Microbiologist II - Molecular Biology

Tanaq Management Services LLC•Atlanta, GA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Tanaq Management Services (TMS) is seeking a highly motivated Microbiologist II to support public health laboratory research and surveillance at a customer location in Atlanta, Georgia. This is a fully onsite position. The role supports projects involving post-vaccine monitoring, clinical sample evaluation, infectious disease research, molecular epidemiology, and surveillance. Working with a multidisciplinary team, the Microbiologist II develops and implements complex laboratory procedures, performs quality control activities, troubleshoots technical issues, and provides programmatic guidance in support of public health research. The position requires a master’s degree and hands-on experience with advanced molecular biology techniques, including cloning, subcloning, PCR cloning, site-directed mutagenesis, and construct design, or experience developing stable or knockout cell lines. The successful candidate will also support conventional and molecular microbiologic methods, specimen and sequencing workflows, data analysis, project documentation, and compliance with applicable laboratory quality systems.

Requirements

Master’s degree in virology, microbiology, biology, or a closely related field.
At least 2–3 years of laboratory experience with molecular biological procedures and methods, especially hands-on experience in cloning, subcloning, PCR cloning, site-directed mutagenesis, and construct design; alternatively, hands-on experience developing stable or knockout cell lines.
Experience conducting research involving preparation and handling of nucleic acid samples, real-time PCR, and ELISA.
Extensive knowledge of laboratory principles and standard methods.
Experience analyzing data from scientific projects and programs using appropriate programs, such as Excel and BLAST.
Experience assisting with specimen accessioning, scanning, and uploading documents into an electronic laboratory management system (ELIMS).
Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Excel.
Strong attention to detail.
Ability to work independently and as part of a team in a fast-paced setting.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Effective organizational skills.
Ability to obtain necessary immunizations, including Hepatitis B and other relevant immunizations.
Ability to obtain a government clearance.
Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without employer sponsorship, now or at any time in the future.
Must be able to work with hazardous chemicals and potentially infectious biological agents.
Must be physically capable of repetitive motions such as pipetting and operating cell counters.

Nice To Haves

Ph.D. degree.
Experience with next-generation sequencing (NGS).
Experience in laboratory diagnosis of viral infections.
Experience writing project reports, research protocols, and manuscripts, and synthesizing new research ideas for project research.
Experience working at CDC or in a public health setting.
Respiratory clearance and fit testing may be required.

Responsibilities

Oversee laboratory project aims.
Assist with the development and implementation of new laboratory procedures.
Train and mentor junior team members.
Ensure quality control measures are followed accurately.
Communicate effectively with technical and non-technical audiences.
Stay familiar with the latest scientific advances and ensure program alignment with them.
Support conventional and molecular microbiologic techniques for pathogen isolation, identification, and subtyping.
Ensure samples for sequencing and metagenomic analysis, including extraction and library preparation, are handled according to SOPs.
Develop and/or validate experimental procedures.
Meet at least bi-weekly with staff and subject-matter experts/project leads to discuss testing results and plans.
Ensure experiments and equipment maintenance comply with CLIA and QMS requirements.
Ensure molecular diagnostic reagents for PCR and sequencing, and QA/QC activities including proficiency testing, are developed.
Collaborate on genetic analysis projects and studies with internal and external partners.
Analyze assay results and maintain quality controls during testing.
Validate project experimental results.
Ensure projects remain within the scope of work.
Assist with drafting, editing, and reviewing written documents, reports, and analyses for scientific projects and programs.
Verify incoming specimen processing, inventory, and chain-of-custody requirements as determined by Lab Coordinators.
Prepare written protocols and documents according to QMS guidelines.
Analyze scientific project and program data using appropriate software, such as Excel and BLAST.
Provide weekly project updates to the client and/or program management.