Regenerative Medicine & Advanced Therapies Technician

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST); Gaithersburg (MD); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) seeks a Regenerative Medicine & Advanced Therapies Technician to maintain mammalian cell cultures and cell banks, perform cell characterization assays, bioassays, and microscopy with advanced instrumentation. You will draft SOPs, manage measurement databases, and troubleshoot equipment while collaborating with a multidisciplinary team.

The role emphasizes laboratory operations, data integrity, and cross-functional collaboration to support

Qualifications

• Specialized experience maintaining mammalian cell cultures and cell banks.
• Experience managing laboratory equipment, inventory, and troubleshooting.
• Graduate education or master's degree in a related field, or combination of education and experience.

Responsibilities

• Maintain mammalian cell cultures and cell banks; perform cell characterization assays, bioassays, microscopy.
• Manage laboratory spaces, equipment, and supplies; troubleshoot issues to minimize downtime.
• Develop and document SOPs; maintain measurement databases; collaborate with multidisciplinary team.

Skills

Mammalian cell culture

Cell bank maintenance

Assay development

Education

Master's degree in related field

Tools

Analytical instrumentation

Job description

Summary

NIST is seeking a Regenerative Medicine & Advanced Therapies Technician to maintain laboratory spaces, mammalian cell cultures, and cell banks under a limited supervision. In this role, you will conduct cell characterization assays, bioassays, and microscopy using advanced analytical instrumentation. Additional duties include drafting standard operating procedures (SOPs), managing measurement databases, and troubleshooting equipment while collaborating with a multidisciplinary team.

Duties

In this position, you will: Cell Culture and Assay Operations: Maintain mammalian cell cultures and cell banks for the Regenerative Medicine Program under limited supervision. Perform cell characterization assays, bioassays, microscopy, and analytical protocols such as cell enumeration and viability methods.

Laboratory Operations and Technical Troubleshooting: Manage and maintain laboratory spaces, advanced analytical instrumentation, equipment, and general supplies. Apply professional judgment and precedent to troubleshoot assays and resolve common instrumentation or equipment issues to ensure minimal downtime.

Data Integrity, Documentation, and Cross-Functional Collaboration: Establish, document, and update standard operating procedures (SOPs) while maintaining measurement result databases to ensure data accuracy and timeliness. Interact and communicate effectively with a multidisciplinary team of biologists, engineers, statisticians, and computer scientists to facilitate protocol and reference material development.

Qualifications

IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION, APPLICANTS MUST POSSESS ONE OF THE FOLLOWING: Specialized experience: One year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-8 level (ZT-II at NIST). Specialized experience is defined as experience in maintaining mammalian cell cultures and cell banks to support advanced research or clinical applications. Experience in maintaining laboratory operational readiness by managing specialized equipment, managing inventory, and troubleshooting technical issues. Assisted in conducting precise mammalian cell measurements and analytical characterization assays to ensure the accuracy and reliability of experimental data. OR Education: Two full years of graduate education or a master's degree in a field of study directly related to the work of the position. OR Combination of specialized experience and graduate education: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. The qualification requirements in this vacancy announcement are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook. If requesting reconsideration of your qualification determination, please refer to the following site: Applicant Reconsideration