Chemistry Technician II

Chemistry Technician II (S)The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services provides services that promote and improve agriculture, agribusiness, and forests; protect consumers and businesses; and conserve farmland and natural resources for the prosperity of all North Carolinians. The Department employs approximately 2,000 employees.The Food & Drug Protection Division (FDPD) has five functioning sections, including the Food Section, the Dairy Section, the Feed Section, the Drug Section, and the Administrative Services Section. In addition, analytical support is provided to the Food & Feed Sections by the Food & Drug Protection Division's three laboratory sections, i.e., the Inorganic Chemistry Section, Organic Chemistry Section, and Microbiology Section. The Division protects the health, welfare, and economic interests of consumers of foods, drugs, livestock feeds, fertilizers, and medical devices by ensuring, through inspections and analysis, that these products are wholesome and properly labeled. The FDPD Inorganic Chemistry Section provides compositional analyses of food, animal feed, and fertilizer samples. Specifically, this section quantifies nutrients, minerals, and heavy metals in samples using a variety of instrumentation and analytical chemistry techniques. The Inorganic Chemistry Section is comprised of 5 laboratories: the Microanalytical Laboratory; the Core Analytical Laboratory; the Ion Chromatography Laboratory; the Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry Laboratory; and the Wet Chemistry Laboratory. This position is specifically located in the Core Analytical Laboratory, which is responsible for the determination of minerals in fertilizer, feed, and forage using microwave assisted acid digestion, hot block acid digestion, atomic absorption spectrometry (AA), continuous flow analysis, and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). This laboratory analyzes feed, forage, and fertilizer samples as a service to the farmers of North Carolina and to support regulatory actions by the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' Plant Industry Division and the FDPD Feed Section.The employee's primary job functions are:Performing basic elemental analysis of feed, fertilizer, and forage samplesPerforming laboratory support activities such as preparing samples for analysis, preparing reagents and washing labwareDocumenting all activities per ISO 17025 requirements and FDPD quality management system procedures.The employee in this position is responsible for understanding, performing, and evaluating a wide-range of standard wet chemistry and instrument-based methods and procedures, including Kjeldahl titration, continuous flow analysis, gravimetric analyses, and elemental analysis by combustion. The employee must complete analyses within established turnaround times. The employee is also responsible for verifying and maintaining instrumentation and ensuring adequate laboratory supplies are available. Employment is contingent upon the ability to pass a respirator medical and fit test.Knowledge Skills and Abilities/Management PreferencesExperience performing sample digestions and / or chemistry testingAbility to prepare analytical standard solutions and reagents while applying knowledge of inorganic chemistry methodology and laboratory safety practicesAbility to understand and follow complex oral and written instructionsAbility to lift up to 50 poundsAbility to work with matrices such as grass, hay, and nutRecruitment Range: $37,377 - $56,000Any employment offer may be less than the maximum of the range due to salary equity with similarly situated employees or the selected candidate's related education and experience.Bachelor's degree in one of the chemical, biological, microbiological, environmental or natural resource sciences including related chemistry laboratory coursework from an appropriately accredited institution; or Associate's degree in one of the chemical, biological, microbiological, environmental or natural resource sciences or a closely related curriculum including related chemistry laboratory coursework from an appropriately accredited institution and two years of directly related chemistry laboratory experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.The State of North Carolina is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and dedicated to providing employees with a work environment free from all forms of unlawful employment discrimination, harassment, or retaliation. The state provides reasonable accommodation to employees and applicants with disabilities; known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; and for religious beliefs, observances, and practices.