Research Specialist A/B

University of Pennsylvania

11d•Onsite

About The Position

Candidate will work in neurodegenerative disease research using both established and novel techniques. Main duties include providing CNDR research personnel with primary mouse neurons and iPS cells for in vitro assays. Candidate will also perform related cell culture tasks such as non-neuronal cell line establishment, cryopreservation, revival, and propagation on an as needed basis. Candidate will maintain equipment, supplies and reagents used in tissue culture lab. Candidate will also work on in vitro projects using established techniques such as transfection, transduction, biochemical and ICC assays. Candidate must be able to work independently as well as part of an active team. Candidate must be highly organized and capable of working on multi-disciplinary projects. Multi-tasking is key and other duties will include preparation of stock laboratory reagents and keeping an organized, up to date laboratory notebook. Candidate will be expected to attend regular laboratory meetings and activities of the Center.

Requirements

Research Specialist A: BA/BS in Biology/Neuroscience (or related field) and 0 to 1 year of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required, preferably with prior lab experience.
Must have strong organizational skills, good written and oral communication skills, and must be reliable; ability to coordinate several projects concurrently is essential.
Willingness to learn new techniques is an asset.
Candidate must be able to work in a team environment and must be proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, and Power Point.
Research Specialist B Bachelor’s degree combined with 1-3 years of related experience in research and clinical study methodologies or equivalent combination of education and experience required.
Position is contingent upon continued funding.

Nice To Haves

Willingness to learn new techniques is an asset.

Responsibilities

Candidate will work in neurodegenerative disease research using both established and novel techniques.
Main duties include providing CNDR research personnel with primary mouse neurons and iPSCs for in vitro assays.
Candidate will perform in vitro assays including transfection, transduction, biochemical assays and ICC.
Candidate will also perform related cell culture tasks such as non-neuronal cell line establishment, cryopreservation, revival, and propagation on an as needed basis.
Candidate will maintain equipment, supplies and reagents used in tissue culture lab.
Multi-tasking is key and other duties will include preparation of stock laboratory reagents and keeping an organized, up to date laboratory notebook.
Candidate will be expected to attend regular laboratory meetings and activities of the Center.
Will have the duties outlined above for a Research Specialist A, with the additional expectation that they will show a higher degree of independence, including the ability to design and troubleshoot experiments with greater autonomy and interpret study results with less input from supervisor(s).

Benefits

Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare.
You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.
In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.
Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.
As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.
From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.
Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.
Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.
Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.