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Inhalation Research Chemist/Toxicologist
UCI Series Concepts
Class Specifications - I.25
Principal Inhalation Research Chemist/Toxicologist - 9541
Senior Inhalation Research Chemist/Toxicologist - 9542
Associate Inhalation Research Chemist/Toxicologist - 9543
Assistant Inhalation Research Chemist/Toxicologist - 9544
September, 1973
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SERIES CONCEPT
The Inhalation Research Chemist/Toxicologist performs and/or supervises
the performance of inhalation toxicology programs for laboratory and
experimental facilities; supervises and/or coordinates the conduct of
individual laboratory tests and long-range studies in inhalation
toxicology; tests candidate chemicals, mixtures of chemicals or their
pyrolysis products; coordinates with engineering personnel to design,
construct, test, and evaluate analytical instrumentation, equipment, and
instrumentation systems, and inhalation exposure chambers and their
related air supply and contaminant removal systems; creates and/or
performs tests on and evaluates results of innovative research methods
in the areas of analytical chemistry and toxicology; and performs other
related duties as required.
Positions in this series are characterized by the application of
theoretical, statistical, and analytical approaches in determining the
feasibility of innovative methods of experimentation with consideration
of such factors as system precision, reliability, configuration, and
cost, and in determining the toxicity of industrial chemicals and
polluted environments with emphasis on the study of such factors as the
levels of intoxication of biological systems, skin irritation, induced
allergic manifestations, and behavioral changes. In view of the
technical nature of the work, it is advisable to consult with persons
knowledgeable in the inhalation chemist/toxicology field when
considering positions for allocation to the classes in this series.
Incumbents typically are assigned responsibility for the coordination of
the analytical chemical or the toxicological aspects of toxicology
research projects involving the creation, selection, or development of
the overall experimental and/or analytical methods to be used.
Incumbents assemble and test instrumentation for monitoring of toxic
environments to determine the concentration of gases, vapors, or
aerosols; procure and test related experimental equipment, including the
logistics of animal and contaminant supplies; provide professional
analytical chemical (or toxicological) information and advice to
principal investigators, scientific management team members, faculty and
research personnel, laboratory and technical personnel, vendors and
extramural funding agencies as well as personnel charged with
administrative responsibility for research; create, select, develop and
determine the specific experimental methods including the selection of
animal species and biomedical test methods for the determination of
toxic responses to environmental contaminants, or the coordination with
engineering personnel in the design of electronic and/or optical
instruments for chemical analysis; and record and reduce test data for
method development and evaluation purposes and for preparation of
reports with respect to experimental protocols, accuracy end performance
of analytical instrumentation and experimental results.
The Inhalation research Chemist/Toxicologist series includes
professionals with expertise in the areas of chemistry and toxicology
and therefore includes recognition of these sub-specialties by use of
chemist or toxicologist in the job title.
The chemist sub-specialty includes analytical, theoretical, biological;
environmental, and industrial chemical specialties. The fields of
application include the physical sciences, biological sciences and
medicine, and newly-emerging interdisciplinary teaching and research
efforts. Other branches of chemistry and fields of application may be
included, when equivalent technical knowledge and skills are required or
are recognized as distinct occupations.
The toxicology sub-specialty includes applied biology, physiology,
pharmacology, biochemistry, industrial hygiene, and medical specialties.
The fields of application include the entire gamut of physical,
biological, and medical sciences and newly-emerging interdisciplinary
teaching and research efforts. Other branches of toxicology and fields
of application may be included when equivalent technical knowledge and
skills are required or are recognized as distinct occupations.
CLASS CONCEPTS
Principal Inhalation Research Chemist/Toxicologist
Incumbents are responsible to a principal investigator or research
facility administrator for planning, organizing, and supervising the
work of professional chemistry, toxicology and support staffs engaged in
inhalation toxicology research programs. They coordinate and direct the
creation of innovative experimental methods and the development and
testing of inhalation toxicology laboratory facilities, analytical
equipment and instrument systems; represent the officer or researcher to
whom they are responsible at meetings and conferences involving
campus, University, and extramural funding agency levels of authority in
matters related to toxicology program planning considerations,
analytical chemistry considerations, and financial requirements
dependent on these considerations; and carry major responsibility for
accomplishment of a variety of research objectives in relationships with
investigators, vendors, contractors, and University staff members, as a
principal assistant to the faculty investigator or research
administrator in charge.
Examples of assignments allocated to this level of difficulty and
responsibility are:
As supervisor of the professional toxicology and/or chemistry and
related technical support staffs of an inhalation toxicology research
laboratory facility, incumbent provides biomedical and toxicological
analyses services to teaching and research units in the health sciences,
with responsibility for all toxicology and/or chemistry specialties
engaged, activities of technical and engineering personnel, and
successful fiscal management of the enterprise.
As supervisor of the professional toxicology and/or chemistry and
technical support staff of an environmental toxicology research
laboratory facility, incumbent provides toxicology and/or chemistry
services for biological experiments involving major investments in
inhalation chambers and bio-instrumentation systems, with
responsibility for all toxicology and/or chemistry specialties engaged,
activities of technical personnel, monitoring of contracted services,
coordination of scheduling commitments with experimental objectives and
technical design criteria, and successful fiscal management.
As a Principal Inhalation Research Chemist/Toxicologist, incumbent
writes or supervises the writing of experimental operational procedures;
examines and evaluates reports written by toxicologists and chemists
and organizes information obtained during the course of an experiment,
insuring proper preparation for inclusion in research notebooks,
reports, or other publications; interprets data and prepares or
supervises preparation of reports and scientific publications;
prepares and delivers technical papers at annual conferences and other
professional meetings; and analyzes experimental results for validity.
Principal level assignments typically carry toxicology and/or chemistry
management responsibility coordinating all scientific specialties
engaged, which necessitates the effective integration of all sub-systems
and toxicology fields, (such as mechanistic, inhalation and behavioral),
chemistry fields, (such as environmental, analytical, and biological);
and engineering fields (design, construction and analysis). The
professional staff supervised typically includes three or more
Inhalation Research Chemists/Toxicologists, including one or more at the
Associate level.
The Principal level is distinguished from the Senior
level by the following:
(1) Overall management responsibility for fiscal, scheduling,
and operational aspects of a variety of major experimental efforts;
(2) Overall supervision of professional, technical, and laboratory
personnel within the sub-specialty of chemistry or toxicology;
(3) A broad but highly developed and well-recognized expertise in each
of several highly specialized areas of inhalation toxicology research
and research management;
(4) Overall independent creative responsibility for the development of
experimental procedural outlines for major research programs, and for
preparation of reports and publications relating to results of those
programs.
Senior Inhalation Research Chemist/Toxicologist
Under direction, incumbents assist a campus or research facility
administrator, principal investigator, or Principal Inhalation Research
Chemist/Toxicologist in planning, organizing, supervising, and/or
performing the work of a professional toxicology or chemistry staff
engaged in a specialized phase of an inhalation toxicology research
program; represent the officer to whom they are responsible at meetings
and conferences involving campus, University, and extramural funding
agency levels of authority in matters related to program planning
considerations and financial requirements dependent on toxicity problems
under consideration; and carry major responsibility for accomplishment of
individual research objectives in relationships with investigators,
vendors, contractors and University staff members, as a senior assistant
to the Principal Inhalation Research Chemist/Toxicologist or faculty
investigator in charge.
Examples of assignments allocated to this level of difficulty and
responsibility are:
Supervisor of one of the toxicology specialty functions (behavioral,
systemic, mechanistic, or industrial) of the toxicology staff of a major
research program, or of one of the chemistry specialty functions
(analytical, environmental, or biological) of the chemistry staff of a
major research program, in which two or more toxicology (or chemistry)
specialties are required and recognized.
Supervisor of the professional toxicology (or chemistry) staff and their
respective related technical and laboratory support staffs, of an
inhalation toxicology research facility, providing toxicology and/or
chemistry services to faculty members and investigators, with
responsibility for the toxicology and/or chemistry specialty engaged,
activities of technical and laboratory personnel, and successful
technical achievements within time and financial constraints.
Senior level assignments typically carry responsibility for the
supervision for the supervision of Associate, Assistant, and/or Junior
inhalation Research Chemists/Toxicologists as well as technical and
laboratory personnel involved in the conduct of animal exposures to
environmental contaminants, in the assembly and testing of analytical,
contaminant generation and monitoring equipment and instruments.
As a Senior Inhalation Research Toxicologist, incumbent creates
experimental procedure outlines for specialized experiments; supervises
the conduct of acute and chronic toxicological experiments by the
inhalation, oral, percutaneous or injection routes and observes and
measures toxicological effects through use of classical or newly
developed sophisticated physiological, pharmacological, biochemical, or
behavioral techniques; directs and evaluates the work of professionals
and technicians observing and caring for experimental animals and their
environs; and prepares technical reports describing experimental
planning, conduct and results for adaptation for publication or
presentation at professional meetings.
As a Senior Inhalation Research Chemist, incumbent creates experimental
procedure outlines for specialized experiments; supervises a group of
research chemists in the development of new analytical methodology for
monitoring trace quantities of chemicals in air or water and evaluates
the work of those supervised; conducts highest level independent
research projects on chemical characterization of new compounds, methods
of analyses and generation techniques for aerosolization or dispersion
of these materials; and prepares research reports, lectures and journal
publications of the results of the independent research projects,
Non-supervisory assignments at the senior level are reserved for
specialists who are widely recognized and consulted by University staff
members and other professionals in the field for their expert knowledge
of a toxicology or chemistry specialty field and/or field of application.
The criterion for allocation a non-supervisory assignment to the senior
level may be met by one of the following:
1. Application of technical knowledge and skills in a toxicology or
chemistry specialty field to a variety of research efforts, involving
the integration of substantial scientific subject matter knowledge and
toxicology or chemistry expertise.
2. Application of technical knowledge and skills in more than one
toxicology or chemistry specialty field to a highly specialized field
of application, involving the integration of substantial scientific
subject matter, knowledge and toxicology or chemistry expertise.
The Senior level is distinguished from the Associate level by the
following:
(1) Directed management responsibility for fiscal and operational
aspects of experimental efforts in a specific ares of research,
including the coordination of scheduling related experiments within the
framework of the specialty under study;
(2) Direct supervision of Associate, Assistant, and junior levels and
indirect supervisory responsibility for technical or laboratory support
staffs;
(3) A highly-developed and well-recognized expertise in one or more
highly-specialized areas of chemistry or toxicology;
(4) Creative responsibility for the development of experimental
procedural outlines and experimental equipment for specific research
efforts within the specialized field, for analysis of the procedures and
equipment, and for the preparation of reports and publications relating
to results of the experiments.
Associate Inhalation Research Chemist/Toxicologist
Under direction, incumbents perform all or many of the duties indicated
for the series under the Series Concept. This is the full professional
level at which incumbents are expected to operate rather independently
in a specialized toxicology or chemistry phase of a major inhalation
toxicology research facility. Supervision over such positions is usually
exercised by a Senior or Principal Inhalation Research
Chemist/Toxicologist or a faculty investigator.
Associate level assignments typically carry responsibility for
supervision and/or coordination of technical and laboratory personnel
involved in planning and implementation of toxicology investigations in
chemical analysis, contaminant generation and monitoring of toxicology
chamber environments, assembly and test of experimental equipment, and
evaluation of experimental results. These assignments typically do not
carry responsibility for supervision of other professional toxicologists
or chemists, although this kind of responsibility is not precluded in a
training and development assignment leading to a Senior level position.
Associate level assignments typically require concentration in a
scientific field of application where scientific subject matter
knowledge is relevant to establishing toxicity experimental criteria or
chemistry methods development. This kind of knowledge of the field of
application is usually attained through several years of experience as
a Junior and/or Assistant Inhalation Research Chemist/Toxicologist in
the specific field of application.
Other kinds of professional toxicology or chemistry endeavors may be
recognized at the Associate level, when they involve comparable
technical skills and knowledge in such applications as environmental or
behavioral analysis, biological mechanisms research; analytical methods
development, design of contaminant generation systems, and analytical
instrumentation for gases, vapors and aerosols.
Examples of assignments allocated to this level of difficulty and
responsibility are:
Develops experimental procedural outlines for individual oral, dermal or
inhalation toxicity investigations required in support of a major
research effort involving substantial investments of staff time and
facilities, with responsibility for liaison and coordination through
logistics of animal and contaminant procurement, systems check-out,
exposure, animal testing, and evaluation of experimental results.
Develops an instrumentation system required in support of a major
research effort, involving substantial investments in staff time and
equipment, with responsibility for chemistry liaison and coordination
through construction, assembly, and testing; and supervises a technical
support staff of an inhalation toxicology research laboratory
facility, providing chemistry services to faculty members and
investigators, with responsibility for the chemistry specialty engaged,
activities of technical and laboratory personnel, and successful
technical achievements within time and financial constraints.
Develops or modifies analytical methods for atmospheric or biological
monitoring of trace concentrations of chemicals used in toxicological
research and methods for monitoring biological effects of these
chemicals; develops techniques for separation and identification of
complex chemical mixtures; develops or modifies techniques for
atmospheric generation of gases, aerosols or vapors of chemicals for
animal exposures; and selects and calibrates analytical instrumentation
suitable for continuous or batch monitoring air-borne trace-level
chemical contaminants.
Analyzes experimental data to define accuracy and precision of new
methods; surveys literature for information of new methods or chemicals;
reports sampling data for further analysis; and arranges for the
selection and procurement of laboratory animals, specifying age, sex,
weight, and other factors as appropriate.
The Associate level is distinguished from the Assistant level by the
following:
(l) Responsibility for compiling information on fiscal and operational
aspects of experimental efforts in a specific area of research;
(2) Direct supervisory responsibility for technical and laboratory
support staffs assigned to specific experiments and for the execution
of those experiments;
(3) A strong level of expertise in a high-specialized area of chemistry
or toxicology with a strong general background in related specialized
areas;
(4) Creative responsibility for the development of specific experimental
procedures or equipment to be used within or in conjunction with a
larger experimental effort, for analysis of the procedures or equipment,
and for the compilation of data and information to be used in the
preparation of reports and publications relating to the experiment.
Assistant inhalation Research Chemist/Toxicologist
Under general supervision, incumbents create and prepare toxicity study
protocols and conduct oral, dermal, and inhalation toxicity studies,
supervising laboratory personnel involved in this activity; participate
in the collection for statistical analysis of experimental data or in
the solution of physical problems of inhalation toxicity chamber
exposures; prepare chemistry methodology plans and specifications for
novel laboratory equipment and instruments; coordinate assembly of
laboratory and field testing of equipment and instruments; and
participate in the analysis of experimental data or in the mathematical
solution of physical and chemical problems.
Assignments at this level are expected to be of moderate difficulty and
responsibility with work subject to checking and review by a Principal
or Senior inhalation Research Chemist/Toxicologist or principal
investigator with comparable qualifications.
Incumbents typically are expected to progress to the class of Associate
inhalation Research Chemist/Toxicologist.
The Assistant level is distinguished from the Junior level by the
following:
(1) Responsibility as assigned for investigating certain aspects of
specific research programs;
(2) Responsibility for assisting in training of Junior professional,
technical and laboratory personnel as assigned;
(3) A strong general background in chemistry or toxicology with previous
research experience in a specialized area;
(4) Responsibility for the execution as assigned of specific experimental
procedures, testing of equipment, and developing proposals for new
experimental procedures to be considered and for supervising the
recording of date to be compiled for reports.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Principal Inhalation Research Toxicologist
Graduation from college with major work in a toxicology specialty and
six years of toxicology experience in the planning, development, and
conduct of inhalation toxicology research including three years of
progressively difficult supervisory responsibility; or an equivalent
combination of additional education and experience.
Principal Inhalation Research Chemist
Graduation from college with major work in chemistry and six years of
chemistry experience in the planning and development of analytical
methods, including three years of specialized development work; or an
equivalent combination of additional education and experience.
Senior Inhalation Research Toxicologist
Graduation from college with major work in a toxicology specialty and
five years of toxicology experience in the planning, development, and
conduct of inhalation toxicology research programs, including two years
of progressively difficult supervisory responsibility; or an equivalent
combination of additional education and experience.
Senior Inhalation Research Chemist
Graduation from college with major work in chemistry and five years of
experience in the planning, development, and implementation of
analytical methods development, including two years in specialized
work at the Associate level; or an equivalent combination of additional
education and experience.
Associate inhalation Research Toxicologist
Graduation from college with major work in a toxicology specialty and
three years of toxicology experience, including one year of inhalation
toxicology research work; or an equivalent combination of additional
education and experience.
Associate Inhalation Research Chemist
Graduation from college with major work in chemistry and three years of
experience, including one year of responsible work at the Assistant
level; or an equivalent combination of additional education and
experience.
Assistant Inhalation Research Toxicologist
Graduation from college with major work in a toxicology specialty and
two years of experience; or an equivalent combination of education and
experience.
Assistant Inhalation Research Chemist
Graduation from college with major work in chemistry and two years of
experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
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