Job Profile
Job Description /
Job Details /
Job Title: / Laboratory Support Assistant
School/Dept/Institute & Centre: / Blizard Institute, Laboratory Management
Reports to: / Laboratory Manager
Grade: / Technical 2 / Full Time
Appointment period: / Indefinite
Current Location: / Whitechapel Campus
Job Context /
To provide daily support to the Laboratory management team ensuring that the delivery of research consumables are distributed to the Blizard Institute research staff. Assisting the Institute Technicians with the smooth running of the Blizard Institute stores Facility. Undertaking additional duties when necessary.
Job Purpose /
·  To assist in the administration and smooth running of the Blizard Institute stores facility as directed by the Laboratory Managers.
·  To ensure all items delivered to The Blizard Institute post room are dispatched and received by the research staff safely and stored correctly.
·  To work as part of the Institute’s laboratory support team, being mutually supportive of colleagues’ absences and workloads.
Main Duties & Responsibilities /
General Duties
·  Assist Blizard Laboratory Management team with the day-to-day running of the BI stores facility.
·  Assist in re-stocking and stock taking of BI stores items as required.
·  To distribute/move a wide range of parcels, bulk and heavy deliveries, to meet customer/research staff requirements. This can include cleaning supplies, furniture, laboratory supplies and equipment.
·  Checking, unpacking and storage of Supply Centre deliveries, ensuring that all reagents delivered are correct and stored at the correct temperature.
·  Checking, unpacking and storage of stock chemicals (Ethanol, Methanol and Xylene), ensuring correct and safe storage prior to research staff ordering and collecting from Laboratory Management.
·  Ensure the plastic (tip boxes, chemical containers) recycling collection for the whole of the BI laboratory.
·  Assist with the laundry (laboratory coat) collection and delivery for the BI laboratory.
·  Ensure the daily disposal of cardboard waste accumulated within the BI laboratory.
·  Assist with the Monitoring of clinical and sharps waste, informing porter staff when collection is required.
·  Assist Institute Technicians with the storage of laboratory consumables and reagents.
·  To undertake any identified training needs appropriate to the role.
Communication
·  To liaise with customers/research staff about deliveries and BI stores/Supply Centre, providing timely advice to them in any face-to-face, email or telephone queries.
·  Daily contact, working with and in support of Centre Managers/Administrators, clinical & non-clinical academic staff, research and technical staff.
·  Daily contact with laboratory staff in other Centres/Institutes.
·  Daily Contact with external contractors, ie service engineers and waste contractors.
·  Post holder prioritises their own workload in order to meet basic laboratory requirements, within pre-set guidelines and guidance from line management.
·  To carry out responsibilities with due regard to the College Equal Opportunities and Health and Safety Policies.
Additional Duties
At times, it may be necessary to undertake additional duties to assist the Laboratory management team and support the BI laboratory, providing essential cover to all technical members of the team during periods of annual leave / absences.
·  Maintenance of a clean, safe and orderly laboratory environment.
·  Baking and autoclaving glassware.
·  Check liquid nitrogen containers and top up with liquid nitrogen, as required.
·  Check compressed gas cylinders to ensure supplies are maintained.
·  Keep communal areas, for eg. dark rooms, tissue culture rooms and equipment rooms, clean and tidy.
·  Help keep sinks and bench areas clean and clear of waste.
·  Disposing of sharps boxes as necessary and replacing with a fresh container.
·  Help maintain inventory of laboratory supplies.
·  Preparation of the following when needed by researchers: tips, instruments and filled beakers (sterile as required, via autoclave use).
·  Cleaning and maintaining cold room to ensure no build-up of pathogens.
·  Washing, drying, autoclaving (as appropriate) and distribution of laboratory glassware/plastic and other day-to-day items.
·  Safe collection and disposal of laboratory waste by autoclave sterilisation and transport to central collection point.
·  Disposal of any broken glass and sharp boxes.
·  Preparation of routine lab stock solutions etc with appropriate training.

The above list of responsibilities is not exhaustive and the jobholder may be required to undertake other duties commensurate with the level of the role, as reasonable requested by their line manager.

This job description sets out the duties of the post at the time it was drawn up. Such duties may vary from time to time without changing the general character of the duties or level of the responsibility entailed. Such variations are a common occurrence and cannot in themselves justify a reconsideration of the grading of the post.

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Job Profile
Person Specification /

This table lists the essential and desirable requirements needed in order to perform the job effectively. Candidates will be shortlisted based on the extent to which they meet these requirements.

/ Requirements / Essential / Desirable /
Qualifications
GCSE-level education or equivalent / Essential
Knowledge, / Experience of working in a laboratory, preferably in a research environment. / Essential
Skills and Experience / Knowledge of laboratory waste procedures, materials, equipment and supplies, infectious agents and diseases. / Desirable
Ability to carry out routine and repetitive laboratory tasks / Essential
Purchase of laboratory consumables & managing stock levels / Essential
Ability to follow written and oral instructions / Essential
Ability to work unsupervised and at times under pressure, prioritising tasks and demands. / Essential
Good level of basic numeracy / Essential
Good time management / Essential
Good organisational skills / Essential
Evidence of good team-working, establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with others / Essential
Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate with staff, students, couriers and other external bodies. / Essential
Friendly, positive disposition / Essential
Flexibility, initiative and adaptability, / Essential
Willing to work at different sites if required / Essential
Computer literate, ability to send e-mails, access intranet and internet, knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel or similar programmes. / Essential
Able to carry out duties which require extensive manual handling and lifting of heavy objects. / Essential
Have the ability to work to tight deadlines and under pressure. / Essential
Knowledge of manual handling and lifting techniques. / Desirable
Knowledge of the Health & Safety at Work Act and fire safety. / Desirable

E – Essential: Requirements without which the job could not be done.

D – Desirable: Requirements that would enable the candidate to perform the job well.

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