Sr. Research Associate, Microbiology

The National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center (NBACC) is a unique facility located at Fort Detrick in Frederick, MD, dedicated to defending the nation against biological threats. Established in response to biodefense gaps identified after the Amerithrax attacks of 2001, NBACC has been operated by the Battelle National Biodefense Institute (BNBI) since 2006.

NBACC supports DHS and national biodefense preparedness planning, response, emerging threat characterization, and bioforensic analyses. It addresses critical scientific knowledge gaps regarding biological agents to protect the public and defend the nation against biological threats- whether naturally occurring, accidental, or deliberate. NBACC also provides federal law enforcement with scientific data to support the investigation and attribution of biocrimes and the protection of the U.S. bioeconomy.

NBACC is comprised of two centers:

• National Bioforensic Analysis Center (NBFAC): Conducts technical analyses to support federal law enforcement investigations.
• National Biological Threat Characterization Center (NBTCC): Conducts experiments and studies to gather data for understanding biological vulnerabilities and hazards.

Together, these centers serve as a national resource for assessing risks posed by biological agents and emerging technologies, informing biodefense policy and response planning, and supporting the investigation, prosecution, and prevention of biocrimes and bioterrorism.

• Performs analysis of bacteriological samples utilizing standard techniques such as plating, Gram staining, colony counting, as well as phenotypic, biochemical, and/or genetic analyses.
• Serves as a member of a team in developing, validating, and maintaining methods for identifying and characterizing biological threat agents.
• Provides technical support to multiple bacteriology and aerobiology projects simultaneously.
• May support other research areas of NBACC with appropriate training to meet program requirements.
• Proactively identifies issues and recommends solutions to improve laboratory protocols, procedures, and experimental plans, and participates in the testing and evaluation of new technologies and protocols to improve NBACC's ability to serve its customers.
• Assists in developing high-quality draft protocols, task-specific procedures and SOPs with minimal supervision, maintaining records and supporting Principal Investigators during the writing of technical reports delivered to the NBACC laboratory directors.
• May act as a Technical Lead to coordinate day-to-day project logistics and scheduling, perform summary-level analyses of data and provide drafts of project administrative documents.
• Mentors/cross trains other technical staff on bacterial procedures and SOPs.
• May be appointed as a Lab Space Manager (LSM), and/or Biological Select Agents and Toxins (BSAT) designee.
• Willingness to adapt to new work assignments, and perform assignments outside area of expertise, while managing resources efficiently.
• Works on assignments requiring considerable judgment and initiative, while understanding the implications of work and making recommendations for solutions.
• Receives little instruction on daily work, general instructions on newly introduced assignments, and has the ability to mentor personnel within the group, while identifying and communicating promptly and with recommended solutions.
• Participates in the testing and evaluation of new technologies and protocols including writing and updating NBACC Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), work instructions and forms to improve NBACC's ability to serve its customers.
• Identifies departures from the Quality Management System (QMS) and initiates actions to investigate and prevent such occurrences.
• With minimal supervision, operates, maintains, and characterizes the performance of the equipment ensuring the reagents and supplies are maintained and used properly.
• Develops techniques, prepares samples and performs test according to appropriate SOPs.
• Serves as a member of a team in developing, validating, and maintaining methods for identifying and characterizing biological threat agents.
• Exhibits teamwork, clear communication, openness to ideas, and patience with colleagues.
• Demonstrates the ability to multitask, maintain composure under pressure, and utilize effective time management skills to prioritize tasks in a complex, high containment environment.
• Is a self-starter driven by an eagerness to succeed, maintaining…