Auxiliary Multispecies Archaeology Research Technician

Job Summary

With direction from the supervisor, Dr. Aleksa Alaica, will perform routine research tasks. Assists with coordinating research studies, maintaining supplies, performing experiments, and acquiring and recording data.

Organizational Status

Works under the direction of the Principal Investigator of the Multispecies Archaeology Laboratory (MSAL) a facility within the Multispecies Archaeology Research Group (MARG). Interacts with student researchers and other members of the research team

Work Performed

• Assists in organizing, preparing and running experiments, which includes photocopying and preparing forms.
• Contacting and scheduling appointments with research group members, volunteers, honours students, and visiting researchers.
• Running participants through standards of operation (SOPs); recording test data. All components follow set lab protocols.
• Adheres to guidelines concerning the integrity and respectful treatment of results and participants.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

Errors in the laboratory would result in the loss or contamination of samples, the vast majority of which have been collected from archaeological sites and are of high cultural value and irreplaceable. Errors can result in safety hazards, as well as result in loss of time and will create delays in the busy operations of the facility. MARG as part of the Department of Anthropology the MARG Technician is responsible for ensuring that these collections are analyzed according to MARG. Errors could have financial, legal, ethical, and other consequences for MARG, LOA and UBC and could damage relationships with the provincial government, descendent communities, the academic community, and the general public.

Supervision Received

The lab director provides direct supervision. Written and/or verbal protocols for all procedures will be provided.

Supervision Given
None

Minimum Qualifications
High school graduation and a minimum one year of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own

- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline, preferably in Anthropology.
• Experience as a coordinator position within research working in social sciences research.
• Knowledge of MS-Word, Excel, Powerpoint, & Presentation software.
• Able to grasp things quickly & able to learn with minimal instruction.
• Able to multitask; comfortable working in a research environment that involves many projects.
• Very detail-oriented & accurate; able to stay on top of many details simultaneously.
• Calm, patient, flexible - able to work quickly to meet sudden deadlines.
• Very strong interpersonal skills.
• Computer and data analysis skills (Word processing, EXCEL, Reference Manager or RefWorks, R Studio).
• Effective interpersonal and organizational skills.