Production Assistant
Federal Work-Study Eligible Students!
Organization/Position Overview:
The Milk Bank (TMB) is a living tissue bank similar to blood banking. TMB provides pasteurized donor human milk for premature and ill infants across the Midwest via Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) and outpatient programs. The Milk Bank strives to ensure that every child has access to safe human milk.
A Pasteurization Technician carefully handles donor milk when it first arrives at The Milk Bank, in the lab when being pasteurized, and when the donations are being packaged and shipped to hospitals across the Midwest. A Pasteurization Technician has great attention to detail and follows guidelines exactly. Students studying public health, nursing or other medical fields, or science-based fields (chemistry, biology, food science) are encouraged to apply.
(There is no virtual option of telecommuting for this position.)
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Milk Processing:
- Conduct milk intake including separating, logging and bagging incoming milk from donors.
- Ensures an adequate amount of clean glassware, bottles, laundry and other pasteurization supplies.
- Performs lab set up on the days of pasteurization including cleaning all surfaces and laying out supplies.
- Follows universal precautions when milk is exposed, including wearing cap, gown, mask, gloves, and scrubbing hands with surgical scrub brush.
- Pasteurizes the milk according to Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA) guidelines and The Milk Bank (TMB) procedures, making sure that the milk is heated to the desired temperature for the correct amount of time.
- Accurately completes pasteurization log including names of donors used, number of ounces pulled, date pulled, date pasteurized, number of bottles per batch, and amount of milk per bottle.
- Maintains and cleans lab equipment, notifies Pasteurization Supervisor when new equipment or repairs are needed.
- Prepares shipping boxes, packing slips/labels; packs appropriate milk for shipping and completes necessary paperwork.
Additional Duties:
- Effectively manages resources to maintain quality in a cost-effective manner.
- Assist clinical team with screening and filing and outreach team when appropriate.
- Provide office support when needed
Skills and Abilities to Learn:
- Students will learn how to effectively manage multiple tasks at one time while adhering to strict guidelines and constraints.
- Students will learn to build a supportive environment and gain collaboration skills through working with staff members to achieve daily goals.
- Students will learn strict attention to detail while effectively communicating with fellow employees.
Qualification, Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Requires willingness to learn and follow aseptic techniques, universal precautions, Holder pasteurization process, and guidelines for human milk banking.
- Requires strong customer service skills and knowledge of safety regulations.
- Require ability to utilize specialized equipment.
- Requires analytical skills to make quantitative and qualitative observations.
- Requires the ability to stand for long periods of time, engage in some manual lifting in a laboratory setting, and perform routine maintenance as necessary.
- Requires ability to work independently or as a member of a team.
- Requires attention to detail, deadline, accuracy, and organization.
IUPUI Profiles of Undergraduate Success Gained:
- Communicator- will learn to evaluate information, listens actively, builds relationships and conveys ideas effectively
- Problem Solver- will think critically, collaborate with peers; analyze, synthesize and evaluate, and perseveres.
Education and Experience:
There are no prerequisites for this position, however, students that have experience in lab work, nursing, or public health will benefit greatly.
This position is limited to candidates with a Federal Work-Study award. To verify you have a Federal Work-Study award, please go to your One.IU.edu Account -Student Center- Financials- Financial Aid Summary. If you have an award, it will be listed with the rest of your financial aid (loans, grants, scholarships, etc.). You may also email the Office of Student Financial Services at finaid@iupui.edu to inquire about eligibility.