Lab Technician (Term)

Date Posted: 10/04/2024
Req ID: 39990
Faculty/Division: Faculty of Arts & Science
Department: Acceleration Consortium
Campus: St. George (Downtown Toronto)
Position Number: 00056928

Description:

About us:
The Faculty of Arts & Science is the heart of Canada’s leading university and one of the most comprehensive and diverse academic divisions in the world. The strength of Arts & Science derives from our combined teaching and research excellence in the humanities, sciences and social sciences across 29 departments, seven colleges and 46 interdisciplinary centres, institutes and programs.
We can only realize our mission with the dedication and excellence of engaged staff and faculty. The diversity of opportunities and perspectives within the Faculty reflect the local and global landscape and the need for curiosity, innovative thinking and collaboration. At Arts & Science, we take pride in our legacy of innovation and discovery that has changed the way we think about the world.
The Acceleration Consortium (AC) at the University of Toronto (U of T) is leading a transformative shift in scientific discovery that will accelerate technology development and commercialization. The AC is a global community of academia, industry, and government that leverages the power of artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, materials sciences, and high-throughput chemistry to create self-driving laboratories (SDLs), also called materials acceleration platforms (MAPs). These autonomous labs rapidly design materials and molecules needed for a sustainable, healthy, and resilient future, with applications ranging from renewable energy and consumer electronics to drugs. AC Staff Scientists will advance the field of AI-driven autonomous discovery and develop the materials and molecules required to address society’s largest challenges, such as climate change, water pollution, and future pandemics.
The Acceleration Consortium received a $200M Canadian First Research Excellence Grant for seven years to develop self-driving labs for chemistry and materials, the largest ever grant to a Canadian University.

Your opportunity:
Reporting to the Executive Director, Acceleration Consortium and working under the guidance of (Senior) Research Associates, this Lab Technician position will play a pivotal role in supporting research projects focused on diverse organoid/organ-on-chip technologies and will collaborate closely with our interdisciplinary team of scientists and engineers. We are seeking a highly motivated and skilled Technical Staff member to join our Human Organ Mimicry Self Driving Lab’s team. The ideal candidate will have a background in mammalian cell culture, either at the undergraduate or master's level, with expertise in human pluripotent stem cell culture and differentiation, and patient-derived cancer organoids. The ideal candidate should have experience in microscopy imaging, immunochemistry staining, assay development documentation and other lab management experiences. This is a term position that will end approximately on July 2026, with the possibility of renewal.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Performing lab experiments that require great precision and attention to detail
• Providing detailed explanations and demonstrating procedures to students and/or employees on lab techniques, experimental procedures and protocols
• Contributing to research findings that are published in academic journals
• Applying established standards when preparing routine samples for research projects and/or experiments
• Preparing, assembling and setting-up material, equipment and supplies used in teaching and/or research labs
• Coordinating routine maintenance of lab equipment
• Providing safety training and ensuring compliance with lab safety procedures and standards
• Serving as a technical resource on laboratory protocols, and experimental procedures and equipment

Essential Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in life sciences (Immunology, Biology, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, or a related field) or acceptable combination of education and experience. Master's degree in related field preferred.
• Minimum three years of practical and related wet lab experience with expertise in human pluripotent stem cell culture and differentiation, and patient-derived cancer organoids
• Experience in microscopy imaging, immunochemistry staining, assay development documentation
• Experience in iPSCs or patient-derived cancer organoids culture
• Proficiency with bioimaging techniques (brightfield, widefield fluorescence, confocal), including sample preparation, imaging and image analysis
• Demonstrated publication record of scientific achievement (at least one first-author publication)
• Familiarity with automatic laboratory equipment (e.g., liquid handler, imaging platform)
• Familiarity with organoid/organ-on-chip technologies
• Experience with organoid culture, including but not limited to neural, kidney and vascular organoids.
• Experience with flow cytometry
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Strong lab management skills with attention to detail
• Problem-solving and troubleshooting skills
• Take initiative and solve administrative problems. This position will require the ability to meet time-dependent project milestones.

Assets (Nonessential):

• Experience working in a research or industry environment, preferably in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology sectors.
• Familiarity with electronic laboratory notebook software
• Familiarity with drug screening protocols
• 3D printing experience
• Proficiency in coding languages such as R or Python

To be successful in this role you will be:

• Communicator
• Efficient
• Insightful
• Meticulous
• Organized
• Team player

Closing Date: 01/13/2025, 11:59PM ET
Employee Group: USW
Appointment Type: Grant - Term
Schedule:
Pay Scale Group & Hiring Zone:
USW Pay Band 11 -- $75,223. with an annual step progression to a maximum of $96,196. Pay scale and job class assignment is subject to determination pursuant to the Job Evaluation/Pay Equity Maintenance Protocol.
Job Category: Engineering / Technical

Lived Experience Statement:
Candidates who are members of Indigenous, Black, racialized and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, persons with disabilities, and other equity deserving groups are encouraged to apply, and their lived experience shall be taken into consideration as applicable to the posted position.