Senior Scientist - CL635

Title: Senior Scientist - CL635

State Role Title: Scientist II

Hiring Range: $66,000 - $79,000

Pay Band: 5

Agency: Department of General Services

Location: DCLS

Agency Website: www.dgs.virginia.gov

Recruitment Type: General Public - G

Job Duties

The Department of General Services, Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services (DCLS) seeks to hire a qualified candidate to serve as a Senior Scientist in the Biological Threat Emergency Response (BTER) Group. The BTER Group performs 24/7/365 public health emergency testing for the Commonwealth of Virginia. BTER staff performs rapid molecular, conventional culture and immunological testing for the detection of bioterrorism agents and toxins, newly emerging pathogens, such as Ebola, Marburg, and Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), and highly infectious pathogens of significant public health concern, such as Measles, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) and Bacterial Meningitis. The candidate will be responsible for accessioning and processing human clinical specimens and environmental samples in biosafety level-3 (BSL-3) laboratories. BTER Senior Scientist duties will also include testing and documentation of analyses performed, performing QA/QC procedures, preparing testing reagents, troubleshooting and/or maintenance of equipment, assists with development, validation, and implementation of new methods, and packaging/shipping of infectious materials. This Position requires testing outside of normal business hours on demand; serves on a BT on-call rotation for emergency response testing of potentially hazardous materials.

The selected candidate will be responsible for testing clinical and environmental samples for select agents and toxins regulated by the Federal Select Agent Program (FSAP) and must pass an FBI background security clearance check, a FSAP background check as well as health clearance to work with select agents.

Weekend, holiday, after hours, and on call work is required.
 

Minimum Qualifications

• Candidate must meet Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) requirements for a technical supervisor in a high complexity-testing laboratory as defined by 42 CFR 493.1489
   
• Demonstrated ability to follow and apply safe laboratory practices and protocols.
   
• Demonstrate significant knowledge and experience of microbiological, molecular biology, or medical sciences.
   
• Experience with quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) procedures and ability to document and interpret QC data.
   
• Skill and ability to coordinate, lead, organize and prioritize work of others.
   
• Effective and professional oral and written communication skills
   
• Demonstrate flexibility and ability to adapt in a fast-paced work environment.
   
• Ability to work successfully in a team environment and independently.
   
• Ability to work weekends, after-hours as well as on-call coverage.
   

Additional Considerations

• Experience working in a biosafety level three (BSL-3) environment.
   
• Experience working with Select Agents
   
• Experience performing Polymerase Chain Reaction (Standard and Real-Time) testing.
   
• Experience performing conventional microbiological procedures.
   
• Experience performing immunoassays.
   
• Experience with computer interfaced instrumentation.
   
• Experience with laboratory information management systems (LIMS)
   
• Experience with operating and troubleshooting laboratory instrumentation.
   

DGS offers excellent health benefits at affordable pricing, pre-tax spending accounts, paid life insurance, paid Short- and Long-Term Disability benefits, paid holidays, vacation, and other leave benefits, wellness programs, and a state retirement plan with options for tax-deferred retirement savings including employer matching. DGS is a qualifying employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.  

Qualified state employees may be eligible for student loan forgiveness through the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF). As a full-time employee with the Virginia Department of General Services, Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services, you may be able to take advantage of this program! Visit the site Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program for more information including eligibility requirements.