Inorganics Section Lead

Job Description

Department: Environment and Climate Change

This Job Opening is limited to employees with the GNWT/WSCC in indeterminate and term positions.

Employees must apply through HRIS / Employee Self-Service. For instructions please see:

The mandate of the Department of Environment and Climate Change is to manage land, water, air, wildlife, and forests. This includes promoting, planning, and supporting the wise and sustainable use of natural resources, and protecting, restoring, and stewarding the environment for the social and economic benefit of all Northwest Territories residents.

Job Information

The Inorganic Section Lead must be knowledgeable about and understand the theories and science that support the operations of laboratory equipment to ensure the day-to-day operations of the unit and to research and develop procedures. The IS Lead trains and supervises Environmental Laboratory Technologists and students within the Inorganics Section. The Taiga Environmental Laboratory performs chemical, molecular and microbiological analysis on water and soil/sediment samples.

TEL is accredited by the Canadian Association for Laboratory Accreditation, the scope of accreditation includes individual parameters in sections: Inorganics, Organics, Trace Metals, and Molecular/Microbiology. In addition to services, special services are offered, including rush sample services, scientific training, quality assurance and quality check (QA and QC) plans, and public education. The TEL performs over 40,000 tests a year; analytical results provided by the TEL are used by its clients to ensure the safety of drinking water, track pathogen levels in wastewater, evaluate trends in contaminant levels in freshwater, and ensure regulatory compliance with the Public Health Act and Water Supply System Regulations.

The IS Lead must ensure laboratory equipment is maintained and calibrated to avoid shutdowns or repairs. Technical issues occur that cannot be resolved within SOPs. The Team Lead is responsible for resolving them through equipment repair or procedural changes or research into methodologies. The ability to troubleshoot issues is important. Water samples collected by GNWT Water Resource Inspectors are submitted to the TEL using legal chain-of-custody procedures. The IS Lead will be designated as an Analyst under the NWT Waters Act to certify and analyze these samples and may be required to testify in court.

Key Responsibilities:

• Receives, organizes, and conducts chemical analysis of water and wastewater using standard and CALA-accredited laboratory methods to ensure that TEL clients have the accurate results required to make decisions about public health, regulatory compliance, and environmental contamination levels.


• Monitors Quality Assurance and Quality Control procedures and practices in their section to ensure that staff and equipment are performing in accordance with acceptable standards and lab results are accurate and reliable.


• Supervises and manages human resources within the section to ensure effective staffing and staff development.


• Initiates the development of new and/or improved sampling or analytical methods/processes in their section to respond to client needs for lower detection limits, increasing demands for services, new technologies, or to alleviate limitations of working in a cold and remote location.


• Responsible for ensuring the continued maintenance of approximately $500K worth of complex laboratory equipment in order to minimize downtime and maintain productivity. This aids in extending the life expectancy of the instruments and avoids costly repairs or replacements.


• Provides support for other sections of the lab on an as-needed basis to ensure standard or rush turnaround times can be met during the peak summer season or whenever there are staff shortages.


• Maintains valid certifications for First Aid, Supervisor Safety, Workplace Hazardous Materials Information Systems, fire extinguisher use, and any other certifications specific to the Inorganics Section.


• Responds to requests and questions from clients to ensure lab results will be interpreted correctly and used appropriately in decision-making.

Key Qualifications:

• A diploma from a recognized environmental or chemical laboratory technology program or a degree in a relevant field of science such as chemistry, biology, or environmental science. Applicants must also have at least five (5) years of laboratory experience analyzing water and wastewater samples in addition to experience obtained during a degree or diploma program.

Experience must include at least:

• Two (2) years of supervisory experience, and


• Two (2) years experience analyzing samples for inorganic parameter


• A high school diploma with at least Seven (7) years of laboratory experience analyzing water and wastewater samples with two (2) years of supervisory experience and two (2) years of experience analyzing samples for inorganic parameters.

The GNWT offers a competitive salary, an annual northern living allowance, a generous defined benefit pension plan, and health/dental benefits in addition to relocation assistance. For more information about living and working in the Northwest Territories please visit our benefits page or NWT Tourism.

GNWT Inquiries

Inquiries Only:

• Department of Finance


• Government of the Northwest Territories


• YELLOWKNIFE CENTRE 5TH FLOOR


• BOX 1320 YELLOWKNIFE NT X1A 2L9


• Tel (867) 767-9154 Extension 14106


• Fax (867) 873-0445


• jobsyk@gov.nt.ca

Note: If you do not receive electronic notification confirming receipt of your application, please follow up via telephone.