Description

The Research Associate I (RA I) works to meet deadlines in a dynamic environment and has the temperament to operate proactively and collaboratively in a team in support of research and development activities. Tasks will focus on molecular and microbiological experiments and procedures (e.g., nucleic acid extraction, serial dilution, PCR, bacterial and fungal culture, etc.) with associated collection, analysis, verification and recording of data in accordance with established protocols and work instruction documents, regulations, safety requirements, and the quality system. Work is primarily collaborative and requires the ability to communicate and coordinate with peers and supervisor(s) effectively and respectfully.

Essential Duties:     

• Assists with stocking project-specific laboratory supplies, including inventorying stock.            
• Act as a good lab citizen and team member. Coordinate and collaborate within and across teams and functional groups for routine lab activities, cleaning, equipment use, specific assigned tasks and projects, and sharing of knowledge, skills, and ideas.            
• Work in a Biosafety level 2/2+ environment with potentially pathogenic microbes, patient samples, and body fluids using sterile technique for contamination and infection control.            
• Ensure data integrity and accurate record-keeping by collecting, recording (in an electronic laboratory notebook and/or study worksheets), analyzing and verifying data in compliance with company standard operating procedures, work instruction documents, and study protocols.            
• Use and maintain laboratory equipment, supplies/inventory, and workspaces according to operational, quality, and safety requirements as outlined in protocols, standard operating procedures, and work instruction documents.         
• Perform routine calculations and laboratory techniques including solution formulation, microbial culture and enumeration, nucleic acid extraction and quantification, real-time and/or digital PCR, as well as basic statistical analyses.        
• Execute study protocols and contribute to protocol and process development, optimization, and/or revision.       
• Conduct routine data analysis under supervision.             
• Communicate data and analyses in written reports and oral presentations to peers and supervisors, commensurate with job level.          
• Contribute to the writing of study reports. 
• Perform all work in compliance with company quality procedures and standards. 
• Perform other duties as assigned.  

Qualifications

Education, Training, and Experience:

• High School Diploma, GED or equivalent and 4+ years of experience in an academic, industry, or healthcare laboratory required.
• Bachelor’s degree in a scientific discipline and a minimum of six months' experience in an academic, industry, or healthcare laboratory preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities: 

• Consistently upholds and reflects the core ethical principles and values that bioMérieux promotes
• Functional skills include critical thinking, adaptability, time management, communication, problem-solving and digital literacy
• Technical learning aptitude to quickly understand and acquire new technical knowledge and skills
• Flexibility, being highly adaptable and resilient to thrive in a dynamic work environment
• Learning agility to be able to learn from experiences and apply that knowledge to new situations
• Detail orientation to complete tasks without errors and produce high-quality work.
• Thriving in a fast-paced environment by managing tasks, multitasking, and adapting quickly to maintain productivity
• Practicing time management to allocate tasks, balance priorities, and meet deadlines efficiently
• Ability to work cross-functionally allowing for better collaboration and communication when working across teams to achieve shared objectives
• Ability to cooperate with others at all levels including leadership
• Effective verbal communication skills
• Participating in a way that enhances team performance and cohesion
• Fosters a culture of inclusiveness among all team members
• Actively and attentively listen to others, ensuring a clear understanding of their messages, needs, and concerns.
• Demonstrates fundamental awareness and can perform routine tasks with guidance
• Working knowledge of current and evolving microbiology and molecular biology principles, tools, and techniques relevant to developing diagnostic tests for infectious diseases
• Basic competence in laboratory practices including pipetting, handling biological and chemical materials, sterile technique and contamination control, and basic concentration and statistical calculations
• Comfortable working with human specimens and fluids (blood, stool, sputum, etc.) and working with biosafety level 2 pathogens

Working Conditions:

• Ability to ascend/descend stairs, ladders, ramps, and the like.
• Ability to wear PPE correctly most of the day.
• Must be able to lift and safely maneuver 40 lbs.
• Manual and visual dexterity to handle small tubes and manipulate very small volumes; reasonable accommodations are applicable.
• Comfortable working with cleaning products such as bleach.

Please be aware that recruitment related scams are on the rise. Fraudulent job postings are being placed on other websites, and individuals posing as bioMérieux Talent Acquisition team members are reaching out via email or text message in an attempt to collect your personal and confidential information. In some cases, these scammers are also conducting bogus interviews prior to extending fraudulent offers of employment. Beware of individuals reaching out using general phone numbers and non-bioMerieux email domains (i.e. Hotmail.com, Gmail.com, Yahoo.com, etc.). If you are concerned that an interview experience or offer of employment might be a scam, please make sure you are searching for the posting on our careers site https://careers.biomerieux.com/ or contact us at [email protected].

BioMérieux Inc. and its affiliates are Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information. Please be advised that the receipt of satisfactory responses to reference requests and the provision of satisfactory proof of an applicant’s identity and legal authorization to work in the United States are required of all new hires. Any misrepresentation, falsification, or material omission may result in the failure to receive an offer, the retraction of an offer, or if already hired, dismissal. If you are a qualified individual with a disability, you may request a reasonable accommodation in BioMérieux’s or its affiliates’ application process by contacting us via telephone at (385) 770-1132, by email at [email protected], or by dialing 711 for access to Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS).