PPosition: Water Testing Chemist

Location: Durham, NC (On-site) 

Pay: $35/hour

Type: Full-time; Contract  

Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm

The Water Testing Chemist is responsible for developing, optimizing, validating, and implementing EPA drinking water and UCMR analytical methods in an accredited laboratory. This role ensures methods and data packages meet regulatory requirements and internal quality standards through robust QC, documentation, and defensible data review (e.g., chromatograms, mass spectra, confirmation criteria, and audit trails). The Chemist III leads method transfer to routine operations, troubleshoots GC-MS and LC-MS/MS issues, supports proficiency testing (PT) and audit readiness, and partners with QA, project managers, and lab leadership to deliver accurate, compliant results.

Primary Responsibilities:

1. Develop, optimize and implement analytical methods for organic contaminants in drinking water testing using EPA Standard Methods.
2. Apply data integrity and defensibility principles, including independent data review, chromatogram and mass spectral review, ion ratio/confirmation criteria, audit trails for data changes.
3. Design and execute method validation studies in accordance with EPA standard methods (e.g., MDL’s, precision, accuracy, linearity, range, and robustness).
4. Determine method detection limits (MDLs), reporting limits, and quality control acceptance criteria.
5. Prepare and maintain comprehensive reports and support documentation for certification and audit purposes.
6. Evaluate method performance and implement improvements to enhance sensitivity, accuracy, and efficiency.
7. Provide training and technical support to routine laboratory staff on the validated methods .
8. Develop and update standard operating procedures (SOPs) and quality documentation.
9. Troubleshoot complex analytical and instrumentation issues across GC-MS and LC-MS-MS.
10. Ensure all methods comply with EPA requirements for drinking water analysis.
11. Support internal and external audits, including responses to findings and corrective actions.
12. Collaborate with QA staff, project managers, and laboratory leadership on method implementation and compliance strategy.

Qualifications:

1. Education: Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, analytical chemistry, or related field (required).

Work Experience:

1. 3-5+ years of experience in an environmental laboratory
2. Demonstrated experience in method development, validation and routine analysis.
3. Experience operating under a Quality Management System (QMS).

Technical Expertise (Required):

1. GC-MS e.g. VOCs, SVOCs, disinfection byproducts: Triazine pesticides and their degradation products, phenols
2. LC/MS/MS e.g., pharmaceuticals and personal care products, pesticides and fungicides, urea pesticides, carbamate pesticides, cyanotoxins, pesticides and their degradation products, Disinfection By-Products (DBPs).
3. Demonstrated experience implementing EPA drinking water analytical methods (not just running them), including method setup, optimization, validation/verification, QC development, and documentation.
4. Hands on experience with EPA drinking water methods, including a significant subset (≥30%) of following methods:
5. LC MS/MS – Drinking Water
6. EPA Method 542 E
7. EPA Method 562
8. EPA Method 559
9. EPA Method 531
10. EPA Method 538
11. EPA Method 540
12. EPA Method 535
13. EPA Method 549
14. EPA Method 521
15. EPA Method 525
16. EPA Method 1694
17. GC MS – Drinking Water
18. EPA Method 523
19. EPA Method 515
20. EPA Method 527
21. EPA Method 528
22. EPA Method 525
23. EPA Method 524

Technical Expertise on other lab techniques (nice-to-have):

1. Experience with sample prep techniques, EG, SPE, LLE (liquid - liquid extraction).
2. HPLC/UV detector, UPLC-PDA
3. HPLC/UV detector, UPLC-PDA – Drinking Water
4. EPA Method 555
5. EPA Method 532
6. EPA Method 550

Skills & Abilities:

1. Communicate effectively with the team regarding method readiness, risks, timelines, and regulatory expectations.
2. Organize samples for storage and retrieval in secured locations.
3. Maintain a strong safety culture and comply with laboratory environmental health and safety requirements.
4. Comply with company goals to maintain a high standard of professionalism and respect.
5. Ability to multi-task and work with minimal supervision while collaborating cross functionally.
6. Excellent documentation skills.
7. Strong attention to detail and data integrity.
8. Proficiency with MS Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.

Physical/Mental Demands:

Physical and mental demands of this role include those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job, as outlined above. The most important are as follows:

1. Remaining in a stationary position for long periods of time.
2. Operating a computer and laboratory instrumentation.
3. Thinking, learning, and concentrating effectively and frequently communicating with other people, both within the company and outside of the company.
4. Frequently moving about inside and travel between offices and laboratories
5. Frequently conducting equipment inspections.
6. Ability to handle the stress associated in meeting frequent, multiple and tight deadlines.
7. Consistent demonstration of mental stability; and the ability to have regular, reliable and predictable attendance.

Greene Resources is part of Array Corporation, the leading technology-enabled workforce solutions company whose mission is to fix how work is bought, sold and delivered to enable access to the American Dream. 

We are proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status. 

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