Biological Science Laboratory Technician
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
FreshPosted Mar 12
✓ Fresh Listing
Posted: March 10, 2026 (3 days ago)
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Laboratory Worker Leader
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Department of Agriculture
Location
Manhattan, Kansas
Salary
$22.74 - $26.53
per hour
Type
Full-Time
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Job Description
Summary
This role involves leading a team in supporting high-security labs at a USDA facility focused on animal and plant health, handling tasks like cleaning, decontaminating equipment, maintaining supplies, and ensuring biosafety protocols are followed.
It requires overseeing routine maintenance and waste management in sensitive environments to prevent contamination.
A good fit would be someone with hands-on experience in lab support or janitorial work in secure settings, who is detail-oriented, physically capable, and comfortable with strict safety rules.
Key Requirements
- Training and experience in handling, using, and disposing of disinfectants and hazardous chemicals per regulations
- Knowledge of biosafety protocols for BSL-2, BSL-3E/Ag, and BSL-4 laboratory environments
- Ability to lead and oversee laboratory support tasks, including routine maintenance and housekeeping checks
- Experience with cleaning, decontaminating, and deodorizing waste containers, carts, and lab spaces
- Familiarity with high-security safety regulations for material decontamination and removal
- Physical capability for manual labor, such as stacking furniture, collecting waste, and making rounds with carts
- Skills in maintaining supplies in restrooms, locker rooms, and labs (e.g., toilet paper, soap)
Full Job Description
You will serve as a Laboratory Worker Leader at USDA's National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) based in Manhattan, Kansas and will perform/lead duties and tasks related to containment and glassware support, as well as providing Laboratory Support Services.
To qualify, you must show you have had training and experience of sufficient scope and quality to provide you with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position.
Your answers to the vacancy specific questions must be supported by the work experience in your resume.
For example, if you respond in the affirmative when questioned whether you have experience using and disposing of disinfectants and/or other hazardous chemicals according to established procedures and applicable regulation your resume must include this experience, mindful that experience may not be inferred by job title.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social).
Volunteer work helps build critical competencies and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment.
You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Major Duties:
- The duties may include, but are not limited to:
- Oversee laboratory support for NBAF’s Biosafety Level (BSL)-2, BSL-3E and Ag, BSL-4, and Biotechnology Development Module (BDM)
- Track all routine laboratory maintenance
- Stacks lunchroom chairs, tables, and collects waste receptables as part of cleaning/decontamination processes
- Monitor BSL-2, BSL-3E and Ag, BSL-4, BDM, and containment lunchroom cleaning and decontamination tasks by performing routine checks of housekeeping tasks, manual labor, and other activities
- Cleans, decontaminates, and deodorizes waste containers and carts
- Follows high security safety regulations to decontaminate and remove materials from the laboratory
- Maintains all restroom supplies such as toilet paper, paper towels, soap, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, etc. in the restrooms, locker rooms, and laboratory spaces
- Makes rounds within the BDM, BSL-2, BSL-3E and 3Ag and BSL-4 laboratories with hand operated carts to pick-up decontaminated non-disposable and disposable glassware items from individual laboratory
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