| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Education and Teaching |
| Level | Mid level |
| Reports to | Head of Department (College) |
| Direct reports | Lab Attendant |
| Experience | 2 to 5 years as a lab technician or instructor in a college or industry lab |
Lab Instructor job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Lab Instructor
Department: Education and Teaching
Reports to: Head of Department (College)
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Lab Instructor runs practical sessions in a college laboratory: setting up experiments, demonstrating procedures, supervising students, checking records and keeping equipment and consumables in order. In engineering, science and pharmacy colleges, the role supports the faculty who teach the course and helps conduct practical exams. The instructor answers to the Head of Department. A good lab instructor keeps every scheduled practical running, instruments calibrated and students safe, and knows each machine's quirks better than anyone else in the department.
Key responsibilities
- Set up equipment, specimens and consumables before each practical, as per the lab manual and timetable.
- Demonstrate each experiment and the safe handling of instruments to every batch before students begin.
- Supervise students during practicals, correct their procedure and help with readings and calculations.
- Check and sign lab records and observation books each week, and report students who miss practicals.
- Maintain equipment, calibrate instruments on schedule and log breakdowns for repair or AMC service.
- Keep stock registers for equipment, chemicals and consumables, and raise indents before stock runs out.
- Enforce lab safety rules, keep first aid ready, check fire extinguishers and dispose of waste correctly.
- Help faculty conduct practical exams and viva, from setting up stations to recording marks.
- Update lab manuals with faculty, and assemble new experiment setups when the syllabus changes.
- Support student projects and research that need the lab outside timetabled hours, with the HoD's approval.
Requirements
- Diploma in engineering, or a BSc or B.Pharm in the relevant subject
- A B.Tech or MSc is preferred by some colleges
- Training in lab safety and first aid
- 2 to 5 years as a lab technician or instructor in a college or industry lab
KRAs and KPIs for a Lab Instructor
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Practical delivery | Every timetabled practical held, with setups ready before the batch arrives |
| Equipment uptime | Critical equipment working for 95 percent of scheduled lab hours |
| Calibration | All instruments calibrated to schedule, with certificates on file |
| Stock control | No practical cancelled because consumables ran out |
| Lab safety | Zero reportable accidents, with monthly safety checks logged |
| Student records | Lab records checked and signed every week for every batch |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: CRO, multimeters and function generators, Spectrophotometer or pH meter, Lathe and drilling machines, Stock register software, MS Excel, Fire extinguishers and first aid kit.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Senior Lab Instructor, Workshop Superintendent, Assistant Professor
Interview questions for a Lab Instructor
- A CRO shows no trace five minutes before a practical. What do you check?
- How do you run a practical for 30 students when there are only 10 setups?
- What safety rules do you brief students on before they start an experiment?
- How do you track consumables so you never run out mid-semester?
- A student breaks an expensive instrument. What procedure do you follow?
- How would you set up a new experiment that the faculty has added to the syllabus?
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What does a lab instructor do in a college?
A lab instructor prepares and runs practical sessions. They set up experiments, demonstrate procedures, supervise students, check lab records, maintain and calibrate equipment, manage consumable stock and enforce safety rules. They also help faculty conduct practical exams and support student projects that use the lab.
What is the qualification for a lab instructor?
Colleges usually ask for a diploma in engineering or a bachelor's degree such as BSc or B.Pharm in the relevant subject, and some prefer a B.Tech or MSc. Hands-on experience with the instruments used in the department and training in lab safety count as much as the degree.
What is the difference between a lab instructor and a lab assistant?
A lab instructor has more technical responsibility: demonstrating experiments, guiding students and helping run practical exams. A lab assistant or attendant mainly prepares materials, cleans and arranges equipment and keeps the lab tidy. In many colleges the lab assistant reports to the lab instructor.