Employment
The Institute for Protein Design (IPD) at the University of Washington in Seattle is creating new proteins to address 21st-century challenges in medicine, energy, and technology. The IPD is a unique interdisciplinary environment where world-class researchers with expertise in computing and software, biochemistry, genome sciences, biological structure, pharmacology, immunology and other basic science disciplines, as well as clinical medicine, work together to both computationally design and experimentally characterize novel biomolecules. Current projects include the design of novel therapeutics for cancer, neurological diseases, and more, as well as new vaccines, nanomaterials, and enzymes. For more information about the Institute, please see www.ipd.uw.edu.
Open Positions:
Laboratory Technician 1
The Laboratory Technician 1 will serve as laboratory support for the IPD. This position will focus on laboratory glassware cleaning and care as well as biowaste processing. This position will also support the lab with routine cleaning of laboratory equipment and spaces, buffer preparation, stocking, and inventory checks.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
In this role, ~70% of effort will be dedicated to glassware and biowaste processing.
Another ~10% of effort will be dedicated to laboratory cleaning.
Another ~10% of effort will be dedicated to buffer/reagent preparation.
The last ~10% of effort will be dedicated to inventory.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
This position is primarily devoted to laboratory support and requires a high school graduation or GED certification; OR one year’s experience as a Laboratory Helper or equivalent.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
An ideal Laboratory Technician 1 will have experience as a Laboratory Helper or basic chemical hygiene knowledge.
Knowledge/Understanding/Skills & Abilities:
• Understanding of basic chemical hygiene
• Can prioritize tasks appropriately
• Communicates effectively
• Efficient time management skills
Physical Requirements:
• Regularly lifts and/or carries objects weighing up to 40 pounds.
• Regularly stoops and bends.
• Regularly reaches and grasps with arms and hands.
• Occasionally performs extended sessions of aliquoting
• Work is performed in a normal office and wet lab environment where there are relatively few physical discomforts due to dust, dirt, noise, and the like.
Manager of Program Operations
The Manager of Program Operations is a key senior management position at The Institute for Protein Design (IPD) responsible for overseeing, with administrative management support from UW Department of Biochemistry, a multi-million dollar funding portfolio comprising both sponsored research projects and donations. Decisions made by the Manager have a significant impact on the success of operations at the IPD, and as such, it is a key position for the Institute, Department, and School.
This position will be responsible for various complex, diversified, and confidential leadership duties. Critical thinking, initiative, and sound judgment based on experience are required to manage operations, resolve problems, set up and implement policies and procedures and make recommendations to top management. The position will have a high level of autonomy and independence.
The Manager of Program Operations oversees a ~10-person administrative staff at the IPD, effectively managing all business-, fiscal-, and grant-related activities for the Institute, comprising over $21M in annual expenditures and ~200 people including faculty members, staff scientists, postdoctoral scholars, graduate students, and undergraduate trainees. This position reports to the Director of the IPD with mentorship and guidance from the Chief Strategy Officer of the IPD. This position also serves as a liaison to the IPD’s Advisory Board, Scientific Council, and Advancement colleagues. This position will work in close cooperation and coordination with the Department of Biochemistry’s main administration and department management (Chair/Director/Administrator).
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Grant and Program Management Activities (30%)
- Oversee the activities of two research program managers who manage all pre- and post-award funding, budgeting, contracts, and reporting.
Liaise with UW Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Office of Sponsored Programs, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and CoMotion officials to ensure timely and effective processing of agreements.
- Oversee the activities of two research program managers who manage all pre- and post-award funding, budgeting, contracts, and reporting.
- Administrative Management Activities (40%)
- Oversee the activities of a four-person team managing all of the laboratory functions across four research sites encompassing ~30,000 assignable square feet of diverse laboratory spaces, including EH&S activities.
- Oversee the activities of one executive assistant (reporting to IPD Director) and one administrative assistant (reporting to IPD Deputy Director) who manage all calendaring, travel, paperwork, and dry lab desk assignments for the Baker and King labs.
- Oversee the activities of an academic training program manager who is responsible for oversight of all postdoctoral scholar, graduate student (in collaboration with UW graduate programs), and visiting scientist interviews, on-boarding, visa processing, and off-boarding.
- Oversee the activities of one event coordinator who is responsible for supporting a variety of programmatic events at the IPD.
- Manage the review, implementation, and maintenance of all IPD policy documents, ensuring compliance with UW, State, Departmental policies and executive orders. Oversee the organizational process improvement, play an active role in creating and implementing internal policies and procedures to ensure compliance.
- Coordinate the annual performance reviews (with Principal Investigators and other stakeholders) and salary change recommendations for ~10 research scientists.
- Fiscal Management Activities (30%)
- Oversee the activities of one fiscal analyst and one procurement specialist supporting the timely reporting of IPD financials to numerous stakeholders and funding agencies.
- Ensure that use of funding is appropriately matched to research activities and that accurate forecasting of financial models for 2+ years enables long-term decision-making about staffing and infrastructure improvements.
- Provide required fiscal, grant and management reports to the Department of Biochemistry Chair and Director as needed.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
- Master’s Degree in Management, business or related field + 6-8 years or more of experience in related field.
Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
- The position requires a proven track record in managing complex pre- and post-award grant processes (ideally within the UW system) and fiscal oversight of multi-million dollar program financial activities in the private sector, government, and academia. Critical thinking, initiative, and sound judgment based on experience are required to manage tasks, resolve problems, and make recommendations. Advanced computer skills, project management experience, and advanced communication, organizational, collaborative, team-building and people skills are a must.
DESIRED:
- PhD in Biochemistry or a related field, or Masters in Business Administration.
- 8-10 years of research program management-level experience in an institution of higher learning or in the biotechnology sector.
- • Familiarity with University of Washington sponsored research and / or financial systems.
- Familiarity with intellectual property prosecution and maintenance.
- Familiarity with government funding agencies and their grant and contract processes.
- Familiarity with principles of managerial accounting.
Research Coordinator
The Research Coordinator will serve as a key member of the IPD’s research administrative team, reporting to the IPD Research Manager, and will be primarily responsible for facilitating research projects and supporting the IPD’s grant and contracts body of work. The IPD receives funding from federal sponsors, non-profit organizations, and private donors; each sponsor has a specific set of application instructions and post-award requirements that need to be followed by the submitting lab Principal Investigator and Department.
The Research Coordinator will apply scientific knowledge gained through formal education in protein science to support the coordination of a significant research project or multiple smaller research projects. The Research Coordinator will coordinate multiple data collection efforts which may include collaborating agencies or institutions. Duties include writing and editing technical reports and manuscripts for publication or presentation, developing and monitoring project budgets, preparing progress reports/proposals, and acting as a liaison between the project team, research project partners, and funding agencies. The Research Coordinator may supervise the activities of part-time support staff.
This position will support collaborative research project management at the IPD. As such, the position will have a significant impact on the IPD research program’s success, and consequently, the UW research at large. The position will be in a collaborative research environment with multiple interacting stakeholders.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Research Coordinator will commit 70% of their effort to research project management. Another 20% will be for pre- and post-award grants management. Another 10% will be dedicated to a variety of other related tasks including grant application submissions.
The Research Coordinator will assist the IPD Research Manager in a variety of tasks as follows:
(i) Research Project Management
- Support for the oversight of programmatic research management activities at the IPD, including primarily our Audacious Project, and government agency-funded projects (e.g., DTRA, DARPA, NIH).
- Support project communication with both internal and external stakeholders; liaison between the project team and funding agencies or collaborators, ensuring regular program progress.
- Serve as liaison for complex regulatory or compliance matters, including coordinating with the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP), Grant and Contract Accounting (GCA), and CoMotion.
- Assist with the production of annual reports, center reports, grant submission components, and just-in-time materials for principal investigators and industry sponsors to ensure that each project is moving toward timely completion.
- Scheduling and coordination of regular meetings or calls between the project team and funding partners.
- Maintain internal funding opportunity databases, reporting tracking system, and related confidential files.
- Perform other management responsibilities as required.
(ii) Grants Management
- Investigate potential funding sources and opportunities and maintain a funding opportunity database and reporting deliverables tracking system for all IPD grants and contracts.
- Collaborative writing and editing of grant proposals for grant and contract-funded projects.
- Help draft and guide budget development, budget justifications, and other administrative portions of grant proposals.
- Be the main point of contact for all grants on which IPD is a sub-recipient (i.e., not the lead)
- Collaborative support ensuring timely submission of high-quality research proposals via routing of internal electronic applications (eGC1s) to OSP for review.
(iii) Other Related Tasks
- Be the main point of contact for IPD for all training grant involvement.
Prepare and process letters, correspondence, and presentation materials.
Prepare and maintain ancillary documents for grant proposals including bio sketches, current and pending support documents, data sharing plans, facilities and equipment documents, and other required information.
Maintain comprehensive knowledge of particular areas involved in identifying and soliciting grants.
Performs other related duties as assigned.
Supervisory Responsibilities: - The Research Coordinator will report primarily to the IPD Research Manager and secondarily to the IPD Chief Scientific and Operations Officer. The Research Coordinator may supervise the activities of part-time support staff.
MINIMUM Requirements:
- Bachelor’s Degree in Basic Science, with a track record in coordinating collaborative projects.
- At least 2 years experience in managing one or more collaborative research projects.
- Experience with Windows and Mac operating systems and general computer use.
- Strong and clear communication skills in English, both oral and written.
- Ability to work with little supervision and exercise sound judgment.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Advanced training in a related scientific field.
- Eagerness to learn and contribute to a high-performance research organization.
- An appreciation for the development of new knowledge with positive societal and medical impact.
- The ability to flourish in a highly matrixed organization and work well within multidisciplinary teams.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
- Occasionally lift and/or carry objects weighing up to 20 pounds.
- Occasionally reach and grasp with arms and hands.
- Occasionally stoop and bend.
Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license, certification, or registration.
Research Scientist Assistant – Vivarium
In this vivarium-based role, the Research Scientist Assistant will work in a collaborative environment to perform and develop studies in support of in vivo experiments. The candidate will assist with in vivo study design in collaboration with research staff and the Core Lead. This position will report to a Core Leader and will be part of a group that values data quality, high productivity, compliance, animal ethics, organization, and teamwork.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Candidate must have familiarity with office productivity software (Word, Powerpoint, Excel) to prepare research reports for the work performed. Candidate must be proficient with sterile laboratory maintenance and familiar with BSL1 and BSL2 & ABSL2 requirements, including demonstrated experience with aseptic technique and animal handling and techniques. The candidate will assist graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, research staff, and help train undergraduates.
Percentage of effort:
• In vivo study support – 90%
• General ABSL2 support – 10%
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
Bachelor’s Degree in Molecular Biology/Biochemistry/Structural Biology/Cell Biology or related Life Sciences + less than 3 months of experience in a related field.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
General knowledge and experience in animal handling, operations, and protocol compliance. General knowledge of immunology and cell biology techniques and analytics.
DESIRED:
Familiarity with in vivo study design, bioanalytical assays, inventory management
Click here to apply →
Research Scientist 2 — Molecular Biologist
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- 60% of effort will be dedicated to molecular library construction and screening activities.
- 20% of effort will be dedicated to the maintenance of instruments needed for molecular screening.
- The remaining ~20% of effort will be dedicated to protein production and biophysical characterization of single proteins.
Construction of gene libraries from chip synthesized oligonucleotides and screening of computationally designed minibinders with functional features using fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS), next-generation DNA sequencing, followed by clonal protein production and biophysical testing of function.
Regularly review, analyze, and troubleshoot all experimental results for all minibinder molecular library production from chip-synthesized oligonucleotides, including fragment amplification, plasmid verification, sequencing data quality assessment, yeast strain verification, and flow cytometry.
Design, test, and implement protocols and techniques into existing minibinder molecular library construction and screening workflows to improve standardization and efficiency.
Collaborate with other research staff, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students on computational minibinder protein screening, production and characterization.
Evaluate current and proposed protocols for accuracy, reagent conservation, and validity of resulting data.
Works effectively as a member of a team under technical guidance of seasoned staff; establishes productive relationships with co-workers, customers and others to accomplish team objectives; may guide the work of co-workers, students, research aides/assistants, technicians or other support staff as necessary to achieve specific assignments.
Leads small projects and/or major project tasks which may last years, and effectively manages them by providing guidance and direction to project staff; makes substantial contributions to determining feasibility of goals/objectives; interfaces with investigator peers.
Performs assignments designed to develop professional work knowledge providing foundation for innovative thinking and techniques
Works under immediate supervision to complete assigned tasks/projects.
MINIMUM Requirements:
- Bachelor’s Degree in Biochemistry, Biology or related field + 2 years or more of experience in related field.
- Experience with molecular library construction, FACS machines, and next-generation DNA sequencing desired. Candidates must be capable of selecting and applying standardized scientific procedures and techniques to assignments of moderate complexity, involving potentially conflicting design requirements.
DESIRED
- Technical proficiency, scientific creativity, collaborative ability as well as independent thought.
- Recognized as a resource for others to use in dealing with molecular library screening. Anticipates future needs in novel protocol development.
- Ability to develop innovative processes to achieve goals. Reviews work activities to determine where new information could improve processes or move projects forward.
- Ability to select and apply standardized scientific procedures and techniques to assignments of moderate complexity, involving potentially conflicting assay requirements.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
- Occasionally lift and/or carry objects weighing up to 20 pounds.
- Occasionally reach and grasp with arms and hands.
- Occasionally stoop and bend.
Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license, certification, or registration.
Application Process:
The University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.
Applicants considered for this position will be required to disclose if they are the subject of any substantiated findings or current investigations related to sexual misconduct at their current employment and past employment. Disclosure is required under Washington state law.
The application process for UW positions may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process. These assessments may include Work Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others. Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select “Apply to this position”. Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your “My Jobs” page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your “My Jobs” page to take when you are ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.
To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 or dso@uw.edu.
Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license, certification, or registration.
COVID-19 VACCINATION REQUIREMENT
Employees of the University of Washington are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 unless a medical or religious exemption is approved. Being fully vaccinated means that an individual is at least two weeks past their final dose of an authorized COVID-19 vaccine regimen. As a condition of employment, newly hired employees will be required to provide proof of their COVID-19 vaccination. View the Final candidate guide to COVID-19 vaccination requirement webpage for information about the medical or religious exemption process for final candidates.