Research Associate III

Description

The Research Associate III (RA III) works to meet deadlines in a dynamic environment and has the temperament to operate proactively and collaboratively in a team in support of research and development activities. Tasks will focus on molecular and microbiological experiments and procedures (e.g., nucleic acid extraction, serial dilution, PCR, bacterial and fungal culture, etc.) with associated collection, analysis, verification and recording of data in accordance with established protocols and work instruction documents, regulations, safety requirements, and the quality system. Work is primarily collaborative and requires the ability to communicate and coordinate with peers and supervisor(s) effectively and respectfully.

The position requires mastery of laboratory technical skills, strong organizational skills, attention to detail, critical thinking, troubleshooting and problem-solving, data analysis, sequence analysis, and a dedication to the mission and goals of the department and bioMérieux. A Research Associate III is expected to self-direct in work and assignments with minimal supervision.

Job Duties Include:

1. Places orders for project-specific laboratory supplies.

2. Act as a good lab citizen and team member. Coordinate and collaborate within and across teams and functional groups for routine lab activities, cleaning, equipment use, specific assigned tasks and projects, and sharing of knowledge, skills, and ideas.

3. Work in a Biosafety level 2/2+ environment with potentially pathogenic microbes, patient samples, and body fluids using sterile technique for contamination and infection control.

4. Ensure data integrity and accurate record-keeping by collecting, recording (in an electronic laboratory notebook and/or study worksheets), analyzing and verifying data in compliance with company standard operating procedures, work instruction documents, and study protocols.

5. Use and maintain laboratory equipment, supplies/inventory, and workspaces according to operational, quality, and safety requirements as outlined in protocols, standard operating procedures, and work instruction documents.

6. Perform routine and complex calculations and lab techniques including solution formulation, microbial culture and enumeration, nucleic acid extraction and quantification, digital PCR and/or sequencing, primer/sequence evaluation using bioinformatic tools, as well as basic statistical analyses.

7. Uses engineering concepts, company SOPs/WIDs, to solve a variety of defined engineering problems.

8. Design and execute study protocols for complex experiments and investigations.

9. Conduct complex data analyses with minimum supervision and deduce next steps.

10. Communicate data and analyses in written reports and oral presentations to peers, supervisors, and broader scientific community at conferences, commensurate with job level.

11. Lead the writing of study reports.

12. Train other team members on laboratory and department practices and procedures, commensurate with experience.

13. Develops strategies to troubleshoot unexpected experimental results and/or product performance and proposes solutions.

14. Perform all work in compliance with bioMérieux corporate policies and within the guidelines of the Quality Management System.

Additional information:

• Performs work under minimal supervision.
• Handles complex issues and involves higher-level staff as needed.
• May provide technical mentoring to more junior staff.
• Works full time onsite.

Education & Experience Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in a bioscience discipline.
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering related field is strongly desired.
• A minimum of one year of experience in an academic, industry, or healthcare laboratory, with at least two years’ experience in industry.
• Expertise in real-time PCR and/or sequence analysis and/or microbiology techniques.
• Experience in process improvement.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

• Has comprehensive knowledge of current and evolving microbiology and molecular biology principles, tools, and techniques relevant to developing diagnostic tests for infectious diseases.
• Detail-oriented in executing work and in record keeping.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Mastery of laboratory practices including pipetting, handling biological and chemical materials, sterile technique and contamination control, and complex concentration and statistical calculations.
• Mastery of Microsoft Office (Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
• Comfortable working in a dynamic environment where priorities sometimes change on short notice.
• Comfortable working with human specimens and fluids (blood, stool, sputum, etc.).
• Comfortable working with biosafety level 2/2+ pathogens.
• Demonstrated critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to follow rules and regulations.

Physical Requirements:

• Must be able to lift and safely maneuver 40 lbs.
• Manual and visual dexterity to handle small tubes and manipulate very small volumes; reasonable accommodations are applicable.
• Must be able to wear personal protective equipment, including a lab coat, disposable gloves, face mask, and safety glasses, as needed.
• Comfortable working with cleaning products such as bleach.

Please be aware that recruitment related scams are on the rise. Fraudulent job postings are being placed on other websites, and individuals posing as bioMérieux Talent Acquisition team members are reaching out via email or text message in an attempt to collect your personal and confidential information. In some cases, these scammers are also conducting bogus interviews prior to extending fraudulent offers of employment. Beware of individuals reaching out using general phone numbers and non-bioMerieux email domains (i.e. Hotmail.com, Gmail.com, Yahoo.com, etc.). If you are concerned that an interview experience or offer of employment might be a scam, please make sure you are searching for the posting on our careers site https://careers.biomerieux.com/ or contact us at recruitment@biomerieux.com.

BioMérieux Inc. and its affiliates are Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information. Please be advised that the receipt of satisfactory responses to reference requests and the provision of satisfactory proof of an applicant’s identity and legal authorization to work in the United States are required of all new hires. Any misrepresentation, falsification, or material omission may result in the failure to receive an offer, the retraction of an offer, or if already hired, dismissal. If you are a qualified individual with a disability, you may request a reasonable accommodation in BioMérieux’s or its affiliates’ application process by contacting us via telephone at (385) 770-1132, by email at recruitment@biomerieux.com, or by dialing 711 for access to Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS).