Research Specialist

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Research Specialist – Cell Services

• Scientific Ops team.
• More technical than a lab assistant/concierge. Needs experience in cell services.
• Requires BS 6months industry experience. Centrifuges, water baths (tier 1, basic equipment).
• Would consider an AS 2 years’ experience.
• Needs a background in the lab, GDP, will create mammalian cell lines, perform cryopreservation. Will work with lab techs and scientists, handle whole blood and blood products. Flow Cytometry a bonus!
• 100% onsite
• 40 hours/week, no weekends, no OT.
• 7:30am – 5pm (some flex, based on lab needs, lunch breaks, etc.)

Description:

• 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. 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

Qualifications/years of experience:

• Bachelor of Science degree and a minimum 6 months of technical expertise in cell culture, general lab instrumentation, cell-based assays required, OR
• Associates degree and a minimum of 2 years of technical expertise in cell culture, general lab instrumentation, cell-based assays

Must Haves:

• 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.

Preferred:

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