Laboratory Specialist Intermediate or Senior, Engel lab, Department of Pediatrics

The Department of Pediatrics at the University of Virginia (UVA) School of Medicine seeks applicants for a Laboratory Specialist Intermediate or Senior to support the laboratory of Michael E. Engel, MD, PhD, Chief of the Division and Vice Chair for Research. The Engel laboratory is dedicated to understanding the molecular pathogenesis of childhood cancers with the goals of translating discoveries forward to benefit patients and backward to reveal fundamental underpinnings of human health and disease. The ideal candidate will possess a combination of strong technical and organizational skills, to enable both our scientific and programmatic goals while managing day-to-day laboratory operations.

The Engel lab is housed in Medical Research Building 4 (MR4) on the UVA campus. Our laboratory culture is characterized by core values of service, ownership, accountability and excellence. Our mission is to reveal the molecular foundations of complex biology that is clinically relevant and to leverage our discovery efforts as a platform educate and elevate future medical research professionals.

The University of Virginia, School of Medicine and affiliated UVA Health form the premier medical and research institution in the Commonwealth of Virginia and have a rich tradition of discovery, translational, clinical and health services/outcomes-based research grounded in a culture of collaboration and service. Three Nobel laureates have called UVA their home. The University is located in Charlottesville, VA, situated in the Blue Ridge Mountains and picturesque Shenandoah Valley just 100 miles from Washington, DC. Our region boasts outstanding opportunities for outdoor recreation year round, including hiking, water-based activities and skiing. Likewise, it is a short drive to Virginia beach and other types of costal recreation. Some of the finest restaurants and music are showcased on the Downtown Mall, which is the longest contiguous outdoor mall in the US. Our city is serviced by a regional airport, and travel by rail to cities throughout the eastern US is accomplished via a train station within walking distance of UVA. Charlottesville is routinely listed among the most desirable cities in which to live, raise a family, and retire.

The successful candidate will be expected to:
• Develop, implement, and maintain databases of tools and reagents necessary for laboratory operations
• Develop, deploy and maintain standard protocols and systems that longitudinally catalogue laboratory work products
• Maintain archive of research outputs (research data and datasets, presentations, grant applications, progress reports, etc.) for shared use by laboratory members.
• Serve as the point person for all laboratory reagent ordering, equipment acquisitions and maintenance.
• Work with the principle investigator to monitor laboratory expenditures and burn rates.
• Prepare, maintain and renew research regulatory protocols such as institutional biosafety and animal care and use to insure seamless research operations.
• Ensure and track compliance with all training requirements among laboratory personnel.
• Orient and train new laboratory members on safe laboratory practices, laboratory citizenship, and expectations regarding use of shared laboratory materials and equipment.
• Ensure compliance with all laboratory safety protocols/regulations and maintain logs.
• Prepare and maintain schedule of laboratory meetings, presentations, and journal clubs.
• In addition to the above job responsibilities, other duties may be assigned.

Qualified candidates must have:
Lab Specialist Intermediate:
Education: Bachelor's degree.
Experience: 6 years of experience in a lab technician role. Master's degree may substitute for required experience. 9 years of experience accepted in lieu of degree.

Lab Specialist Senior:
Education: Bachelor's degree.
Experience: 9 years of experience in a lab technician role. May substitute with Master's or Terminal degree plus 4 years of experience in a lab technician role and supervisory experience. 12 years of experience accepted in lieu of degree.

Required knowledge, skills and abilities:
• Excellent communications skills, both verbal and written.
• Ability to use common computer programs routinely used in laboratory settings.
• Ability to learn basic bioinformatic and computational skills
• Ability to learn mass spectral analysis of proteins to quantize components of protein complexes under varied experimental conditions.

Preferred experience:
Experience with a diverse array of cell biology, molecular biology and protein biochemistry techniques including:
• Culturing of adherent and suspension cells using aseptic technique.
• Transient and stable transfection of cultured cells.
• Production and transduction of retro/lentivirus into cell lines and primary cells.
• RNAi-mediated knockdown and CRISPR-mediated knockout in cultured cells.
• Subcloning, site-directed mutagenesis of gene expression constructs and propagation of constructs in bacteria.
• Qualitative and quantitative PCR and RT-PCR.
• DNA, RNA and protein isolation and quantitation from cells and tissues.
• Western blotting, immune precipitation, co-precipitation and protein purification.
• Microscopy, including bright field, phase contrast and fluorescence techniques.
• In vitro and in vivo viability and efficacy studies.

Physical Demands:

This position can spend extensive periods of time standing and squatting while conducting experiments or caring for animals. Also requires keyboarding and other bench work and animal procedures requiring finer finger manipulation.

The Lab Specialist will report to Michael Engel, MD, PhD, Division Chief, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Vice Chair for Pediatric Research. For additional information about the position, please contact Michael Engel, MD, PhD, at irginia.edu . This position is a restricted position and is dependent upon project need, availability of funding and performance. This is an exempt-level, full-time, benefited position. For more information on the benefits at UVA, visit www.hr.virginia.edu/benefits . This position is located in Charlottesville, VA. This position will remain open until filled. The anticipated hiring range is commensurate with education and experience. The University will perform background checks on all new hires prior to employment. A completed pre-employment health screen is required for this position prior to employment.

To Apply:
Process for Internal UVA Applicants : Please apply through your Workday Home page, search “Find Jobs”, and search for “ R0038916”.

Process for External Applicants : Please visit UVA job board at and search for “R0038916”.

Complete an application online with the following documents:
• CV/Resume
• Cover letter
• Provide 3 letters of recommendation. Please address letters of reference to:
Michael E. Engel, MD, PhD

Karen Jargowsky Centennial Professor of Pediatrics

Division Chief, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology

Vice Chair for Pediatric Research

Adjunct Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics

Investigator, Child Health Research Center

University of Virginia School of Medicine

Upload all materials into the resume submission field, multiple documents can be submitted into this one field. Alternatively, merge all documents into one PDF for submission. Applications that do not contain all required documents will not receive full consideration.

References will be completed via UVA’s standardized process Skill Survey. A total of five references will be requested via SkillSurvey during the final phase of the interview process. For questions about the application process, please contact Christi Maguire, Recruiting Specialist, at . For more information about UVA and the Charlottesville community please see and .

The University of Virginia, i ncluding the UVA Health System which represents the UVA Medical Center, Schools of Medicine and Nursing, UVA Physician’s Group and the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, are fundamentally committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff. We believe diversity is excellence expressing itself through every person's perspectives and lived experiences. We are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, veteran status, and family medical or genetic information.

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