Senior Scientist (Biological Threat Emergency Response) - CR559

Virginia Information Technologies Agency•Richmond, VA

3d•$71,000 - $86,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Virginia Department of General Services (DGS) is seeking a qualified candidate to serve as Senior Scientist in the Biological Threat Emergency Response Group (BTER) for the Commonwealth's Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services (DCLS). DCLS is one of the largest and most diverse consolidated state laboratories in the nation, with an annual budget of over 30 million dollars and over 250 state employees, performing approximately 9 million tests annually. The Biological Threat Emergency Response Group (BTER) is a premier all-hazards emergency response laboratory serving the Commonwealth and the nation, providing rapid, high-quality laboratory testing and analytical support to hundreds of local, state, and federal partners. BTER scientists investigate unknown or suspicious substances potentially associated with acts of terrorism using a multidisciplinary approach that enables the detection, identification, and confirmation of biological threat agents. The team works with a diverse range of sample types including clinical, environmental, and food samples to support public health, environmental protection, and emergency response efforts across Virginia and beyond.

Requirements

Must meet Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) requirements for a general supervisor in a high complexity-testing laboratory as defined by 42 CFR 493.1461.
Experience working in clinical laboratory testing.
Knowledge of laboratory safety practices.
Experience operating and troubleshooting laboratory instrumentation.
Experience with quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) procedures and interpreting data.
Experience serving as a team leader and/or training staff.
Ability to work independently with minimal oversight while leading, training, and coordinating the laboratory testing activities of others.
Work related experience with Polymerase Chain Reaction (Standard and Real-Time) testing, conventional microbiology procedures and/or immunoassays.
Good technical skills, strong attention to detail, excellent oral and written communication, time management, sound decision-making and problem-solving skills.
Demonstrated ability to follow procedures, prioritize work and identify errors.
Ability to work weekends, after-hours as well as on-call coverage on a rotational basis.
The employee must occasionally lift, push, pull, and/or move 50 or more lbs. and frequently handle 20 lbs.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in a biosafety level three (BSL-3) environment.
Experience with nucleic acid extraction from a variety of matrices.
Experience working with Select Agents.
Experience with computerized laboratory information management systems (LIMS), spreadsheets, MS Office products, and/or laboratory software programs.
Knowledge of Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) regulations.

Responsibilities

Performs routine and emergency moderate to high-complexity laboratory testing with accuracy and efficiency.
Documents work processes, organizes, schedules and prioritizes daily workflow for work area, ensuring testing turnaround times are met.
Serves in a team lead capacity by training others to perform testing, demonstrating a high degree of independence and technical expertise.
Reviews, verifies, and approves the work of team members, ensuring timely and accurate documentation of data and results within LIMS.
Troubleshoots microbiological, molecular, and immunological test methods and instrumentation.
Assists with validation and verification of new instrumentation and methodologies.
Reviews and revises Standard Operating Procedures.
Supports quality assurance efforts by upholding testing standards and ensuring the accuracy, reliability, and integrity of laboratory results.
Maintains a safe and compliant work environment by following SOPs, safety protocols, and laboratory best practices.