Lab & Research Technician

Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine; Richmond (VA); On-site; USD 38,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive health benefits

Generous tuition benefits

Career development opportunities

Job summary

Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine is seeking to fill a position focused on animal research and laboratory support. The successful candidate will have a Bachelor's or Master's degree and experience in wet lab techniques, statistical analysis, and electrophysiological methods. Responsibilities include providing technical support, training residents, and ensuring laboratory compliance.

This role offers a salary range of $38,000-$40,000, based on experience, and requires working 40 hours per week on site.

Qualifications

• Experience in a laboratory/research setting.
• Previous experience with animal work and tissue processing.
• Basic knowledge of statistics.
• Good written and oral communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Review and revise standard operating procedures.
• Implement, manage and provide services for analytical processing of samples.
• Conduct in vivo experiments and maintain mouse/rat colonies.
• Support educational programs by training residents and medical students.

Skills

Wet lab techniques

Electrophysiological techniques

Animal research

Statistical analysis

Education

Bachelors/Master’s degree in a related field

Tools

SPSS

SigmaStat

Microsoft Office

Job description

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelors/Master’s degree.
• Proficient in basic wet lab techniques.
• Hands on animal research experience and knowledge of state and federal regulations.
• Basic knowledge of electrophysiological techniques.
• Experience in electrophysiological testing, performance and analysis of the data is a plus.

Benefits

All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU’s robust benefits package that includes comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave granted up front, generous tuition benefits, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more.

Unit

School Of Medicine MBU

Department

Orthopedic Surgery

Duties & Responsibilities

Research, Analysis & Reporting

• Review and revise standard operating procedures.
• Provide technical support to medical residents, fellows, and other personnel.
• Implement, manage, and provide services for analytical processing of samples obtained by micro-dissection including extraction of nerve and muscle tissues.
• Carry out basic and clinical research protocols as designed by the laboratory director, including microsurgery on rats, histological analysis, statistical analysis, and neurophysiologic testing.
• Assist in the design of experiments and interpret results.
• Perform statistical analysis of data using SPSS, SigmaStat, etc.
• Prepare verbal and written reports of laboratory results.
• Maintain mouse/rat colonies and conduct in vivo experiments.
• Perform surgical manipulation of laboratory animals, care and monitoring, euthanasia, data collection and record keeping, and other tasks associated with the scientific study.
• Participate in the assessment and collection of clinical research related to hand, wrist, and extremity reconstructive microsurgery.
• Communicate with study patients and participants to interview and collect data.
• Assist microsurgery director in specimen handling and provide nerve and muscle samples to principal investigators.
• Supervise maintenance of instruments and validate new instrumentation.
• Independently troubleshoot instrument, assay, and analytical problems to prevent delays in testing; initiate repairs as needed.
• Perform basic science bench research.

Resident Research Coordinating & Training

• Support the educational program for training residents and medical students in microsurgical and electrophysiological testing methods.
• Contribute to the quality and content of basic techniques and instructional information of the educational program.
• Train students, residents, and new employees in basic science procedures, protocols, and lab safety.
• Oversee resident involvement in microsurgical research projects and training exercises.
• Provide group or individual microsurgery instruction to students, residents, fellows in Orthopaedic Surgery.
• Offer microsurgery training to residents and partners in other departments to strengthen their clinical work.
• Test resident/fellows for readiness by evaluating aptitude to work with animals.
• Confirm health status of resident/fellows.
• Attend all IACUC and other regulatory meetings and seminars.
• Assure completion of competency assessments timely and maintain records.
• Keep up to date with all safety and regulatory requirements.

Lab Safety & Compliance Coordination

• Act as laboratory safety officer.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and safe use of hazardous materials; oversee IACUC requirements.
• Demonstrate knowledge of local, state, and federal laws regarding laboratory testing.
• Familiar with emergency response procedures (RACER).
• Participate in VCUHS and Department of Orthopaedic Surgery safety training and provide documentation.
• Comply with department dress code and PPE policies.
• Comply with safety requirements for specimen handling.
• Report laboratory accidents to director immediately.
• Supervise quality control of specimen and data analysis.
• Identify quality control trends and resolve problems.
• Ensure corrective actions are documented per SOPs and compliance to protocols and test validation procedures.

Lab Utilization, Training & Evaluation

• Oversee resident involvement in microsurgical research projects and training exercises.
• Complete resident and medical student laboratory evaluations and report to director.
• Provide ideas and initiate discussions with management to improve lab resource utilization.
• Communicate independently with colleagues in other labs to share information about techniques, equipment, and related issues.

Grant/Fiscal Support & Lab Inventory Control (10%)

• Assist in writing grant proposals and IACUC proposals.
• Conduct literature reviews to determine suitable research methods.
• Order and maintain supplies and equipment necessary for residents.
• Maintain laboratory records and documentation.
• Provide ideas to improve lab resource utilization.
• Make budgetary recommendations.
• Implement cost containment measures.

Research Communication & Special Projects

• Communicate effectively with vendors.
• Coordinate with director, researchers, and colleagues in other laboratories.
• Perform other duties as assigned and participate in special projects to support the mission of VCUHS and the department.

Minimum Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to work in and foster an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with faculty, staff, and students from all backgrounds.
• Experience in a laboratory/research setting.
• Previous experience with animal work and tissue processing including slide preparation and staining.
• Basic knowledge of statistics.
• Microsoft Office experience is essential for data analysis and documentation of results.
• Good written and oral communication skills to prepare and present project reports.
• Good organizational skills and attention to detail; ability to work in a collaborative, team-oriented environment.
• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelors/Master’s degree in a related field or equivalent experience.

Salary Range

$38,000-$40,000, Commensurate with experience

FLSA Exemption Status

Non-Exempt

Hours per Week

40

Restricted Position

Yes

ORP Eligible

No

Flexible Work Arrangement

Fully Onsite