Research Specialist

Responsibilities:

• Provide high quality laboratory support to the Cell Services team.
• Grow, maintain, and cryopreserve contamination-free mammalian cells (suspension & adherent).
• Preparation of cell pellets for histological processing.
• Provide daily, vials of tested, frozen cell lines to scientists.
• Isolate and cryopreserve primary PBMCs and further cell subsets from both whole blood and leukopaks.
• Isolate a variety of cell types from fresh blood daily in a timely manner.
• Isolate serum from whole blood.
• Maintain sterile technique while culturing isolated primary cells.
• Perform established flow cytometry QC protocols on a routine basis and analyze results.
• Generate and analyze data with the highest Data Integrity standards to include identifying and reporting unusual results/outcomes.
• Operate and maintain laboratory instrumentation including Mycoplasma onsite testing & clean-up as warranted.
• Continue technological improvements to increase productivity and cost-efficiency.
• Develop organization skills, presentation skills and attention to detail.
• Interact with senior staff members as necessary.
• Ensure compliance with all R&D data integrity practices, ethics codes, standards and training, and safety training and practice
• May be requested to provide on-call service (primary and secondary) for specific research units in the lab areas. Hours are between 5:00pm-7:30am Monday thru Sunday. Tasks include but are not limited to transfer of contents from failing fridges and incubators to designated back up units, photograph original items, properly document failure, provide a work order of failing unit to facilities team and inform respective end-users about the transfer via email based on the SOP instructions

Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities of this job at any time

Basic Qualification:

• Bachelors Degree in science or chemistry
• Minimum 6 months of technical expertise in cell culture, general lab instrumentation, cell-based assays required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous experience in biotech and/or pharmaceutical drug discovery.
• Prior experience isolating primary cells preferred (Stemcell Technologies/Miltenyi)

Working Environment:

• Must be able to work in a laboratory, controlled environments requiring personal protective equipment (e.g., lab coat, safety glasses, etc.) in laboratory.
• Job pace may be fast and job completion demands may be high.
• Must be able to remain in a stationary position more than 25% of the time
• The person needs to occasionally move between labs, corridors, adjoining rooms, and buildings onsite. Frequently operate on instruments, objects, tools, or controls, which will require regularly bending, squatting, stretching, and reaching in order to perform in a service function.
• Occasionally move or lift up to 25 pounds (potential for occasional lifting of up to 50 pounds).
• Specific vision abilities required by this position include without limitation, the ability to observe details at close range distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus to perform the essential service functions of this position.
• Occasionally operates a computer and other office machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine, and computer printer.
• Employee may be required to handle hazardous waste according to local, state, and federal regulations. Duties may include identifying, handling, generating, accumulating, storing and labeling hazardous waste.
• Potential risk to lab-based hazards including but not limited to extreme temperature, biological materials, hazardous chemicals.