AWI Laboratory Technical Manager

Laboratory Technical Manager

The Adirondack Watershed Institute is a program of Paul Smith's College; a private undergraduate college located in the heart of the Adirondack Park in upstate New York. The mission of AWI is to protect clean water, conserve habitat, and support the health and well-being of people in the Adirondacks through scientific inquiry, stewardship, and real-world experiences for students. AWI's Environmental Research Laboratory holds certification under NYSDOH Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP).

The Laboratory Technical Manager is a critical mid-level position within AWI. This position has responsibility over the day-to-day analysis of the AWI environmental laboratory and serves as an ELAP Technical Director for the laboratory. This position serves as the supervisor to the Laboratory Analysts.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Serve as a Technical Director under the NYS Environmental Laboratory Approval Program (ELAP).
• Assist the Laboratory Director in overseeing and maintaining the Environmental Research Laboratory Quality Assurance Management System to NYS DOH ELAP standards, including the review of analytical runs and data packages.
• Work proactively to develop, maintain, and improve laboratory methods. Create and update laboratory standard operating procedures as needed. Oversee document control for the laboratory.
• Oversee the day-to-day supervision of Laboratory Analysts with accountability for their training and work quality. Help develop initial and ongoing training programs. Assist with hiring new lab employees as needed.
• Oversee the maintenance of laboratory analyst personnel files and maintenance of the ethics and data integrity program.
• Oversee and support Laboratory Analysts in the maintenance of lab instruments and equipment, as well as lab cleanliness and workspace efficiency.
• Assist with analytical and instrument troubleshooting.
• Assist with the analytical scheduling to ensure sample holding times are met.
• Initiate corrective action and participates in root cause analysis.
• Conduct laboratory analysis.
• Assist in maintenance of the laboratory information management system (LIMS). Ensure data results are accurate and investigate irregularities. Prepare data for final review. Guarantee analysis and reporting is completed in a timely manner.
• Support annual quality assurance audits, oversight of staff demonstration of capability, oversight of lab proficiency testing, and the laboratory corrective action system.
• Contribute data for dissemination through annual reports, research publications, and presentations.
• Contribute expertise to new project development.
• Other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Science degree in Limnology, Aquatic Ecology, Environmental Sciences, chemistry, physical or biological sciences, or engineering, or a related field.
• At least 24 college semester credit hours of chemistry coursework.
• At least three years of work experience in environmental analysis in a NELAC/ELAP certified lab. A Master of Science in the field above can be substituted for one year of experience.
• Understanding of laboratory QA/QC practices and method development.
• Experience with the following analysis; Specific conductance, pH, phosphorus, nitrate, ammonia, alkalinity, anions, color, CDOM, chlorophyll-a, total nitrogen, dissolved organic carbon, ICP metals analysis, and microcystins.
• Understanding of various types of laboratory instrumentation. Ability to calibrate and operate lab instruments including ICP-OES, FIA, IC, TOC/N, pH/Cond.
• Experience training and supervising staff.
• Strong communication skills.
• Knowledge of water sampling techniques and equipment
• Proven ability to multitask.
• Excellent problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work in a fast paced, multi-tasking, collaborative environment.
• Ability to work independently.
• Ability to work with a broad range of diverse individuals and groups to form a safe and inclusive campus community.

Preferred:

• Familiarity with the geography of the Adirondack region.
• Driver's license and driving record acceptable to the College's insurance carrier.

Physical Requirements:

Environmental Conditions:

• Work is consistently performed in an indoor laboratory setting with normal temperature ranges for the season.
• Traditional noise of a busy office setting can be expected.
• Working spaces may be crowded based on traffic and space configuration.

Lifting and Carrying:

• Ability to regularly lift up to 10 lbs.
• Frequent lifting and carrying of light to moderate weight items (trays of water sample bottles, glassware, laptop, reagent bottles)

Mobility:

• Ability to bend, stoop, and kneel to pick up items as necessary.
• Climbing Staircases within buildings and around campus
• Ability to spend extended amounts of time on your feet

Dexterity and Hand-Eye Coordination:

• Manual dexterity for handling precise laboratory equipment
• Fine motor skills for work performed on laptop.
• Clear and legible penmanship
• Ability to reach overhead or below knee level to perform work duties.

Sensory Requirements:

• Good vision, including color vision, with corrective lenses as necessary.
• Good hearing with assistive devices as necessary.

Paul Smith's College is an equal opportunity employer. Position descriptions are created that focus on essential functions, using inclusive language, and avoid unnecessary or discriminatory requirements.

Application Deadline: 07/20/2026