independently under the direct supervision of Professor Wilf Jefferies. The Senior Research Technician must be able to identify circumstances that require consultation with other lab members or collaborators, and must be able to seek out that consultation in a timely and professional manner.

Supervision Given
The Senior Research Technician will have indirect supervisory responsibilities for a small group of employees and will have input into staff selection and performance evaluation. They will work as part of a team and will have joint responsibility for supporting and training of staff and graduate students.
Minimum Qualifications
University degree in relevant discipline or completion of a technical program and a minimum five years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Some positions may require a graduate degree.
- 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

MSc in the field of biotechnology, cell biology, immunology, molecular biology or related fields in the life sciences. Demonstrated experience working with animal models related to vaccine therapies; previous project leadership and lab management is an asset. Computer experience with Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook) and figure design is an asset.

Skills

- Maintains a high level of accuracy and attention to detail

- Ability to carry out complex modifications or procedures without supervision

-Ability to plan, implement and complete work assignments without supervision

- Demonstrates initiative in determining work priorities and meet deadlines

- Ability to supervise the work of others

- Demonstrates effective oral and written communication, interpersonal, analytical, experimental, multi-tasking, and organizational skills

- Aptitude for learning new methodologies and collaborating with other team members to achieve results

- Demonstrates flexibility and responsiveness to changing needs

- Develops and maintains cooperative and productive working relationships, in order to supervise and work with a group of scientific researchers