Research Support Specialist

Job Summary

The Research Support Specialist (RSS) position will provide support to research programs focused on Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) for Department of Defense (DoD) and U.S. Government (USG) sponsors, in both field and laboratory settings. Responsibilities include working with a multidisciplinary team to develop and test novel materials, methods, and systems for chemical and biological defense applications.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research following test plans and protocols for CBRN research efforts.
• Carry out quality control and assurance protocols for CBRN research efforts.
• Afford support in the development of CBRN research, development, and testing capabilities at both NSRI and partner facilities.
• Manage day-to-day tasks for maintaining laboratory operations.
• Maintain proper laboratory documentation.
• Participate as a member of a team to accomplish all stated and implied project related tasks.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology, Biotechnology, Biomedical Engineering, Microbiology, Biochemistry, or a related field.
• Experience in microbiology specifically with spore forming bacteria.
• Self-motivated and able to manage themselves and coordinate task scheduling in accordance with work priorities.
• Knowledge of laboratory operations, including environmental health and safety procedures.
• Strong interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills.
• At least one year of experience in following molecular protocols and conducting experiments in a laboratory environment.
• At least one year of experience working as a part of a team in a biological and/or chemical laboratory environment.
• U.S. citizenship and the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance.

Desired Qualifications

• Two or more years of experience in molecular techniques in PCR and Next Gen Sequencing (Illumina based platforms).
• Two or more years of experience in following protocols and conducting experiments in a laboratory environment.
• Two or more years of experience working as a part of a team in a biological and chemical laboratory environment.
• Experience in Bioinformatic analysis of next-generation sequencing data sets with commercial software (i.e. Qiagen CLC Genomics Workbench).
• Microbial culture techniques, Aseptic technique, Gram staining and microscopy, Bacterial, fungal, and viral identification methods, sterilization and contamination control procedures.
• Experience in conducting experiments in a Biosafety level (BSL)-2 and BSL-3 microbiology and cell culture laboratories.
• Master of Science in Biology, Biotechnology, Biomedical Engineering, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, or a related field.
• Current DoD security clearance.