Job Title: Lab Technician
Pay Rate: $27-30/hour (based on experience)
Shift: 4 10-hour days per week (start times vary)
Location: West Point, VA 23181
Duration: 2 months (with possible extension)
Overtime: Yes

Position Summary

The Lab Technician is responsible for supporting the mill's environmental compliance, quality assurance, and production goals by performing sampling, analytical testing, and inspections in an industrial laboratory environment.

Primary Responsibilities

1. Environmental Compliance:

• Perform required effluent, wastewater, stormwater, and groundwater sampling to meet VPDES permit requirements.
• Conduct sampling and inspections of oil tanks and hazardous waste accumulation areas.
• Participate in groundwater well sampling programs and report deficiencies identified during inspections.

2. Sampling & Analytical Testing:

• Collect and analyze various samples, including wastewater, stormwater, raw materials, intermediate products, finished products, and waste.
• Conduct lab tests such as BOD, COD, TSS, pH, and more using on-site lab instruments.
• Prepare samples for shipment to external laboratories.

3. Quality Assurance:

• Perform analytical testing for quality investigations of raw materials, production intermediates, and final products.
• Support production teams in identifying and reporting quality issues.

4. Data Management & Reporting:

• Record and maintain analytical results in databases or spreadsheets.
• Generate reports and graphs using MS Excel and prepare presentations as needed.

5. Lab & Equipment Maintenance:

• Ensure lab instruments undergo regular preventive maintenance.
• Maintain adequate inventory of laboratory chemicals and supplies.
• Assist with housekeeping to ensure a clean and safe laboratory environment.

6. Weekend & Holiday Duty:

Rotate on-call duty approximately every three weeks to perform daily sampling, analytical tests, and inspections.

Requirements

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in chemistry with 1 year of industrial lab testing experience; or associate degree in a science field with 2 years of relevant industrial experience.
• Experience in performing BOD analyses preferred.

Skills & Qualifications:

• Strong analytical, organizational, and time management skills.
• Detail-oriented, punctual, dependable, and capable of working independently.
• Proficiency in MS Office tools (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Good verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to learn new techniques quickly and work efficiently.

Physical & Environmental Requirements:

• Must be able to lift to 40 pounds.
• Comfortable walking and climbing stairs in an industrial setting while wearing PPE (safety glasses, hard hat, steel-toed shoes, etc.).
• Valid driver's license to operate company vehicles for site sampling.

Key Relations

• Reports to the Laboratory Lead.
• Collaborates with Environmental Manager and production personnel.
• Participates in mill safety meetings and programs to enhance workplace safety.

This role offers an exciting opportunity to work in a fast-paced industrial setting, contribute to environmental and quality compliance, and develop hands-on experience in laboratory operations.