Biology Instructional Lab Technician

Biology Instructional Lab Technician

Work type: Permanent Full Time
Location: Bellingham, WA
Categories: College of Science & Engineering

Position Title Biology Instructional Lab Technician

About the University
Western Washington University, with over 15,000 students in seven colleges and the graduate school, is nationally recognized for its educational programs, students and faculty. The campus is located in Bellingham, Washington, a coastal community of 90,000 overlooking Bellingham Bay, the San Juan Islands and the North Cascades Mountain range. The city lies 90 miles north of Seattle and 60 miles south of Vancouver, British Columbia. Western has additional sites in Anacortes, Bremerton, Everett, Port Angeles, and Poulsbo. Western is recognized nationally for its successes, such as being named one of the top public master's-granting institutions in the Pacific Northwest for 25 years in a row by U.S. News & World Report.

Western Washington University is committed to achieving excellence through advancing inclusive success, increasing our Washington impact, and focusing on transformational education grounded in the liberal arts and sciences and based on innovative scholarship, research, and creative activity. Western's greatest strength is the outstanding students, faculty, staff, and alumni/ae who make up its community. Western supports an inclusive governance structure for all and provides a learning and working environment in which everyone can thrive. In pursuit of this excellence, individual employees are expected to establish and maintain productive and effective inclusive working relationships amongst diverse populations including staff, faculty, administration, student, and external constituents. Further, individual employees are expected to have the ability to operationalize sustainability concepts (economic, societal, environmental) into all aspects of performing their job duties.

About the Department The Biology Department supports Western's mission, which states that together with our students, staff, and faculty, we are committed to making a positive impact in the state and the world with a shared focus on academic excellence and inclusive achievement. We encourage applications from women, people of color, people with disabilities, veterans, and other candidates from underrepresented backgrounds and with diverse experiences interested in this opportunity.
The Biology Department in the College of Science and Engineering has approximately 30 faculty and nine staff. The 24 tenured and tenure-track faculty each maintain a research lab with one to two Masters students and an average of 4 undergraduate researchers. We offer three dozen lab courses a year housed in 13 teaching lab rooms in two buildings. Those lab courses serve over 3000 students each year.

About the Position
This position provides technical support for lab courses in Biology with an emphasis on Molecular/Cellular Biology, Genetics, Microbiology, or Biochemistry.

This position works both independently and collaboratively with a community of faculty, graduate students, and staff to support high-quality university education and general departmental operations.

Responsibilities include supporting biology courses across the curriculum, supervising undergraduate laboratory assistants, managing course budgets, curating instructional lab manuals, maintaining and training others on sophisticated scientific equipment and laboratory safety procedures and policies.

As a member of our team, the lab technician helps support the efforts of all constituents in the everyday operation of the department, stockroom, and research and teaching labs.

This is an in-person role at WWU's main Bellingham campus, and is a 40-hour/week full-time, ten-month position. During the academic year (September to June) this position works eight (8) hours per day and during July and August there is the option of a few work hours each week. To provide gradual onboarding, the successful candidate will work up to 10 hours per week in the first summer.

The State HR classification for this position is Instructional & Classroom Support Technician 4.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Biology or related field with three years of experience in instructional support or equivalent
• Proven ability to perform essential job functions including physical demands with or without reasonable accommodation
• Proven experience performing biological laboratory techniques and safety procedures
• Evidence of strong interpersonal skills and ability to work in a friendly and cooperative manner with students, staff, and faculty at all levels of the organization and in contacts with the public
• Commitment to supporting the department's efforts to create an inclusive, supportive, and welcoming community for students, staff, and faculty
• Willingness and demonstrated ability to work independently and exercise independent judgement
• Demonstrated excellence and clarity in verbal and written communication skills
• Hold a valid driver's license or the ability to obtain one prior to start date.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience as scientific support staff at an educational institution
• Strong familiarity with upper-division Biology university lab instruction
• Experience with a broad array of biological lab equipment, techniques, and skills including those used in Molecular/Cellular Biology, Genetics, Microbiology, or Biochemistry
• Familiarity with purchasing and maintaining inventories of scientific equipment and supplies
• Experience or training associated with improving accessibility, diversity, equity, and inclusion (ADEI)
• Proficiency in MS Office and ability to learn technical software

Conditions of Employment All employees must comply with our Immunization policies, including Proof of Rubeola Measles Immunity within 60-days of hire. Please reach out to [click to reveal email address] View email address on us.fitly.work if you need information regarding medical or religious exemption and applicable accommodations.

Salary $4,792 - $6,446/month depending on qualifications and experience.

Benefits Information Benefits Overview for Classified Positions

Bargaining Unit This position is part of bargaining unit PT and is covered by the collective bargaining agreement with Public School Employees of WWU.

Application Instructions
Application materials should address your experience related to the position responsibilities and the required and preferred qualifications.

Closing Date Notes Application review begins July 18, 2026; position is open until filled

Western Washington University (WWU) is an equal opportunity employer. In compliance with applicable laws, WWU does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, age, citizenship or immigration status, pregnancy, use of protective leave, genetic status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, creed, religion, veteran or military status, disability or the use of a trained guide dog or service animal (including a service animal in training) by a person with a disability, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law, in its programs or activities, including employment, admissions, and educational programs. See WWU's Policies on Prohibiting Discrimination Based on A Protected Class and Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Sex. Inquiries may be directed to the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance, Title IX and ADA Coordinator, Western Washington University, Old Main 126 (MS 9021), 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA 98225; [click to reveal phone number]View phone number on us.fitly.work (voice) or 711 (Washington Relay); [click to reveal email address] View email address on us.fitly.work

WWU is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. To request this document in an alternate format or to request an accommodation, please contact Human Resources Disability Services, [click to reveal phone number]View phone number on us.fitly.work or 711 (Washington Relay).

Annual Security and Fire Safety Report: This report is provided pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act ("The Clery Act"). It includes statistics for the previous three calendar years concerning reported crimes that occurred on Western's campus; in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by Western; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security, such as policies concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. You can obtain a copy of this report in printed or alternate formats by contacting the Office of Student Life at [click to reveal email address] View email address on us.fitly.work . The report can be found at: Annual Security and Fire Safety Report.

All new employees must comply with the immunization policy and show employment eligibility verification as required by the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service before beginning work at WWU. A thorough background check will be conducted on all new hires which includes a sexual misconduct background check.

Job no: 503045
Advertised: Jun [click to reveal phone number]24 2026 09 :00 Pacific Daylight Time
Applications close:

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