Microbiologist

The CDC Foundation helps the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) save and improve lives by unleashing the power of collaboration between CDC, philanthropies, corporations, organizations and individuals to protect the health, safety and security of America and the world. The CDC Foundation is the go-to nonprofit authorized by Congress to mobilize philanthropic partners and private-sector resources to support CDC’s critical health protection mission. Since 1995, the CDC Foundation has raised over $1.9 billion and launched more than 1,300 programs impacting a variety of health threats from chronic disease conditions including cardiovascular disease and cancer, to infectious diseases like rotavirus and HIV, to emergency responses, including COVID-19 and Ebola. The CDC Foundation managed hundreds of programs in the United States and in more than 90 countries last year. Visit www.cdcfoundation.org for more information.  

Position Highlights

Salary Range: $60,000 - $72,000, plus benefits

Position Type: Grant funded, limited-term opportunity contingent on funding

Position End Date: March 31, 2027

Location: This position will work on-site in Atlanta; GA. Relocation expenses are not provided. Up to 10% travel may be required.

Overview

The CDC Foundation seeks candidates for a full-time Microbiologist will assist and support a variety of lab-based tasks and work to support elimination and control efforts of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), including expressing and purifying recombinant proteins, using serological techniques, evaluation of new tests, and assay development.

This is a full-time, grant funded position with funding anticipated through June 30, 2027, with the possibility of extension depending on project needs and funding availability. This full-time position will be hired by the CDC Foundation and assigned to the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Roybal Campus. The Microbiologist will work in collaboration with CDC subject matter experts and laboratory staff. The staff member will collaborate with the CDC rotavirus program. This is an outstanding opportunity to work with the nation’s leading agency charged with protecting the public's health. The CDC Foundation offers a competitive salary and attractive benefits package. The salary for this position ranges from $60-72,000, based on education and experience.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

· Design and carry out a variety of laboratory procedures, experiments, gene cloning and expression, protein purification, serological techniques, and processes to support assay development for elimination and control efforts for a variety of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs)

· Support the evaluation and optimization of new tests and assays, including ELISA, multiplex bead assay, and lateral flow assay platforms

· Ensure that the full range of routine methods, procedures, techniques, and applicable quality controls are correctly conducted by referring to standard protocols.

· Complete training to demonstrate competency in laboratory standard operating procedures and platforms, including lateral flow assay, ELISA, multiplex bead assay, etc.

· Calibrate and operate laboratory instruments that are necessary to perform specialized tests, analyses, and other standard procedures in conducting experiments and studies.

· Perform advanced techniques to measure host immune responses to agents that cause diseases, including protein expression, purification, and assay development for candidate parasite proteins.

· Draft, revise, and facilitate the dissemination of procedures pertaining to protein expression, purification, and assay development.

· Ensuring developed standard operating procedures adhere to quality management system (QMS) parameters.

· Develop assays relevant for NTD control and elimination; assays may be developed on several platforms such as multiplex bead assay, ELISA, and lateral flow assay.

· Apply knowledge of the technical rules and procedures to document and prepare analyses and reports of findings for tests and studies.

· Evaluate progress of the studies or experiments to determine whether data generated are accurate and valid.

· Analyze serological data with statistical software such as R, StataSE.

· Prepare and edit routine reports on scientific investigations including study reports or possible scientific manuscripts, as needed.

· Assist with inventory control, procurement, and management of laboratory supplies and reagents.

· Travel domestically and internationally as needed (up to 10% annually) to support project and field activities.

Qualifications

· Bachelor’s degree in microbiology, science or related field

· 3-5 years of laboratory experience in serological techniques or protein expression and purification

· Working knowledge and experience with Neglected Tropical Diseases

· Knowledge and experience in performing and conducting a range of specialized tests, non-routine procedures, and laboratory test evaluation and validation with limited supervision, along with adhering to laboratory standards and established biosafety protocols and procedures.

· Highly detail oriented, demonstrating a high degree of initiative and flexibility, and able to prioritize and work under tight deadlines

· Written and verbal communication skills with experience preparing reports, publications, conference abstracts, and presentations and tailoring information for different types of audiences

· Outstanding teamwork skills; collegial, energetic, and able to develop productive relationships with colleagues, stakeholders, and partner

· Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

· Experience in developing rapid diagnostic tests

· Knowledge of CDC and the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) 12 Quality Systems Essentials (QSEs) and Quality Management Systems (QMS)

· Ability to maintain laboratory records and files; records and files must adhere to existing quality management system parameters

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, mental or physical disabilities, veteran status, and all other characteristics protected by law.

We comply with all applicable laws including E.O. 11246 and the Vietnam Era Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 governing employment practices and do not discriminate on the basis of any unlawful criteria in accordance with 41 C.F.R. §§ 60-300.5(a)(12) and 60-741.5(a)(7). As a federal government contractor, we take affirmative action on behalf of protected veterans.

The CDC Foundation is a smoke-free environment.

Relocation expenses are not included.