Senior Molecular Diagnostics Lab Tech IV — High-Containment

Cherokee Federal; Frederick (MD); On-site; USD 70,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision benefits

401K

Job summary

Cherokee Nation Integrated Health (CNIH) is seeking a Molecular Assay Lab Tech IV to provide advanced lab support for assay development and molecular diagnostics at Fort Detrick, MD. You will work in BSL-2/3/4 environments using PCR, sequencing, and enrichment techniques while maintaining rigorous documentation.

The role requires strong biology background, ability to work with clinical/environmental samples, and independent execution of experiments under PI supervision.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Biomedical Sciences, or a related field with relevant lab experience.
• Experience performing molecular biology and microbiological techniques including PCR, isothermal amplification, nucleic acid quantification, and sequencing prep.
• Experience in BSL-2/BSL-3/BSL-4 containment environments and handling pathogenic materials.
• Experience with automated and manual nucleic acid extraction systems (QIAgen EZ1, MagNA Pure, Zymo).
• Experience with cell culture, viral culture, bacterial growth, and handling live virus/human cells.
• Experience in assay development, verification/validation of diagnostic technologies, and data analysis.
• Ability to work independently and with PIs in a high-containment setting; strong documentation skills.
• Experience maintaining laboratory records, SOPs, and technical reports; equipment and suite management.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and communication skills; team collaboration in research settings.
• BPRP enrollment is required; must pass Cherokee Federal pre-employment qualifications.

Responsibilities

• Perform experiments in BSL-2, BSL-3, and BSL-4 laboratories for assay development.
• Conduct testing and data analysis on etiologic agents in clinical and environmental samples.
• Prepare nucleic acids, libraries, and perform sequencing prep.
• Process samples using robotic and manual extraction methods.
• Handle live virus and human cells according to safety protocols.
• Support documentation and reporting to PIs; SOPs and manuscripts when needed.
• Maintain equipment and ensure suite integrity and safety testing.
• Coordinate laboratory personnel and provide senior-level supervision as required.
• Travel may be required CONUS/OCONUS to support diagnostic missions.

Skills

Molecular biology

Microbiology

Molecular diagnostics

Assay development

PCR

Next-generation sequencing

Data analysis

Documentation

Laboratory management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Biology or related

Tools

QIAgen EZ1

MagNA Pure

Zymo extraction kits

Real-time PCR

Digital PCR

MAGPIX

Next-generation sequencing

Job description

Cherokee Nation Integrated Health (CNIH) is seeking a Molecular Assay Lab Tech IV to provide advanced lab support for assay development and molecular diagnostics at Fort Detrick, MD. You will work in BSL-2/3/4 environments using PCR, sequencing, and enrichment techniques while maintaining rigorous documentation.

The role requires strong biology background, ability to work with clinical/environmental samples, and independent execution of experiments under PI supervision.