OverviewChenega Services and Federal Solutions, LLC., a
Chenega Professional Services' company, is looking for an
Immunology Staff Scientist to conduct and support basic and applied immunology and vaccinology research on specified bacterial threats in support of biodefense and infectious disease programs. The position supports complex experimental design, execution, and analysis to characterize immune responses to bacterial pathogens and medical countermeasures designed to address both threat-specific and threat-agnostic disease. Responsibilities include conducting animal experiments, performing immunological assays, analyzing scientific data, preparing reports and manuscripts, supporting laboratory management activities, and presenting research findings in written and oral formats. The incumbent will work in BSL-3 laboratories, support BSL-2 and BSL-3 laboratory readiness activities, and must obtain and maintain BPRP and CS-PRP enrollment in accordance with contract requirements and applicable regulations.
Responsibilities- Assist in designing, conducting, and analyzing complex experiments with the goal of characterizing the immune response to 1) bacterial pathogens, 2) medical-countermeasures designed to combat threat-specific disease, and 3) medical countermeasures designed to combat threat-agnostic disease.
- Present 2 research findings/presentations at lab meetings, attend 23 lab meetings; and attend up to 2 scientific meetings or symposia per year as required, which may require CONUS or OCONUS travel as needed.
- Complete 4 quarterly reports and 1 annual progress report for DTRA as requested.
- Prepare/assist in preparing multiple manuscripts for publication per year.
- Use computer to analyze data, prepare graphs, compute statistics, and write lab notes and reports.
- Conduct animal experiments to better understand bacterial pathogenesis and the host immune response and design vaccines and therapeutics.
- Perform approximately 20 ELISpot assays per year.
- Perform approximately 20 Luminex/Magpix assays per year.
- Run approximately 100 ELISAs per year.
- Plan and assist in approximately 5 animal experiments per year.
- Analyze approximately 200 animal immune profiles per year (e.g., flowcytometry, in vitro stimulation assays, etc.).
- Prepare BSL-2 and BSL-3 labs for Safety, Biosurety and CDC inspections 4 per year.
- Assist in 3 animal protocols conducted by other investigators.
- Complete approximately 50 bacterial opsonization assays to evaluate experimental vaccines.
- Conduct Equipment Inventory Management twice a year in BSL-2 and BSL-3.
- Perform monthly Laboratory Management to include safety functions and chemical inventory.
- Provide 1 Immunological Scientific Support monthly report to the TPOC by the last working day of the month. Report should include materials and methods, data and data analysis and should be updated monthly.
- Other duties as assigned
Qualifications- Ph.D. in Immunology, Vaccinology, Microbiology, Biology, Molecular Biology, Biomedical Science, or a related scientific discipline.
- CS-PRP enrollment is required and shall be held and maintained IAW the provisions in this contract and all applicable regulations.
- BPRP enrollment is required and shall be held and maintained IAW the provisions in this contract and all applicable regulations.
- Significant research experience in immunology, vaccinology, or a closely related scientific field.
- Experience conducting basic and applied research supporting bacterial threat, biodefense, infectious disease, vaccine, or medical countermeasure programs.
- Experience designing, conducting, and analyzing complex scientific experiments.
- Experience conducting animal experiments supporting bacterial pathogenesis, host immune response, vaccine development, or therapeutic development research.
- Experience performing immunological assays and immune response analysis.
- Experience analyzing scientific data, preparing graphs, computing statistics, and writing laboratory reports.
- Experience preparing or assisting with manuscripts, technical reports, progress reports, and scientific presentations.
- Ability to work in BSL-3 laboratory environments and handle controlled substances.
- Ability to obtain and maintain CS-PRP enrollment in accordance with contract requirements and applicable regulations.
- Ability to obtain and maintain BPRP enrollment in accordance with contract requirements and applicable regulations.
- Successfully pass background and drug screening
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience supporting biodefense, infectious disease, bacterial pathogenesis, immunology, vaccinology, or medical countermeasure research programs.
- Experience working in BSL-3 laboratory environments.
- Experience performing ELISpot, Luminex/Magpix, ELISA, bacterial opsonization assays, flow cytometry, and in vitro stimulation assays.
- Experience supporting animal experiments and animal protocols related to host immune response, bacterial pathogens, vaccine development, or therapeutic development.
- Experience preparing BSL-2 and BSL-3 laboratories for Safety, Biosurety, CDC, or related inspections.
- Experience preparing manuscripts, scientific reports, quarterly reports, annual progress reports, laboratory meeting presentations, or scientific conference presentations.
- Experience conducting laboratory management activities, safety functions, chemical inventory management, and equipment inventory management.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Knowledge of immunology, vaccinology, bacterial pathogenesis, infectious disease research, and medical countermeasure development.
- Knowledge of immune response characterization for bacterial pathogens and medical countermeasure evaluation.
- Knowledge of ELISpot, Luminex/Magpix, ELISA, bacterial opsonization assays, flow cytometry, in vitro stimulation assays, and related immunological techniques.
- Knowledge of animal research methods supporting bacterial pathogenesis, host immune response, vaccine development, and therapeutic development.
- Knowledge of BSL-2 and BSL-3 laboratory operations, biosafety practices, biosurety requirements, and inspection readiness activities.
- Knowledge of laboratory data analysis, statistical computation, graph preparation, scientific reporting, and manuscript preparation.
- Ability to design, conduct, and analyze complex immunology and vaccinology experiments.
- Ability to analyze animal immune profiles and interpret immunological data.
- Ability to prepare technical reports, progress reports, manuscripts, laboratory notes, presentations, and scientific summaries.
- Ability to present research findings in written and oral formats to internal and external audiences.
- Ability to support laboratory management, equipment inventory management, safety functions, and chemical inventory activities.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively within multidisciplinary scientific research teams.
- Strong analytical, scientific writing, technical communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
