Research Specialist B/C

Trustees of University of Pennsylvania; United States; On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Pennsylvania is seeking a Research Specialist B/C to manage biobanking operations for the CayoBank Core. You will oversee tissue processing, quality control, data management, and cross-institution workflows.

This role emphasizes precision, organization, and training of junior staff within a multi-site research network.

Responsibilities

• Conduct laboratory research and biobank operations, including organ dissection, tissue aliquoting, blood-product processing, prospective sample intake, molecular-sample preparation, and standardized quality-control testing. Troubleshoot processing issues, assess sample quality, document results, and support downstream analyses.
• Participate in laboratory and biobank management, including ultralow-temperature storage, cold-chain monitoring, 2D barcoding, LIMS/CayoHub data entry, chain-of-custody records, multi-site shipping, regulatory documentation, inventory, SOPs, progress reporting, equipment maintenance, and laboratory organization.
• Train and supervise undergraduate students and rotating laboratory members on sample handling, aliquoting, safety practices, and LIMS/data-entry procedures; provide technical guidance for related projects.
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned
• Lead complex laboratory research and biobank operations, including organ dissection, tissue aliquoting, blood-product processing, prospective sample intake, molecular-sample preparation, and advanced quality-control testing. Develop and optimize methods, resolve complex processing and sample-quality issues, interpret results, and recommend corrective actions for downstream analyses.
• Coordinate laboratory and biobank management across Penn and partner sites, including ultralow-temperature storage, cold-chain monitoring, 2D barcoding, LIMS/CayoHub data quality, chain-of-custody controls, multi-site shipping, regulatory documentation, inventory, SOP governance, progress reporting, equipment readiness, and workflow planning.
• Train and supervise students, research staff, and rotating laboratory members; establish competency expectations; provide scientific and technical guidance; and coordinate work assignments for biobank and sample-management activities.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.
• Perform organ dissections from archived CayoBank specimens, including liver, adrenal gland, spleen, kidney, gastrointestinal regions, reproductive tissue, and skeletal muscle, following established protocols.
• Generate tissue aliquots for RNA, DNA, protein, and metabolomics applications using appropriate volumes and storage conditions.
• Process blood-derived samples, including PBMC isolation from buffy coat, plasma aliquoting, and serum preparation.
• Coordinate workflows to minimize freeze-thaw cycles and preserve sample integrity; use validated frozen-aliquoting methods.
• Assist with annual CayoField sample intake from Puerto Rico and distribute specimens to relevant project components.
• Prepare cryotubes, sample

Job description

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America's Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Research Specialist B/C

Job Profile Title

Research Specialist B

Job Description Summary

The Platt Laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania seeks a Research Specialist to manage the biobanking, sample processing, quality control, data management, and logistics operations of the CayoBank Core of a newly funded NIA U19 grant studying aging heterogeneity in rhesus macaques. CayoBank is a multi-institutional biobank of archived specimens spanning the full lifespan and supporting transcriptomic, epigenomic, proteomic, and metabolomic analyses across 15 tissue types.

This position serves as the operational backbone of Penn-based biobank activities and requires precision, strong organization, and the ability to coordinate complex workflows across a multi-institutional network.

Job Description

Job Responsibilities

Research Specialist B

Conduct laboratory research and biobank operations, including organ dissection, tissue aliquoting, blood-product processing, prospective sample intake, molecular-sample preparation, and standardized quality-control testing. Troubleshoot processing issues, assess sample quality, document results, and support downstream analyses.

Participate in laboratory and biobank management, including ultralow-temperature storage, cold-chain monitoring, 2D barcoding, LIMS/CayoHub data entry, chain-of-custody records, multi-site shipping, regulatory documentation, inventory, SOPs, progress reporting, equipment maintenance, and laboratory organization.

Train and supervise undergraduate students and rotating laboratory members on sample handling, aliquoting, safety practices, and LIMS/data-entry procedures; provide technical guidance for related projects.

Other duties and responsibilities as assigned

Research Specialist C

Lead complex laboratory research and biobank operations, including organ dissection, tissue aliquoting, blood-product processing, prospective sample intake, molecular-sample preparation, and advanced quality-control testing. Develop and optimize methods, resolve complex processing and sample-quality issues, interpret results, and recommend corrective actions for downstream analyses.

Coordinate laboratory and biobank management across Penn and partner sites, including ultralow-temperature storage, cold-chain monitoring, 2D barcoding, LIMS/CayoHub data quality, chain-of-custody controls, multi-site shipping, regulatory documentation, inventory, SOP governance, progress reporting, equipment readiness, and workflow planning.

Train and supervise students, research staff, and rotating laboratory members; establish competency expectations; provide scientific and technical guidance; and coordinate work assignments for biobank and sample-management activities.

Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Shared Detailed Responsibilities

• Perform organ dissections from archived CayoBank specimens, including liver, adrenal gland, spleen, kidney, gastrointestinal regions, reproductive tissue, and skeletal muscle, following established protocols.
• Generate tissue aliquots for RNA, DNA, protein, and metabolomics applications using appropriate volumes and storage conditions.
• Process blood-derived samples, including PBMC isolation from buffy coat, plasma aliquoting, and serum preparation.
• Coordinate workflows to minimize freeze-thaw cycles and preserve sample integrity; use validated frozen-aliquoting methods.
• Assist with annual CayoField sample intake from Puerto Rico and distribute specimens to relevant project components.
• Prepare cryotubes, sample