What are the responsibilities and job description for the Research Scientist I position at Colorado State University?
Position Location
Fort Collins, CO
Work Location
Position is fully in-office/in-person
Research Professional Position
Yes
Posting Number
202500263AP
Position Type
Admin Professional/ Research Professional
Classification Title
Resch Sci/Scholar I
Number of Vacancies
1
Work Hours/Week
40
Proposed Annual Salary Range
$74,000 - $76,000
Employee Benefits
Colorado State University is not just a workplace; it’s a thriving community that’s transforming lives and improving the human condition through world-class teaching, research, and service. With a robust benefits package, collaborative atmosphere, and focus on work-life balance, CSU is where you can thrive, grow, and make a lasting impact.
- Review our detailed benefits information here.
- Explore the additional perks of working at CSU here.
- For the total value of CSU benefits in addition to wages, use our compensation calculator.
Desired Start Date
04/01/2025
Position End Date (if temporary)
03/31/2026
To ensure full consideration, applications must be received by 11:59pm (MT) on
03/10/2025
Description of Work Unit
Veterinary Health System
The Veterinary Health System transforms our service units into a comprehensive veterinary medical center governed by responsible management that supports our units’ individual missions. Capitalizing on Colorado State University’s top ranking in veterinary medicine, and building on our tradition of providing high-quality compassionate care and achieving outstanding clinical outcomes, the Veterinary Health System broadens our expertise and skill to deliver the highest levels of customer service, employee satisfaction, and advancements in medicine through clinical service, diagnostics, research, and innovation.
Work Unit | Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories
Faculty and staff at the CSU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories (VDL) are among the nation’s finest in their fields of expertise and offer comprehensive diagnostic services. The mission of the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (VDL) is to provide timely, accurate and pertinent animal disease diagnostic services and educational outreach to veterinarians, animal industries and animal interests. The Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory will strive to meet the goals the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and the University through research to develop new approaches to disease identification, investigation, prevention and through education of professional veterinary medical, graduate, and post-doctoral students.
Why work at Colorado State University?
CSU was recently ranked first among Colorado-based educational employers and fifth among all in-state employers in Forbes magazine’s “America’s Best Employers by State!”
We are looking to add individuals to our team who have the following characteristics:
The Veterinary Health System transforms our service units into a comprehensive veterinary medical center governed by responsible management that supports our units’ individual missions. Capitalizing on Colorado State University’s top ranking in veterinary medicine, and building on our tradition of providing high-quality compassionate care and achieving outstanding clinical outcomes, the Veterinary Health System broadens our expertise and skill to deliver the highest levels of customer service, employee satisfaction, and advancements in medicine through clinical service, diagnostics, research, and innovation.
Work Unit | Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories
Faculty and staff at the CSU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories (VDL) are among the nation’s finest in their fields of expertise and offer comprehensive diagnostic services. The mission of the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (VDL) is to provide timely, accurate and pertinent animal disease diagnostic services and educational outreach to veterinarians, animal industries and animal interests. The Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory will strive to meet the goals the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and the University through research to develop new approaches to disease identification, investigation, prevention and through education of professional veterinary medical, graduate, and post-doctoral students.
Why work at Colorado State University?
CSU was recently ranked first among Colorado-based educational employers and fifth among all in-state employers in Forbes magazine’s “America’s Best Employers by State!”
We are looking to add individuals to our team who have the following characteristics:
- Confidence – they expect success in what they do
- Compassion – they have genuine care and concern for others
- Commitment to Inclusive Excellence – they engage principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in all they do, valuing a supportive community where everyone’s contributions are valued, and all voices are heard
- Empowerment – they use their knowledge and skills to adjust, change, and improve daily tasks/work for themselves and others Integrity – they are honest, and others trust them
- Responsibility – they take ownership of decisions and actions
Our Investment in You
Colorado State University (CSU) is committed to providing employees with a strong and competitive benefits and well-being package that supports you, your health, and your family.
These CSU resources help with many aspects of your life – financial, physical, emotional, family, workplace wellness. These resources are part of our investment in you.
Employees are benefits eligible when working a minimum of 20 hours per week; benefits outlined below reflect full-time status of 40 hours per week; some benefits would be prorated for part-time status.
- Paid time off to include 24 vacation days, 15 sick days, 11 paid holidays annually
- Comprehensive benefits programs and services including Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Disability, Parental Leave, work/life resources, and more
- Robust Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for your overall well-being
- FREE college credit courses (up to 9-semester credits per year) through the Employee Study Privilege programTuition Scholarships up to 50% for eligible family members
- FREE employee growth opportunity through CSU training and development opportunities
- After-school programs and summer camps for kids
- Community Discount
- FREE MAX transit use with CSU identification
For more detail about these and other Health and Welfare benefits and Commitment to Campus programs, visit our CSU Well-Being Hub at https://hr.colostate.edu/well-being-hub/ and our Benefits programs for Administrative Professional employees: https://hr.colostate.edu/current-employees/benefits/afap/.
Retirement Programs
While employees of CSU do not contribute to Social Security, the University and the state of Colorado offer competitive retirement plans. As a condition of employment and required by Colorado law, employees are required to participate in either the University’s Defined Contribution Plan (DCP) or the Public Employee’s Retirement Plan (PERA) of Colorado. Each plan offers a generous employer match between 10% – 21%. For more information, visit: https://hr.colostate.edu/current-employees/benefits/afap/retirement/.
Campus Culture and Principles of Community
Colorado State University has a campus culture that is driven by a desire always to do better and a vision to be the best place to learn, work, and discover. Our Principles of Community – Inclusion, Integrity, Respect, Service, and Social Justice – reflect our core values and support CSU’s mission and vision of access, research, teaching, service, and engagement. Each member of our community has a responsibility to uphold these principles when engaging with one another and acting on behalf of the University. For more information visit: https://hr.colostate.edu/prospective-employees/our-people/.
Tobacco and Smoke-Free
Colorado State University is a tobacco and smoke-free campus. For the health of our university community, the use of smoking, vaping or tobacco products is prohibited on CSU grounds or in buildings.
Position Summary
This Research Scientist position will oversee an ongoing research project to investigate bighorn sheep respiratory disease using methods of multiplex PCR, amplicon sequencing, and bioinformatics to classify bacteria through multilocus sequence typing and 16S rRNA analyses. This position is needed to support a senior scientist, and the position will provide both laboratory support and data analyses. The position will lead data analysis efforts including management of large data sets, development and optimization of bioinformatics pipelines, creative data visualization, and development of epidemiological models through collaboration.
This position will also provide general lab manager responsibilities including coordination with multiple laboratory spaces for inventory, ordering, and scheduling use of laboratory spaces and resources. Oversight and training of students will occasionally be required. Excellent communication skills, experience in writing technical or scientific reports and manuscripts, and ability to interact productively with coworkers is required. The ideal candidates will demonstrate initiative, creativity, and will have excellent organizational skills; we also seek candidates with enthusiasm, a positive attitude, who works well as part of a team as well as independently.
The position is full-time with schedule based on research needs. Determination of schedule is based on current needs, with input from employee. Weekend work may be required, based on workload including potential field work. This position may be asked to travel for field work and to attend conferences.
This is a one-year special appointment position, funded by research grants. The position can be renewed annually based on available grant funding and available workload.
Due to the nature of the department’s work, this is a fully in-person position located at the Diagnostic Medical Center, Fort Collins, CO.
The successful candidate must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. by proposed start date; Colorado State University Diagnostic Laboratories will not provide visa sponsorship for this position.
Must have a valid driver’s license or the ability to obtain a driver’s license or access to a licensed driver by the employment start date.
This position will also provide general lab manager responsibilities including coordination with multiple laboratory spaces for inventory, ordering, and scheduling use of laboratory spaces and resources. Oversight and training of students will occasionally be required. Excellent communication skills, experience in writing technical or scientific reports and manuscripts, and ability to interact productively with coworkers is required. The ideal candidates will demonstrate initiative, creativity, and will have excellent organizational skills; we also seek candidates with enthusiasm, a positive attitude, who works well as part of a team as well as independently.
The position is full-time with schedule based on research needs. Determination of schedule is based on current needs, with input from employee. Weekend work may be required, based on workload including potential field work. This position may be asked to travel for field work and to attend conferences.
This is a one-year special appointment position, funded by research grants. The position can be renewed annually based on available grant funding and available workload.
Due to the nature of the department’s work, this is a fully in-person position located at the Diagnostic Medical Center, Fort Collins, CO.
The successful candidate must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. by proposed start date; Colorado State University Diagnostic Laboratories will not provide visa sponsorship for this position.
Must have a valid driver’s license or the ability to obtain a driver’s license or access to a licensed driver by the employment start date.
Required Job Qualifications
- A PhD in molecular biology or a related field is required.
- Experience with library preparation, next generation sequencing, and bioinformatics is required.
- A valid driver’s license is required.
Preferred Job Qualifications
At least one year of experience in the following areas is preferred:
- Multiplex conventional PCR;
- amplicon library preparation and sequencing;
- whole genome library preparation and sequencing;
- operation of MiSeq and NextSeq instruments;
- bioinformatics and data visualization platforms Geneious, R/RStudio, and Python.
Essential Duties
Job Duty Category
Conducting Laboratory Investigations for Research Applications
Duty/Responsibility
- Conduct a wide variety of laboratory procedures including multiplex PCR, custom amplicon library preparation and sequencing, whole genome library preparation and sequencing, and operation of Illumina MiSeq and NextSeq instruments.
- Assess integrity of results, troubleshoot issues, and optimize procedures.
- Develop and implement new laboratory approaches to meet changing research needs.
- Manage laboratory spaces and resources.
- Supervise students.
Percentage Of Time
65
Job Duty Category
Conducting Independent and Collaborative Data Analyses
Duty/Responsibility
- Analyze sequence data using existing bioinformatics pipeline to generate phylogenetic trees of bacterial strains.
- Design and implement strategies for 16S rRNA analyses.
- Design and implement improved bioinformatics and data visualization strategies to meet changing research needs.
- Identify patterns in data for hypothesis generation.
- Develop statistical approaches for hypothesis testing.
- Manage large datasets and implement strategies for data storage and shared data access.
- Establish collaborative relationships to enhance statistical methods including epidemiological modeling.
- Communicate results through publication and presentation at national or international meetings.
- Contribute to research grant proposals.
Percentage Of Time
35
Application Details
Special Instructions to Applicants
Interested applicants must submit a cover letter which addresses how professional experiences align with the posted required and preferred qualifications of the position, a current resume, and names, email addresses, and telephone numbers of three (3) professional references. References will not be contacted without prior notification of candidates.
CSU is committed to full inclusion of qualified individuals. If you are needing assistance or accommodations with the search process, please reach out to the listed search contact. Please note, applicants may redact information from their application materials that identifies their age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution.
CSU is committed to full inclusion of qualified individuals. If you are needing assistance or accommodations with the search process, please reach out to the listed search contact. Please note, applicants may redact information from their application materials that identifies their age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution.
Conditions of Employment
Pre-employment Criminal Background Check (required for new hires), Essential Services Designation - Required to report without delay or interruption to provide essential or emergency services to ensure health, safety, and welfare., On-call Status - In the event of an emergency is declared by the Veterinary Diagnostic Lab Director, needed to meet NAHLN requirements, overtime work or work outside normal operating ours will be required., Use, Handling, or Exposure to hazardous materials - Exposure to select agents, zoonotic disease, agents & hazardous wastes., Special Requirements/Other - Working in a BSL3 Lab requires PPE. May be required to be rabies vaccinated upon hire and maintain protective titers (blood drawn on a schedule determined by CSU Occupational Health to evaluate status).
Search Contact
Karen Fox, karen.fox@colostate.edu
EEO
Colorado State University (CSU) provides equal employment opportunities to all applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
Background Check Policy Statement
Colorado State University strives to provide a safe study, work, and living environment for its faculty, staff, volunteers and students. To support this environment and comply with applicable laws and regulations, CSU conducts background checks for the finalist before a final offer. The type of background check conducted varies by position and can include, but is not limited to, criminal history, sex offender registry, motor vehicle history, financial history, and/or education verification. Background checks will also be conducted when required by law or contract and when, in the discretion of the University, it is reasonable and prudent to do so.
Salary : $74,000 - $76,000
