Microbiologist II at IHRC, Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia

Job Description:

JOB TITLE: Microbiologist II

POSITION NUMBER: 2409-99999-Micro2

POSITION LOCATION: Atlanta, GA, USA

ANTICIPATED START DATE: 2 weeks after candidate identification

TRAVEL: As required to fulfill the responsibilities of the position

IHRC, Inc. provides scientific, information management, and administrative program support to various Centers, Institutes and Offices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other agencies under US Health and Human Services (HHS). The successful candidate will be a full-time employee of IHRC, Inc. and will be assigned to the Division of Bacterial Diseases (DBD), Microbial Pathogenesis and Immune Response (MPIR) Laboratory, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), at the CDC, 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA, to provide scientific and technical support for the MPIR.

SCOPE OF WORK

The Microbiologist II will perform vaccine efficacy, evaluation, and development services to support MPIR initiatives. MPIR has developed and validated assays to measure antibodies against the vaccine antigens in the Tdap or DTaP vaccine. The Microbiologist II will use these assays to assess vaccine immunogenicity when given in combination with other vaccines, transfer of maternal antibodies to infants and any changes to the levels of circulating antibody in the population due to the change in vaccine usage from whole cell to acellular formulations.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Perform activities related to the development of human serum bactericidal assay (hSBA) for H. influenzae type A (Hia), including working with the Safety Team to develop Risk Assessments for the assay and developing and executing a validation plan.
• Optimize the current multiplex immunoassay being used for the detection of antibodies to antigens in DTaP or Tdap vaccine as well as prepare and conduct validation experiments.
• Develop a novel assay for the detection of pertussis virulence factors in urine matrix, report data to stakeholders, and identify and test other clinical matrices for future use.
• Conduct investigator experiments with the Dried Blood Spot (DBS) Matrix demonstrating use in Group B Strep immunoassays (MIA and OPkA); investigate effects of interferents (such as antibiotics) on assays; establish and communicate standard of practice of working with DBS for GBS vaccine studies; and work with internal and external partners on documenting consensus methods.
• Perform outbreak response activities as needed, including processing an increased number of confirmatory samples, providing virtual or onsite technical assistance to state health laboratories, or assisting with the development and rollout of training to improve diagnosis, characterization, and/or reporting. Travel may be required for on-site technical assistance or training for an estimated 5-day domestic TDY.
• Perform outbreak response activities as needed, including processing an increased number of confirmatory samples, providing virtual or onsite technical assistance to state health laboratories, or assisting with the development and rollout of training to improve diagnosis, characterization, and/or reporting. Travel may be required for on-site technical assistance or training for an estimated 5-day domestic TDY.
• Comply with all safety risk assessments, CLIA regulations, and established SOPs for laboratory areas, equipment, and protocols; maintain compliance with local and federal requirements for quality, safety, and security.
• Assist in laboratory operations by liaising with vendors in coordinating orders and procuring order-related documentation, lab sample accessioning and management by use of CDC's Electronic Laboratory Information Management Systems (ELIMS) and assign tests and sign out samples to testing teams.
• Perform data analysis and communicate data to team and partners.
• Participate in the development, implementation and maintenance of documents related to the respective laboratory and the branch's Quality Management System and safety requirements, along with maintaining compliance with all quality and safety regulations.
• Implement immunology methods including cell-based assays, serological assays, analysis of laboratory data, and preparation of summary reports.
• Develop laboratory-specific and team-specific documents including, but not restricted to, presentation slides, manuscripts, flyers, posters, newsletters, and relevant educational and team-building questionnaires.
• Attend and/or present at scientific or programmatic conferences that advance DBD's mission, as needed.

MINUMUM QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's degree in Microbiology, Molecular Biology, or similar scientific discipline
• Two to four years of laboratory experience working in a similar capacity

Required

• Experience in molecular microbiology methods with microorganisms
• Knowledge of biosafety requirements for research being performed
• Superior organizational and project planning skills requiring minimal supervision
• Extensive knowledge of scientific and molecular microbiology principles and standard methods with microorganisms
• Demonstrated skills and experience writing project reports, research protocols and manuscripts
• Strong interpersonal skills required for teamwork and extensive interaction with people across CDC and with external partners
• Strong written and oral presentation skills
• Experience working with Microsoft Office, Word, Access, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Immunizations may be required

Desirable

• Experience with laboratory quality management systems (QMS)
• Experience with sequence analysis from human disease outbreaks
• Demonstrated experience developing, validating, and using in vitro diagnostic assays with microorganisms
• Demonstrated ability to synthesize new ideas for project research

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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To apply for this position:

• If you are viewing this position on the IHRC Career Center, please click on the "Apply Now" button.
• If you are viewing this position on a site other than the IHRC Career Center, you may use the click to apply link, or you may apply by visiting our Career Center and searching for the position number listed at the top of this position description.
• To view all of our open positions, and to apply to those positions in which you may be interested, please visit our Career Center, which can also be reached by visiting www.ihrc.com/Careers and clicking on the View Opportunities link.

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.

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