Lab Technician, Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Cumming School of Medicine

Position Overview

The Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute in the Cumming School of Medicine invites applications for a Lab Technician. This Full-time Fixed Term position is for approximately 1 year (based on length of grant funding), with the possibility of extension.

This position reports to the Principal Investigator, with accountabilities to both Investigators of the 2 labs.  

The Research Technician will be part of the target discovery and pre-clinical working groups within the Alberta Cellular Therapy and Immune ONcology (ACTION) Initiative.

The position will involve predominantly wet-lab experimental work (molecular and cell biology, tissue processing, biochemistry, etc.), working with mouse and human tumour samples and cultured tumor cells.

Position Description

Summary of Key Responsibilities (job functions include but are not limited to):

• Dissociation of tissue to single cells, viable freezing and thawing
• Flow cytometry-based sorting of cell populations (FACS)
• Extraction of DNA and RNA from cells, and from both mouse and human tumor samples
• Preparing RNA or DNA sequencing libraries using the C1 Fluidigm Single-cell Auto prep system, the 10X Genomics Chromium platform, and the 10X Genomics Visium platform
• Performing QC and optimizing workflows
• Analyzing data and presenting results to team members and team lead
• Contributing to the general functioning and health of the lab (ordering, inventorying, equipment maintenance, etc.). Helping to ensure the lab is running smoothly at all times and is clean and safe.
• To be successful, the technician will need to work closely with senior members of the lab, the team lead, and collaborators within the ACTION program. He/she will need to establish and maintains effective, productive relationships with them at all times
• To be successful, the technician will need to be flexible with their experimental priorities, multitask efficiently, and work extended hours when required by the experiment. It is essential that he/she can manage his/her own time effectively, under the guidance of senior lab members and direct supervision of the PI/Co-I

Qualifications / Requirements:

• Completion of a BSc degree in a related discipline is required
• An MSc degree or 2 years of technical experience in a related discipline is highly recommended
• Specific technical expertise in molecular and cell biology is highly recommended
• Understanding the principles and practice of molecular and cell biology is highly recommended
• Comfort working with diverse biological samples in BSL2 environment is required
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively and achieve goals in a laboratory setting in a timely fashion, especially tasks of a meticulous nature requiring significant focus and attention to detail, is required
• Ability to multitask is required. Technician may be expected to work on multiple projects simultaneously and manage their time accordingly
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills is required
• Must be open to learning and development and be willing to accept new challenges and assignments
• Ability to safely and effectively operate and maintain basic laboratory equipment is required
• Ability to exercise judgment within established guidelines is required
• Intermediate computer skills, especially in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint), is required
• A positive attitude and the ability to work independently and as part of a team are critical to success

Application Deadline:  December 6, 2021

We would like to thank all applicants in advance for submitting their resumes. Please note, only those candidates chosen to continue on through the selection process will be contacted.

Additional Information

This position is part of the AUPE bargaining unit, and falls under the Technical Job Family, Phase I.

To find out more about management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary and all we have to offer, view our Management and Staff Careers website. For more information about the Cumming School of Medicine visit Careers in the Cumming School of Medicine.

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About the University of Calgary

The University of Calgary is Canada’s leading next-generation university – a living, growing and youthful institution that embraces change and opportunity with a can-do attitude. Located in the nation’s most enterprising city, the university is making tremendous progress on its Eyes High journey to be recognized as one of Canada’s top five research universities, grounded in innovative learning and teaching and fully integrated with the community it both serves and leads. The University of Calgary inspires and supports discovery, creativity and innovation across all disciplines. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.

The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy in line with the foundational goals of Eyes High, committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.

The University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their professional success while they are here. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, however preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.