Job Details

Research Associate III

Job ID: req1358
Employee Type: exempt full-time
Facility: Frederick: Ft Detrick
Location: PO Box B, Frederick, MD 21702 USA

The Frederick National Laboratory is a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and operated by Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc.  The lab addresses some of the most urgent and intractable problems in the biomedical sciences in cancer and AIDS, drug development and first-in-human clinical trials, applications of nanotechnology in medicine, and rapid response to emerging threats of infectious diseases.

Our core values of accountability, compassion, collaboration, dedication, integrity, and versatility serve as a guidepost for how we do our work every day in serving the public’s interest.  

 Position Overview:

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research (FNL) is a Federally Funded Research and Development Center sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and operated by the prime contractor Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc. FNL is responsible for pursuing a unique mission in translational and applied biomedical research that is unsuitable for academia, the pharmaceutical industry, or other federal contractors.  This open position in is ideally suited for a research associate who is interested in applied research & development. The selected candidate will join the NCI Cancer Imaging Program (CIP) support group located at the NCI-Frederick campus.

This program supports the NCI CIP by providing medical imaging agents for clinical trials, new imaging agent development, radiochemistry operations, and regulatory affairs support.  Activities include procurement of investigational and production of experimental PET imaging agents for clinical and pre-clinical studies, respectively; regulatory support managing the life cycle of CIP INDs; contributing to the advanced development of the CIP- and non-CIP-sponsored investigational imaging agents; supporting clinical trials; and providing nuclear medicine sites with access to CIP imaging agents.

KEY ROLES/RESPONSIBILITIES

• Prepare preclinical radiochemical doses in a clean production environment (“cGMP-like”)
• Receive doses from outside vendor(s)
• Perform quality control testing of doses of experimental PET imaging agents (e.g., HPLC, GC, radiopurity testing, pH, bubble testing, etc.)
• Support the development of new laboratory methods
• Maintain inventory of lab supplies, as needed, to support dose preparation activities
• Prepare SS- and SR- forms for new chemicals and reagents
• Maintain the radiochemistry production lab according to cGMP principles, important for integrity of medical imaging studies in animal models using experimental imaging agents
• Maintain ongoing operability/capability of the lab environment. Duties include ensuring cleanliness of lab, interfacing with the facilities support departments (as needed), verifying service status of lab equipment, etc.
• Assist the Laboratory Manager/Supervisor with record keeping and reporting to comply with rules and regulations that apply to the use of radioisotopes

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

• Possession of a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university (according to CHEA) in a field related to biomedical research. Foreign degrees will be evaluated for U.S. equivalency
• Minimum of eight (8) years relevant experience in medical chemistry and/or analytical chemistry
• Proficient in running HPLC and GC instrumentation
• Experience working in a radiochemistry lab
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Successful experience working in a regulated environment (such as cGMP-like)
• Successful experience working with PET imaging agents
• Successful experience generating and purifying PET imaging agents for use in preclinical experiments in animal models
• Successful experience with characterization of PET imaging agents
• Successful experience with record keeping and reporting of records 

JOB HAZARDS

• This position is subject to working with or have potential for exposure to infectious material, requiring medical clearance and immunizations
• This position is subject to atmospheric conditions that would require the usage of a respirator, requiring a medical clearance
• This position is subject to working with radioactive material and requires to become an approved radiation worker

Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) | Minority/Female/Disabled/Veteran (M/F/D/V) | Drug Free Workplace (DFW)

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