EPA Environmental Chemical Safety Testing Associate

The EPA Environmental Research and Business Support Program has an immediate opening for an EPA Environmental Chemical Safety Testing Associate with the Office of Research and Development at the EPA’s Research Triangle facility in Raleigh-Durham, NC.

The Office of Research and Development at the EPA supports high-quality research to improve the scientific basis for decisions on national environmental issues and help EPA achieve its environmental goals. Research is conducted in a broad range of environmental areas by scientists in EPA laboratories and at universities across the country.

The Office of Research and Development at the EPA supports research that provides the scientific basis for decisions on national environmental issues and help EPA achieve its environmental goals. The National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory (NHEERL) is the Agency's focal point for scientific research on the effects of contaminants and environmental stressors on human health and ecosystem integrity. Its research mission and goals help the Agency to identify and understand the processes that affect our health and environment, and helps the Agency to evaluate the risks that pollution poses to public health. The Environmental Public Health Division (EPHD) is one of the three health divisions within NHEERL. The work to be performed in EPHD will be in the Cardiopulmonary Immunotoxicology Branch (CIB) located in the US EPA’s Research Triangle Park, NC facility.  The focal point of EPHD\CIB is determining the pulmonary, immune and cardiovascular effects of air pollutants, existing, and emerging chemicals. This position is seeking an individual who is at least 18 years of age and has completed a Master’s degree in one of the following disciplines: animal science, nutrition, metabolism, molecular biology, cell biology, biology, environmental science, toxicology, anatomy, physiology, or a related field of study to assist in conducting research to assess the cardiac safety of environmental pollutants and chemicals.  This effort is expected to begin approximately October 2016. 

Responsibilities Include:

• Working in a laboratory performing standard assays as well as develop new assays that characterize the cardiac toxicity of chemicals and air pollutants;
• Performing and participating in studies to assess the animal, or in vivo, cardiac toxicity of chemicals following pulmonary exposures as well as tissue culture, or in vitro, cardiac toxicity studies designed to assess chemical safety and health risk;
• Performing laboratory work including: the use of animals; ex vivo heart perfusions; cardiomyocyte tissue culture; inhalation exposures; preparing samples; conducting assays; gathering data; entering data; analyzing to assess chemical induced cardiac toxicity and altered physiology at the molecular, cellular, organ, and whole animal levels;
• Performing all aspects of the research including handling animals, tissue preparation, ex vivo heart perfusions, cell and molecular based assays, data collection, cardiac physiology analysis including using EMKA software and statistical analysis of data following exposure to chemicals; and
• Performing all activities associated with conducting experiments and includes preparation of dosing solutions, buffers, enzyme assays, data calculation, graphic representation of data, and writing research reports and protocols.

Location: This job will be located EPA’s Research Triangle facility in Raleigh-Durham, NC.

Salary: Selected applicants will become temporary employees of ORAU and will receive an hourly wage of $27.72 for hours worked.

Travel: Occasional overnight travel may be required.

Expected Start Date: The position is full time and expected to begin October 2016. The initial project is through May 14, 2017, followed by up to four (3) 12-month optional periods.

Working Conditions: 

The selected applicant shall be supervised by a mentor who will provide day-to-day direction, as well as coach, advise, counsel and review his/her work.  The work will be in a laboratory setting and is expected to involve exposure to hazardous elements.

For more information, contact EPAjobs@orau.org. Do not contact EPA directly.

Eligible applicants must:

• Be at least 18 years of age and
• Have Master’s degree in one of the following disciplines: animal science, nutrition, metabolism, molecular biology, cell biology, biology, environmental science, toxicology, anatomy, physiology or a related field from an accredited university or college within the last 24 months and
• Be a citizen of the United States of America or a Legal Permanent Resident.

EPA ORD employees, their spouses, and children are not eligible to participate in this program.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Work Experience, and Education

The applicant shall:

• Demonstrate strong written, oral and electronic communication skills.

Desired Expertise, Skills, Education, and/or Experience

It is desirable for the applicant to have:

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications (i.e., Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook), desktop publishing, PubMed, and the Internet,
• Experience or ability to use instruments and software programs that assess cardiac physiology (e. g., Lab Chart; EMKA; ACEA Biosciences - xCELLigence Cardio RCTA; Axion Biosystems Maestro Microelectrode Arrays; etc.),
• The ability to use statistical software such as SigmaPlot or Prism,
• Proficiency in tissue culture of mammalian cells with excellent aseptic technique,
• High proficiency in the laboratory skills and using standard laboratory equipment (pH meter, analytical balances, biological hood, cell incubator, etc.),
• High proficiency in time management and laboratory notebook record keeping,
• The ability to handle laboratory animals (mice; rats), perform necropsy, and recover tissues,
• The ability to work with minimal supervision, and
• The ability to prepare solutions and follow set protocols.

How to apply:

Submit application and supporting documents by clicking on Apply Now button.

For more information, contact EPAjobs@orau.org. Do not contact EPA directly.

• Citizenship: LPR or U.S. Citizen
• Degree: Master's Degree or Doctoral Degree received within the last 24 month(s).
• Overall GPA: 2.00
• Discipline(s):
  • Engineering (1 )
  • Environmental and Marine Sciences (3 )
  • Life Health and Medical Sciences (45 )

I certify that I am at least 18 years of age; a recent graduate with a Master’s degree in one of the following disciplines: animal science, nutrition, metabolism, molecular biology, cell biology, biology, environmental science, toxicology, anatomy, physiology, or a related field from an accredited university or college within the last 24 months; a citizen or a Legal Permanent Resident of the United States of America; and not a current employee of EPA ORD or the spouse or child of an EPA ORD employee.