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The EPA National Student Services Contract has an immediate opening for a full-time qPCR Data Support Associate with the Office of Research and Development at the EPA facility in Cincinnati, OH.

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.

What the EPA project is about

Part of ORD’s mission is to research to advance EPA’s ability to measure and model contaminants in the environment, including research to provide fundamental methods and models needed to implement environmental statutes. The methods and models developed by ORD are typically applied at the airshed, watershed and ecosystem level.

What you will be doing

As a team member, you will perform laboratory analyses of environmental water samples using nucleic acid amplification technologies: primarily quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), to determine concentrations of selected fecal indicator bacteria and to evaluate the performance of existing or new EPA methods incorporating these technologies. This work will support ORD’s Safe and Sustainable Water Research, 2019-2022 Strategic Research Action Plan under Topic: Watersheds, Research Area: Human health and aquatic life criteria, Output: Data and innovative tools to advance public health protection from microbial contaminants in surface water, as well as a Regional Applied Research Effort: Investigation and management of special challenges to the routine implementation of qPCR methods at inland lake and coastal fresh water beaches in the Great Lakes region.

What you will be doing

• Assisting in maintaining research supplies and materials;
• Assisting in performing routine maintenance of laboratory equipment;
• Preparing standard solutions;
• Assisting in receiving and maintaining inventories of environmental samples;
• Assisting in designing experiments and developing standard operating procedures;
• Recording and interpreting experimental results in electronic laboratory notebooks; and
• Familiarizing and adhering to Quality Assurance requirements of this project as documented in the Quality Assurance Project Plan: D-EMMD-0032123-QP-1-0.

Communications-related responsibilities

• Participating as a member of a multi-disciplinary research team;
• Interacting with other members of the team as well as other EPA scientists; and
• Presenting work performed as a poster at a scientific conference.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Work Experience, and Education

• Demonstrated education and/or experience in nucleic acid extraction and amplification technologies
• A working knowledge and experience with using Microsoft Office 360 software including Word, Excel, OneNote, PowerPoint; and
• Strong written, oral and electronic communication skills.
   

Location: This job will be located at EPA’s facility in Cincinnati, OH.

Hours: Full time.

Salary: Hourly wage for hours worked at a rate of $21.75 per hour.

Employer: Selected applicant will become a temporary employee of ORAU working as a contractor at EPA.

Travel: Occasional overnight travel may be required.

Working Conditions:  The selected candidate will be supervised by a mentor who will provide day-to-day direction, as well as coach, advise and counsel the candidate, and review the candidate’s work. This position will involve work in an administrative setting and is not expected to involve exposure to hazardous elements.

Expected Start Date: The position is full-time and expected to begin in February 2020. The initial project is through May 14, 2020 with potential optional periods.

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

• Be at least 18 years of age and
• Have earned at least a Bachelor’s degree in biology, biotechnology, microbiology, forensic biology, environmental biology, biochemistry, chemistry or a closely-related field of study from an accredited university or college within the last 24 months, and
• Be a citizen of the United States of America or a Legal Permanent Resident.

• Citizenship: LPR or U.S. Citizen
• Degree: Any degree .
• Discipline(s):
  • Chemistry and Materials Sciences (12 )
  • Environmental and Marine Sciences (13 )
  • Life Health and Medical Sciences (45 )

I certify that I am at least 18 years of age; a recent graduate with at least a Bachelor’s degree in biology, biotechnology, microbiology, forensic biology, environmental biology, biochemistry, chemistry or a closely-related field of study from an accredited university or college within the last 24 months; 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.