Lab Technician

Vanguard Renewables is the premier anaerobic digester developer/owner/operator in the United States. Our closed-loop anaerobic digestion process converts organic waste and cow manure into green electricity or renewable natural gas as well as other related “value-added” products. Our head office is in Weston Massachusetts, and we are funded by institutional capital partners. We currently have over twenty projects in development operating in over thirteen States. We have a plan to continue to aggressively expand into other domestic markets.

The Lab Technician will support the commissioning and operation of Vanguard’s centralized laboratory, aimed at better understanding organic waste materials and optimizing the performance and output of the Company’s growing fleet of anaerobic digester facilities.

Responsibilities

• Commissions the laboratory space and equipment in partnership with engineering team
• Develops methods and best practices for analyzing a variety of food waste, digestate, and manure samples in line with requirements from engineering and operations teams
• Utilizes a bench-scale anaerobic respirometer for toxicity assessments and biomethane potential (BMP) analysis of various organic feedstocks and blends
• Utilizes additional lab equipment and methods (benchtop spectrophotometer, sieves, Soxhlet extraction, etc.) to conduct basic analysis, including COD, Total Solids, TKN
• Participates in training related to the operation of lab equipment
• Maintains a clean and organized lab space
• Troubleshoots and resolves equipment breakdowns.
• Schedules/performs preventative maintenance on lab equipment
• Keeps laboratory supplies in stock by taking inventory and placing supply orders
• Records results and reports in an organized and efficient manner
• Supports inter-department invoicing process through recordkeeping and inventory tracking
• Support of feedstock sales team to assess feedstock quality
• Evaluate customer processes, including on-site reviews; provide recommendations for optimized feedstock collection/capture
• Assist feedstock sales team with timely information and participate in customer interactions as technical resource
  
  

Skills And Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, environmental science, or similar scientific field from an accredited college or university
• 3-5 years of experience in an analytical laboratory setting
• Experience in laboratory testing of varied materials
  
  

Ability to report to centralized lab space (Monday-Friday), located within 30 minutes of the Weston, MA office.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Basic ability to plan and coordinate multiple projects at once
• Experience in commissioning new laboratory equipment
• Experience in developing and modifying methods and techniques to establish best practices
• Experience in Spectroscopy technologies such as IR or Raman
• Mathematical process modeling
• Excellent communication skills
• Experience with wastewater or anaerobic digestion and awareness of Vanguard’s mission in the context of global climate conditions
• Ability to adapt to new situations quickly and work well in a demanding environment
  
  

What We Offer

• Employer health care, vision, and wellness benefits
• Annual incentive Bonus Opportunity in addition to base salary
• 401(k)
• Paid time off (PTO)
• Job Type: Full Time
• Phone Expense Reimbursement
  
  

Vanguard Renewables is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to a work environment that supports, inspires, and respects all individuals and in which personnel processes are merit-based and applied without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, age, disability, national or ethnic origin, military service status, citizenship, or other protected characteristic.

Powered by JazzHR

11WB8kytsq