Maintenance and Calibration Specialist

Position Summary:  

This position is responsible for assisting the Senior Manager of North American Laboratory Operations and Laboratory Managers in equipment maintenance. This includes knowledge of specific laboratory equipment and sample testing that requires a specialized knowledge of processes. 

Responsibilities also include lab equipment maintenance and repair, ordering of equipment supplies and parts inventory control.    

Essential Functions  

Weight of associated position responsibility, duty or task to successful performance: 

• 60% 
  • Ensure compliance with ISO 17025 A2LA requirements for maintenance and calibration procedures 
  • Inspect and maintain laboratory equipment 
  • Insuring compliance with ISO 17025 A2LA requirements for maintenance and calibration 
  • Compliance of all work and maintenance records for work in a selected CMMS software 
  • Assist and develop Laboratory Managers to provide training to all laboratory personnel on proper maintenance and care of all laboratory instrumentation 
  • Help facilitate improvement of equipment care and maintenance (including but not limited to calibrations and preventative maintenance procedures) 
  • Monitor, improve, and complete Preventative Maintenance procedures to ensure equipment reliability and up time 
  • Work with vendors to ensure external equipment OEMs and calibrations are completed 
  • Help management monitor KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators) for tracking repair costs, downtime costs, instrument up time percent or equipment availability, instrument capacity, cost savings from maintenance efforts and present these KPI’s in a monthly management report  
• 30%  
  • Reactionary Maintenance and Equipment troubleshooting assistance 
  • Work with Laboratory Managers and the Science Team to perform Root Cause Failure Analysis on instrument failures when help is necessary 
  • Work with Laboratory Managers to reliably diagnose instrument problems, including hardware and software issues and be able to determine if repairs can be done internally or if vendor repairs are required 
  • Ensure documentation is recorded in CMMS software to ensure ability to more easily diagnose equipment issues in the future 
• 10% 
  • Purchasing and Receiving  
  • Monitor and continually improve spare parts purchasing, storage, and quantities to better service Laboratory Operations while remaining cost effective 
  • Standardize ordering process for Indianapolis housed parts  
  • Work with the Procurement and Inventory Administrator to ensure we have alternate suppliers for critical items 
  • Work with accounting and Procurement and Inventory Administrator to standardize purchasing part numbers in our accounting system to ensure standard work and naming conventions 

Supportive Functions

In addition to performance of the essential functions, this position may be required to perform a combination of the following supportive functions, with the percentage of time performing each function to be solely determined by the supervisor based upon the particular requirements of the company. 

• Develop project plans and complete continuous improvement projects when assigned 
• Other projects as specified by the Senior Manager of North American Laboratory Operations 

Other Duties 

• Adherence and support of the POLARIS Employee Handbook inclusive of the Standards of Conduct 
• Learn and support of the quality management system 
• Other duties as assigned 

Safety Requirements

• OSHA laws require the use of the following Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when performing work duties that have the potential of risk to your health or safety: 
  • Protective eye wear 
  • Face shields 
  • Chemical resistant aprons  
  • Gloves 
• Team members will be trained in the proper use and care of assigned PPE. POLARIS Laboratories, LLC provides the required PPE. It is your responsibility to report defective, damaged or lost PPE, or equipment that does not fit properly, to your Manager. 

Specific Job Knowledge, Skills, and Ability

The individual must possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities and be able to perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation. 

• A strong base knowledge of POLARIS Laboratories policies, rules, and regulations. 
• The ability to effectively explain and coach individuals on process improvement and implementation. 
• Process logic skill set 
• Strong technical and professional writing skills 

Required Qualifications  

• Ability to travel for business purposes 
• Previous management experience 
• Ability to work under pressure and deadlines 
• Strong interpersonal skills and communication skills 
• Detail oriented and ability to multi-task 
• Displayed potential to grasp strategic concepts and strategy development skills 

Preferred Qualifications  

The preferred qualifications desired in terms of education, course concentration, work experience, technical knowledge and desired advanced certifications. 

• Experience in a laboratory or production environment 
• Exposure to LEAN ideologies  
• BS/BA Degree, plus other relevant certifications