Associate Microbiologist

Precise Systems, Inc.•Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD

5d•$56,710 - $74,224•Onsite

About The Position

The Associate Microbiologist supports laboratory activities to validate and optimize bacterial strains for production of specified molecules. Under the guidance of senior laboratory staff, the incumbent conducts routine microbiology and bench-scale fermentation experiments, collects and documents technical data, and assists in evaluating conditions affecting organism growth, product output, and material costs. This role requires in-person support. Work is performed primarily in a biology laboratory with bench-scale fermentation equipment, including reactors up to 3 liters. The incumbent uses appropriate personal protective equipment and follows applicable laboratory safety, biosafety, chemical-handling, and waste-management procedures. Duties may require extended standing, routine handling of laboratory supplies and equipment, and occasional lifting consistent with laboratory safety practices. The position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance. U.S. citizenship is required due to the sensitivity of customer-related requirements. The supervisor or senior scientist assigns work, establishes priorities, provides protocols and technical guidance, and reviews completed work for accuracy, completeness, and adherence to laboratory requirements. As the incumbent gains experience, supervision is expected to decrease for recurring assignments performed under established procedures.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in microbiology, biology, biotechnology, biochemistry, chemical engineering, or a closely related field.
0–2 years of experience with the listed duties.
Coursework, research, internship, or laboratory experience involving microbiology, molecular biology, biotechnology, fermentation, or related disciplines.
Basic knowledge of bacterial culture techniques, aseptic practices, and laboratory safety principles.
Ability to follow detailed written and verbal instructions and perform work in accordance with established procedures.
Ability to maintain accurate, complete, and organized laboratory records.
Basic ability to use spreadsheets and other common software to organize and present technical data.
Ability to work effectively in a team environment and communicate observations, results, and potential issues to senior staff.
Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance.
U.S. citizenship is required.
Ability to perform in-person laboratory work, which may involve extended standing, routine handling of laboratory supplies and equipment, and occasional lifting consistent with laboratory safety practices.

Nice To Haves

Undergraduate research, internship, co-op, or laboratory employment involving bacterial culture or fermentation.
Familiarity with bench-scale bioreactors, shake-flask culture, or other microbial cultivation systems.
Familiarity with spectrophotometry, optical-density measurements, colony counting, pH measurement, centrifugation, or similar routine laboratory techniques.
Exposure to experimental design, data visualization, or introductory statistical analysis.
Experience working in a documented laboratory environment using standard operating procedures.

Responsibilities

Culture, maintain, label, store, and preserve bacterial strains using established laboratory procedures.
Prepare culture media, buffers, reagents, standards, and laboratory consumables.
Perform routine aseptic techniques, including inoculation, plating, dilution, colony isolation, and culture monitoring.
Assist with strain-validation experiments under established protocols and supervisory direction.
Support operation and monitoring of bench-scale fermentation reactors up to 3 liters.
Record fermentation conditions and observations, including temperature, pH, agitation, aeration, dissolved oxygen, sampling times, and culture appearance.
Collect process samples and perform routine assays to measure bacterial growth, culture health, substrate use, and target-molecule output.
Enter, organize, check, and summarize experimental data in laboratory notebooks, spreadsheets, and approved electronic systems.
Assist senior staff with data review, preparation of graphs and tables, and identification of trends in growth and production performance.
Support comparisons of media formulations, process conditions, and material use to help estimate laboratory-scale production costs.
Clean, inspect, and assist with routine maintenance of laboratory equipment, glassware, fermentation systems, and work areas.
Maintain inventory of reagents, media components, consumables, and bacterial stocks; notify the supervisor of supply needs.
Follow approved standard operating procedures, laboratory safety requirements, biosafety practices, chemical hygiene procedures, and waste-disposal requirements.
Participate in training, demonstrate increasing technical independence, and complete developmental assignments as directed.
Perform other related duties consistent with the developmental nature of the position.
Recognize and report abnormal culture behavior, potential contamination, equipment irregularities, or data-quality concerns.
Prepare complete and traceable experimental documentation; interpret routine results and communicate preliminary observations to senior staff.
Support increasingly complex strain-validation and fermentation-optimization studies as proficiency is demonstrated.