Technical Officer

Closing Date: January 19, 2024 at 4:00 PM

DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES

The Department of Earth Sciences at UNB teaches about challenges and solutions to society's water, energy, and mineral needs; past and present environmental and climate change; causes and effects of natural hazards; and the origins and evolution of life.

WHAT WE OFFER

Full-time | Continuing | Fredericton | On-Campus

Standard Work Hours: Mon - Fri | 8:15 am - 4:30 pm | 36.25 hours per week

Additional Working Conditions:

• Must be able to physically meet the job requirements and demands and navigate the layout of the building.

Salary Range: $55,710- $72,427 per annum

YOUR FOCUS

Reporting to the Department Chair, the Technical Officer provides microanalytical services. This position operates and maintains a range of lab instruments employing various spectroscopic and other techniques to determine the composition of rocks, sediments, water, and other materials. This suite of instruments has changed and grown over time, providing ever greater capabilities.

• Manage requests for analyses and student training in keeping with departmental guidelines.
• Provide technical advice and assistance as required by faculty members, students and other users.
• Train undergraduate and graduate students in the operation of instrumentation and interpretation of the results.
• Support teaching of Earth Sciences (ESCI) and Geological Engineering (GE) courses in petrology, mineralogy and environmental geoscience through demonstrations and participation in exercises for labs, field schools and Honours thesis projects.
• Operate, perform data analysis, and routine maintenance of the Zeiss Axiolmager A1M polarizing microscope, Resolution M-50 excimer laser ablation system, Agilent 8900 tandem ICP-MS and the Agilent 7700x quadrupole ICP-MS.
• Maintain, troubleshoot, and repair lab instrumentation.
• Manage the allocated budget and prepare user-fee chargebacks for research or external users.
• Help deploy updates to lab websites featuring new developments and analytical protocols.
• Operate and perform data analysis and routine maintenance of the Bruker Tornado M4 micro-X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometer (micro-XRF) and the Olympus hand-held X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometer (portable XRF), both providing elemental analyses. Each instrument requires expertise in sample preparation and calibration and quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) standards to ensure high-confidence reporting of analytical results.
• Operate and perform training, data analysis and routine maintenance of the Bruker D8 X-Ray Diffractometer (XRD), which provides crystallographic and mineralogical material analyses. Perform data interpretation using licensed software for Rietveld refinements. Samples must be prepared using strict protocols to ensure optimal grain size and flatness of sample using a 4-position planetary ball-mill with agate and tungsten-carbide media.

WHAT YOU BRING

• Masters in Science or Engineering.
• Minimum 5 years experience working in an inorganic chemistry/geo-analytical facility.

Additional Strengths

• Experience operating and maintaining plasma-source mass-spectrometers (ICP-OES/ICP-MS/ICP-MS/MS) and preparing samples using clean chemistry protocols.
• Experience and training with excimer laser ablation systems for trace element and isotopic analysis of geological, biological, and engineering materials.
• Experience or training in the operation of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) for mineralogical and crystallographic characterization of materials (evidence of X-ray certifications would be an asset).
• Experience managing a multi-user and multi-instrument facility, including preventative maintenance and consumables and repair services procurement.
• Hands-on experience with diagnosing and repairing electronics, computer systems, vacuum systems, and gas systems.
• Experience in data analysis, computer modelling of scientific data and other experimental techniques is an asset.
• Knowledge of electron microprobe and scanning electron microscope is an asset.
• Radiation Safety Training, Clean Chemistry training and WHMIS training.

WHY CHOOSE UNB?

UNB offers a large variety of benefits for employees, including a full pension, a minimum of three weeks of vacation annually, the Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP), and dental, life, and health insurance.

PROFESSIONAL & TECHNICAL STAFF UNION (PTSU)

This position is part of the PSAC, Local 60551 employee group and falls under the PTSU Collective Agreement.

COMMITMENT TO EQUITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

The University of New Brunswick and PSAC/PTSU Local 60551 are committed to employment equity and fostering diversity within our community and developing an inclusive workplace that reflects the richness of the broader community that we serve. The University welcomes and encourages applications from all qualified individuals who will help us achieve our goals, including women, visible minorities, Aboriginal persons, persons with disabilities, persons of any sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. Preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.

We thank all who apply; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.