The EPA Environmental Research and Business Support Program has an immediate opening for an EPA Analytical Chemistry Laboratory Associate with the Office of Research and Development at the EPA facility in Research Triangle Park, NC.

The Office of Research and Development at the EPA supports high-quality research to improve the scientific basis for decisions on national environmental issues and help EPA achieve its environmental goals. Research is conducted in a broad range of environmental areas by scientists in EPA laboratories and at universities across the country.

The Exposure Methods and Measurement Division (EMMD) of ORD’s National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL) provides the science that underlies the measurement of environmental stressors and their interaction with biological systems. This science includes method development, evaluation, and field and laboratory testing. These measurement methods are foundational to the Agency’s regulatory programs and stakeholder needs in protecting public health and the environment. EMMD scientists work on:

• Developing methods for measuring stressors (chemical, biological, physical, and psychosocial) in environmental and biological media
• Designing and conducting measurement-based studies (field and laboratory) to identify sources (forensics), informing fate and transport processes, and estimating exposure and dose for ecological and human receptors

EMD scientists are critical collaborators in providing measurements for:

• Exposure classification in epidemiologic studies
• Exposure the context of risk assessment
• Dose estimation for environmentally relevant toxicological studies
• EPA Program and Regional Offices, who serve public and stakeholder needs

The selected candidate shall work with supervisory chemists and project leaders to support the analysis of chemical standards and mixtures using high-resolution mass spectrometry (MS). While daily activities may vary, he/she shall be primarily responsible for analyzing chemicals (prepared in solution) from ORD’s ToxCast library on one or more analytical chemistry platforms.  Sample preparation activities may include dilution, extraction, transfer, mixture preparation, and reconstitution.  Analyses shall be performed primarily using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) or ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF).  The candidate shall help write laboratory standard operating procedures (SOPs) for new methods/procedures, perform routine experiments according to these SOPs, keep detailed laboratory notebooks and electronic data files, and communicate clearly with other laboratory staff and project leaders.  He/she shall abide by quality assurance requirements as stated in the NERL/EMMD Quality Assurance Project Plan entitled “Non-Targeted Analyses (NTA) and Suspect Screening of Chemicals in Environmental and Biological Samples in the Analytical Laboratories” (D-EMMD-PHCB-006-QAPP-01).

Location: This job will be located at EPA’s facility in Research Triangle Park, NC.

Salary: Selected applicant will become temporary employee of ORAU and will receive an hourly wage of $27.72 for hours worked.

Working Conditions: This position will involve work in an administrative setting and is not expected to involve exposure to hazardous elements.

The selected candidates shall be supervised by a mentor who will provide day-to-day direction, as well as coach, advise and counsel them, and review their work. 

Travel: Occasional overnight travel may be required.

Expected Start Date: The position is full time and expected to begin November 2016.  The selected applicant will be a temporary employee of ORAU working as a contractor to EPA. The initial contract period is through May 14, 2017, followed by three (3) additional 12 month option periods.

For more information, contact EPAjobs@orau.org. Do not contact EPA directly. 

Eligible applicants must:

• Be at least 18 years of age and
• Have earned at least a Master’s degree in analytical chemistry, organic chemistry, environmental chemistry, biochemistry, or a closely related field of study and
• Be a citizen of the United States of America or a Legal Permanent Resident.

EPA ORD employees, their spouses, and children are not eligible to participate in this program.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Work Experience, and Education

Successful candidate shall possess:

• Demonstrated education and/or experience in a chemistry and/or biochemistry laboratory,
• Working knowledge of liquid chromatography (LC) and mass spectrometry (MS), and
• Strong written, oral and electronic communication skills.

How to apply

• Submit application and supporting documents by clicking on Apply Now button.
• For more information, contact EPAjobs@orau.org. Do not contact EPA directly.

• Citizenship: LPR or U.S. Citizen
• Degree: Master's Degree or Doctoral Degree received within the last 24 month(s).
• Minimum Overall GPA: 2.00
• Discipline(s):
  • Chemistry and Materials Sciences (12 )
  • Engineering (1 )
  • Environmental and Marine Sciences (1 )
  • Life Health and Medical Sciences (45 )

I certify that I am at least 18 years of age; a recent graduate with at least a Master’s degree in analytical chemistry, organic chemistry, environmental chemistry, biochemistry, or a closely related field of study; a citizen or a Legal Permanent Resident of the United States of America; and not a current employee of EPA ORD or the spouse or child of an EPA ORD employee.