Career Center

As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem-solving skills and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world.

UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty.

The new Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine currently has an outstanding opportunity for multiple RESEARCH SCIENTIST 1 positions at the intersection of cutting edge technology development and medicine. 

The institute bridges the University of Washington, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Seattle Children’s Hospital. The Advanced Technology Lab is located at the University of Washington. The Advanced Technology Lab is working on exciting projects to rapidly detect SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory pathogens, provide viral genomes for bioinformatics, and help the public respond to current and emerging viral threat. These include the Husky Coronavirus Testing study, CASCADIA study, and other studies under the Seattle Flu Alliance. Find out more at: https://seattleflu.org/about

The Pathogen Detection Lab at the Brotman Baty Institute’s Advanced Technology Lab is continuing our research in the 2022-2023 academic year with a commitment to investigating the changing dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic and the return and changes in other respiratory pathogens.

The Seattle Flu Alliance brings together clinical, research, and public health experts to understand outbreak dynamics, evaluate potential interventions, and help inform public health decision-making. Current topics of investigation include long term vaccine efficacy, intra-household spread, viral evolution, and long-term outcomes from viral infection.

POSITION PURPOSE
We seek an individual with a mix of molecular biology laboratory skills and strong organizational capabilities for the viral pathogen project at the BBI Advanced Technology Lab – Pathogen Detection Laboratory. The Research Scientist will contribute to researching multiple respiratory pathogens and mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic by accessioning, processing, tracking, and storing thousands of specimens. This represents an outstanding opportunity for a Research Scientist to fill a research position on an exciting and cutting-edge project aimed at respiratory pathogen detection and saving lives.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
This position requires significant organizational capabilities. The scientist must be willing to learn and understand sample tracking software, communication tools, and regulatory rules. The Research Scientist will begin with specimen processing and lab maintenance and will progress to preparing specimens for high-throughput assays. Some research scientists perform molecular assays and run experiments.

Research Support:
Receive, record, aliquot and store incoming specimens:
           

  Includes accessioning samples (10%)
           

  Processing specimens for assays and biobanking (35%)
           

  Interfacing with sample tracking software (10%)
           

  Lab maintenance and regulatory compliance activities (25%)

Communicate with collaborators and management on progress (10%)

Assisting with downstream nucleic acids processing (10%)

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

B.S. degree in biology, molecular biology, cellular biology, genetics or related discipline and three months or less of job-related experienced.

Demonstrated experience following protocols in wet-lab environment

Experience in sample handling.

Candidate should have outstanding academic and professional track record.

Candidate should be an analytical thinker with outstanding interpersonal and communication skills. Must be highly disciplined and organized.

Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Ability to perform hyper-repetitive tasks while following established protocols

Fine motor skills adequate for micro-pipetting and manipulating microcentrifuge tubes (or similar)

Ability to work from sitting and standing positions with a mask (including a respirator), eye protection, lab coat, and nitrile gloves.

Ability to manipulate human specimens (may include handling of nasal secretions, saliva, and blood)

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT  

Lift 25 pounds.

Our work requires handling hundreds of specimens per day in a biosafety level II environment. This work requires certain physical and working abilities while wearing varying degrees of personal protection equipment for extended periods of time. PPE and adequate breaks are of course provided.