Field Application Specialist

Field Applications Specialist (FAS) will be responsible for providing technical expertise on automated liquid handling platforms at JAX in Scientific Services’ core labs. This position will partner with various core services members on projects to define requirements and processes, develop workflows, program instruments, write documentation, perform system validations, and provide basic operator training in conjunction with good laboratory practices. This position will assist with liquid handling technology evaluation, development, and implementation to support new liquid handling platforms and scale-up opportunities for current automated liquid handling platforms. This will include participating in the installation, configuration and operation of automation hardware and software. Long term applications support and troubleshooting for all supported automated liquid handling platforms is also required. These duties will include interacting with EHS, Facilities, Scientific Instrumentation Services, IT, Core Services, or Research Labs as necessary. Depending on location, the FAS will report to the Sr. Manager of Scientific Instrument Services in Bar Harbor or the Manager of Scientific Instrument Services in Farmington. Key Responsibilities and Essential Functions: Collaborate with Scientific Services Core staff to understand, conceptualize, design, estimate costs, and assess the feasibility of implementing automation of complex scientific workflows. Develop, refine, and implement, and validate methods on automated liquid handling instruments to meet service cores’ deliverables. Prepare and maintain high quality training materials, maintenance protocols, start-up procedures, and SOPs. Train Scientific Services Core staff on the operation and maintenance of automated liquid handling platforms. Maintain, repair, and replace system assemblies (pneumatics, electro- mechanical, communications, etc.) as needed. Provide ongoing applications & troubleshooting support to our Scientific Services and their liquid handlers. Learn to recognize problems and inefficiencies in lab processes and propose/implement improvements. Assist Instrument Technicians on the Scientific Instrumentation Services team as needed. Perform other duties as assigned. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Technical Background – B.S. degree in Scientific/Engineering/IT discipline Minimum 2 years’ industrial/laboratory experience. Hands-on experience with automated liquid handling devices including requirements gathering and method development. Relevant experience with Tecan, Hamilton, Beckman Coulter, and/or PerkinElmer platforms is required Experience with using automated lab instruments in a high throughput screening, high content biology, genomics, cell culture, or research automation setting is required Ability to communicate clearly and professionally with appropriate detail with project members of all levels, vendors, and supervisors/managers Demonstrated aptitude for hands-on tasks and time management and the flexibility required to support several simultaneous automation projects Must possess a high level of initiative, creativity, willingness to learn, and the ability to work both independently and with a team to meet tasks and goals effectively. Must be comfortable in role as a subject matter expert and trainer; advising and training internal lab staff is critical. Ability to define problems and use root cause analysis to draw valid conclusions and make appropriate recommendations. Knowledge of computer applications, scripting, databases, and programming, e.g., SQL, VB.Net, Python, Jscript, C , C#, is a plus Experience with other classes of laboratory equipment such as plate readers, high content imagers, biosafety hoods, incubators, centrifuges, and/or freezers A high level of proficiency in using computers (both Mac and PC) and various software packages, e.g., Word, Excel, Data Management Systems, etc., is required, Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) experience preferred. The FAS will occasionally need to travel to various JAX Sites (Bar Harbor ME, Sacramento CA, Ellsworth ME) for tasks that need to be completed onsite as well to vendor facilities for automation training. Educational Requirements: Bachelor's Degree Degree & Specialization Requirements: Scientific/Engineering/IT discipline Experience Requirements: 2 to 4 years Pay Range (hourly): $28.57 - $37.14 About JAX: The Jackson Laboratory is an independent, nonprofit biomedical research institution with a National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center and nearly 3,000 employees in locations across the United States (Maine, Connecticut, California), Japan and China. Its mission is to discover precise genomic solutions for disease and empower the global biomedical community in the shared quest to improve human health. Founded in 1929, JAX applies over nine decades of expertise in genetics to increase understanding of human disease, advancing treatments and cures for cancer, neurological and immune disorders, diabetes, aging and heart disease. It models and interprets genomic complexity, integrates basic research with clinical application, educates current and future scientists, and provides critical data, tools and services to the global biomedical community. For more information, please visit www.jax.org. EEO Statement: The Jackson Laboratory provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment in all job classifications without regard to race, color, religion, age, mental disability, physical disability, medical condition, gender, sexual orientation, genetic information, ancestry, marital status, national origin, veteran status, and other classifications protected by applicable state and local non-discrimination laws. Bar Harbor: The Jackson Laboratory's 43-acre scenic Bar Harbor campus is nestled between the Gulf of Maine and the mountains of Acadia National Park. Some of the best hiking and biking in the world (over 50 square miles of mountains, lakes, views, and dramatic coastline) is accessible from our campus. We are one mile from downtown Bar Harbor, which offers a vibrant downtown district with a plethora of restaurants, shops, museums, and galleries. Ellsworth: The Charles E. Hewett Center in Ellsworth, Maine, is a state-of-the-art facility that serves researchers world wide. The facility represents the culmination of nine decades of unmatched experience and leadership in breeding and caring for laboratory mice. Ellsworth, Maine, is one of Maine’s fastest growing cities. With a growth rate of nearly 20%, Ellsworth is a bustling year-round community and acts as a hub for surrounding towns. It is located nearby Acadia National Park and hosts numerous special events, concerts and festivals each year. Residents have access to fabulous shopping, recreation, museums, galleries, and dining at a variety of independent restaurants. Farmington: JAX Genomic Medicine is transforming medicine by improving patient care, lowering costs, and increasing life span and health span. JAX Genomic Medicine’s research focuses on the complex genetic causes of disease and on the development of genomic solutions tailored to each person's unique genetic makeup. JAX Genomic Medicine sits on a 17-acre site on the campus of the University of Connecticut Health Center. The 183,500-square-foot facility opened in the fall of 2014. Now, it houses over 300 biomedical researchers, technicians, and support staff in state-of-the-art computing facilities and laboratories. In Connecticut, JAX resides in the scenic town of Farmington, in the state’s capitol region. The Hartford region, which offers some of the best public schools in the country, is made up of both bigger cities and smaller, charming historic New England towns. JAX Genomic Medicine is also geographically located within 2 hours of Boston and New York and is close to multiple transportation systems, including bus lines, highways, railroads and international airports. Sacramento: The JAX® Mice, Clinical and Research Services facility is located in Sacramento, the state capital of California. Sacramento is less than a two-hour drive from San Francisco, Napa Valley, and scenic Lake Tahoe, and a short flight to both Los Angeles and Orange County. Sacramento is the birthplace of the nation’s Farm to Fork movement, and offers excellent restaurants, gastro-pubs, wineries, theaters, and museums. Outdoor activities are plentiful: Boating, white water rafting, and riding the scenic bicycle trails are popular. Housing and other costs of living are more affordable in Sacramento and its surrounding suburbs than in most other neighboring areas in the North Bay, making Sacramento one of the hottest housing markets in the country year after year. Augusta: JAX’s Maine Cancer Genomics Initiative (MCGI) is located in Augusta, Maine, in the Harold Alfond Center for Cancer Care (HACCC), at Maine General Hospital. It began operations in 2016 with three overarching goals: to provide cancer genomic testing for Maine cancer patients; to develop and deliver physician education about clinical genomic cancer diagnostics; and to build a network in Maine of oncology practices conducting studies in genomic medicine.