Microbiologist
JOB TITLE: Microbiologist
POSITION NUMBER: 1811-92274-LT-001
POSITION LOCATION: Atlanta, GA, USA
TRAVEL: As required to fulfill the responsibilities of the position
IHRC, Inc. provides scientific, information management, management consulting, bioinformatics, and administrative program support to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other Federal and private sector clients. The successful candidate will be a full-time employee of IHRC, Inc. and will be assigned to the Office of Advanced Molecular Detection (AMD) at the CDC, 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA, to provide scientific and technical support for the AMD initiative.
SCOPE OF WORK
The Microbiologist will provide technical assistance and expertise to the optimization of metagenomic methods and workflows, for a variety of pathogens and specimen types, including optimization and refinement of generalizable methods, and the application and validation of these techniques using both known and unknown clinical and environmental specimens.
MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Perform processing, fractionation and culture of BSL1 and BSL2 pathogens, under the guidance of CDC program staff and subject matter experts.
- Maintain responsibility for the management, accessioning and tracking of isolates and clinical specimens, according to CDC requirements, which may include accessioning and updating of sample, specimen and aliquot records in the CDC Enterprise (StarLIMS) laboratory information management system, BCFB Genome Sequencing Lab (Clarity) LIMS, or any third-party specimen management or freezer inventory tracking system, as required by AMD or program staff.
- Perform DNA, RNA and TNA genomic extractions, barcoding, library construction, and downstream presequencing procedures for short-read, long-read and synthetic long-read sequencing platforms. These laboratory workflows will be modulated to find optimal extraction, yield and ideal sequencing parameters for different pathogens, samples and testing scenarios.
- Consult with researchers on high throughput metagenomics experimental design and optimization, data management and analysis and recommend solutions for efficient data analysis and management of next generation metagenomic sequencing data.
- Develop, in cooperation with program activity members, standard operating procedure (SOP) documentation for analytical protocols, script development, and application configuration and development.
- Remain up-to-date on current research applications and methods in the fields of bioinformatics, genomics, metagenomics, virology, and bacteriology in order to provide support for rapid progress of laboratory technology and metagenomic data analyses.
- Work with team members to author and prepare data for peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences and meetings.
- Arrange post-award meeting to discuss project plans with the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) and other project representatives, and work with project stakeholders to determine an overall governance structure for task prioritization.
- Provide on-going evaluation of project work quality and timeliness of completion of tasks.
- Correspond with internal and external collaborators to determine emerging technology requirements, and make recommendations to project managers.
- Assist team in problem identification and recommend enhancements to data analysis and management.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education and experience:
- Bachelor’s degree, from an accredited academic institution, in scientific or technical discipline related to the responsibilities of the position.
- 2-4 years of experience in the development and optimization of genomic/metagenomic methods and applications.
Required:
- Understanding of microbiological techniques for the isolation and culture of a variety of pathogens.
- Molecular and genetic techniques for the extraction and analysis of DNA, RNA and other genomic materials.
- Development of standard operating procedure (SOP), as related to the responsibilities of the position.
Desirable:
- Familiarity with laboratory information management systems for the tracking and accessioning of laboratory samples.
- Familiarity with the development, implementation and optimization of metagenomic applications and data analysis/management of related data.
- Experience with next generation sequencing (NGS) and use of NGS data
- Experience interacting with stakeholders related to development of metagenomic protocols/procedures.
- Ability to work and build coalition with partners involved, and develop strategies for effectively conveying information to partners.
- Ability to work independently and yet maintain the flexibility to respond to requests for support of ongoing projects.
Language Skills:
- The candidate must possess excellent oral and written communication skills in English
REQUIREMENT:
- Must be United States citizen or permanent resident or have authorization for employment in the United States
SALARY: Commensurate with qualifications and experience
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IHRC, INC. IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER. It is the policy of IHRC, Inc. to provide equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, citizenship, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, genetic information, veteran or disability status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law, and to take affirmative action in accordance with applicable laws and Executive Orders.