CTE Student Worker - Biotechnology Lab Assistant

CHANDLER UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT JOB DESCRIPTION 

CLASSIFICATION: STUDENT WORKER   

JOB TITLE: CTE STUDENT WORKER – BIOTECHNOLOGY LAB ASSISTANT  

JOB LOCATION: CASTEEL HIGH SCHOOL 

REPORTS TO: BIOTECHNOLOGY LAB INSTRUCTOR 

SALARY: UNPAID INTERNSHIP  

WORK CALENDAR: CUSD STUDENT CALENDAR 

Job Goal:

The Biotechnology Lab Assistant intern will actively bridge the gap between classroom instruction and professional laboratory operations. Working directly within our active Biotechnology Lab, the intern will support daily lab preparations, reagent and media creation, and routine quality control tasks. This hands-on, industry-connected experience is designed to refine the student’s technical competencies in bioscience while cultivating essential professional skills, such as complex communication, teamwork, and critical thinking, which are necessary for a successful career in the scientific and medical fields. 

Minimum Qualifications:

• Currently enrolled as a CUSD student in 11th or 12th grade 
• Currently age 16, or will turn 16 years old prior to start of 2nd quarter of the school year 
• Must be a completer in an approved CTE Bioscience program 
• Satisfactory school conduct background check 
• Provide at least one letter of recommendation from a current CUSD teacher
• Must adhere to CUSD student dress code standards 
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with staff, co-workers, and students  

Key Responsibilities:

1. Lab Preparation & Reagent Formulation (Technical Standards 7.0, 8.0 & 10.0) 

• Prepare and pour agarose and polyacrylamide gels for gel electrophoresis.

   

• Perform precise liquid handlings and aliquoting using standard micropipettes.
• Calculate, prepare, and pH-adjust chemical solutions, buffers (mass/volume, %, molarity), and dilutions (including serial dilutions).
• Prepare, sterilize (via autoclave), dispense, and store microbiological culture media.
• Accurately label and store chemical and biological materials with preparer initials, contents, dates, concentration, and hazards.

2. Equipment Operations & Quality Control (Technical Standards 1.0, 3.0 & 7.0) 

• Operate, balance, and clean laboratory equipment, including balances, centrifuges, spectrophotometers, water baths, and pH meters.
• Utilizeand maintain autoclave, fume hoods, and laminar flow hoods safely. 
• Perform quality control tests on prepared reagents andmaintainactive equipment logs (e.g., eyewash, autoclave, and hood checks). 
• Decontaminate and dispose of lab waste, glassware, and biohazard materials using sterilization protocols (e.g., autoclave and 0.5% sodium hypochlorite solution).

3. Documentation, Safety, & Standard Operating Procedures (Technical Standards 1.0, 2.0 & 5.0) 

• Maintain a precise, up-to-date scientific laboratory notebook (paper or electronic) documenting all methods, observations, and data. 
• Strictly adhere to laboratory Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and safety guidelines, including the correct use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
• Assist inmaintaininginventory controls for lab materials and chemical safety data sheets (SDSs). 
• Uphold high ethical standardsregardingdata integrity, confidentiality, and laboratory safety. 

Learning Outcomes:

By the conclusion of this 130-hour internship, the student will have demonstrated growth and proficiency in the following areas: 

1. Technical Skills (Arizona Bioscience Technical Standards) 

• Basic Lab Instrumentation: Mastery in using micropipettes, analytical balances, pH meters, autoclaves, and centrifuges.
• Solution Prep & Calculations: Competence inutilizingdimensional analysis and molarity calculations to synthesize complex reagents. 
• Aseptic Technique: Practical understanding of sterile environments, cell/microbiological propagation, and decontamination.
• Nucleic Acid & Protein Basics: Hands-on familiarity with electrophoresis, PCR protocols, and/or sample extraction.

2. Career Readiness (Arizona Professional Skills) 

• Complex Communication (Standard 1.0): Ability to communicate technical scientific information clearly, listen actively, andutilizeworkplace technologies effectively. 
• Collaboration (Standard 2.0):Demonstratingthe ability to work productively within a diverse lab team to achieve collective organizational goals. 
• Thinking & Innovation (Standard 3.0): Integrating technical knowledge to troubleshoot common protocol errors (such as electrophoresis run issues) and suggest process improvements.
• Professionalism & Self-Direction (Standards 4.0 & 5.0):Demonstratingstrong time management, taking the initiative on daily lab prep duties, and adhering strictly to professional and safety boundaries. 
• Legal & Ethical Practices (Standard 8.0): Prioritizing safety procedures,maintaininga safe working environment, and acting with complete data integrity. 

Core Values:

Excellence in all we do. No matter how large or small, we value excellence in all parts of this organization. Excellence is a value, quality and our most important product. 

Equity and fairness in all things. Education is the great leveler, and we intend all our students, staff and patrons to have the opportunity, tools and ability to succeed and excel.  

Collaboration is an effective decision-making model as well as an effective morale enhancing model. 

Integrity is simply non-negotiable. Honesty, integrity, and reliability are the foundations of our organization. 

Efficiency is the essence of being a good steward of public trust. We are supported by our community because we continually demonstrate our ability to produce the very best by carefully using the resources available. 

Professional Qualities: 

• Respond to all internal and external customers, as it relates to position, in a prompt, efficient, friendly and patient manner  
• Function effectively as a team member  
• Be responsible, reliable and punctual  
• Be flexible and adaptable to change  
• Positively accept direction  
• Maintain courteous, cooperative working relationships with students, staff and parents  
• Direct constructive criticism toward improving the district  
• Exercise positive problem-solving behavior and conflict resolution skills  
• Adhere to the dress code appropriate to the site and job  
• Share sensitive student and staff information on a need-to-know basis  
• Be a positive role model for students  
• Work with a large cross section of people in a professional and non-judgmental manner  

Physical Requirements:

Positions in this classification often require physical actions like stooping, kneeling, crouching, standing, walking, and sitting. 

The job involves finger or manual dexterity, repetitive finger motion, speaking, hearing, seeing (with correction), and focusing ability. 

Employees may be exposed to travel, odors, dust, poor ventilation, workspace restrictions, and loud noises. 

The work may require lifting or exerting up to 40 pounds of force occasionally and up to 10 pounds of force frequently. 

Reasonable accommodation may be available for individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions. 

Note: 

The above job description is intended to represent only the key areas of responsibilities; specific position assignments will vary depending on the business needs of the school/department.