.: Institute for Human Infections and Immunity :.

Job Opportunities

In anticipation of the July 2008 opening of the NIH-funded Galveston National Laboratory (GNL), the Sealy Center for Vaccine Development,
the Center for Biodefense & Emerging Infectious Diseases, and the Institute for Human Infections and Immunity at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston are now or will soon be recruiting for the following positions

Faculty Level Positions

Institute for Human Infections and Immunity:

Virologist
The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston seeks a Virologist (MD and/or PhD) for tenure-track faculty position at the rank of Assistant, Associate or Full Professor. Candidates with proven abilities in research relating to the molecular biology of influenza viruses and/or negative strand RNA viruses, including demonstrated success in competing for research funding and a strong publication record, are encouraged to apply. UTMB, as home to the NIAID-supported Western Regional Center of Excellence in Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Galveston National Laboratory offers the successful candidate outstanding opportunities for collaborations with over 150 scientists focusing on infectious disease/immunology research, unique BSL-3 and BSL-4 containment laboratories, and a broad array of state-of-the-art research core facilities.

Interested candidates should send a curriculum vitae, an outline of research interests and the names of four references electronically to: Virology.micro@utmb.edu, or via mail to: Virology Search Committee, UTMB, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, Texas 77555-1019.

Immunologist
The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston seeks an Immunologist (DVM, MD and/or PhD) for tenure-track faculty position at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor.Candidates with the potential to build a strong extramurally funded research program or with demonstrated success in competing for research funding and a strong publication record relating to fundamental or applied aspects of immunology are encouraged to apply. UTMB, as home to the NIH-funded Western Regional Center of Excellence in Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Galveston National Laboratory offers the successful candidate outstanding opportunities for collaborations with over 150 scientists focusing on infectious disease/immunology research, unique BSL-3 and BSL-4 containment laboratories, and a broad array of state-of-the-art research core facilities.

Interested candidates should send a curriculum vitae, an outline of research interests and the names of four references electronically to: Immunology.micro@utmb.edu, or via mail to: Immunology Search Committee, UTMB, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, Texas 77555-1075.

Sealy Center for Vaccine Development:

Director of Clinical Trials and Clinical Research
The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston seeks a Director of Clinical Trials and Clinical Research (MD or MD, PhD) for a tenure or non-tenure track faculty position at the rank of Assistant, Associate or Full Professor. This position is an opportunity for a motivated individual to assume directorship of and expand the successful clinical research program at UTMB focused largely around vaccine development. The position includes working closely with the Director of the Sealy Center for Vaccine Center to develop and manage clinical trials including all phases of research, from First Time in Human studies to Phase 3 sponsored trials. Duties include management of the existing team of 7 full time study team support members (program manager, nurse coordinators, research coordinators, and nurse practitioner), close work with investigators around project identification and planning, start-up planning, budgetary planning, regulatory activities, and on-study visits for industry sponsored, foundation sponsored and federally funded studies. The program is fully funded through industry, NIH and foundation contracts and grants. Strong interpersonal skills in working with external and internal members of clinical trials study teams are essential. The opportunity to develop investigator initiated projects is very strong. Additional activity will include participation in clinical care of patients in the setting most appropriate to training, as well as in the teaching of graduate and undergraduate medical students and trainees.Candidates should be Board Certified, Internal Medicine and/or Pediatrics and have or be eligible for a valid Texas Medical License. Clinical trials experience is required.

Interested candidates should send curriculum vitae and a letter of interest electronically to: l.stanberry@utmb.edu, or via mail to: Dr. Lawrence Stanberry, Chairman, Department of Pediatrics, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, Texas 77555-0351.

Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases:

Arthropod Vector Biologist
The University of Texas Medical Branch seeks an Arthropod Vector Biologist (PhD) for a tenure-track faculty position at the rank of Assistant, Associate or Full Professor in the area of vector-borne disease research.We are particularly interested in enhancing our successful program in tick-borne pathogens, and researchers with expertise in acarology are strongly encouraged to apply.Applicants must have a Ph.D. in an appropriate field, with a research record related to arthropod-pathogen-vertebrate interactions. The successful candidate is expected to establish an innovative and externally funded research program, to collaborate with others studying vector-borne pathogens, and to participate in the Department’s graduate education program.

Interested candidates should send a curriculum vitae, a statement of proposed research, and a list of three references, including e-mail addresses electronically to: dwalker@utmb.edu, or via mail to: David H. Walker, M.D., Chairman, Department of Pathology, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, Texas 77555-0609.

Virologist
The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston seeks a Virologist (MS, DVM and/or PhD) for a tenure-track faculty position at the rank of Assistant, Associate or Full Professor. Candidates with proven abilities in research relating to zoonotic viruses such as arboviruses, rodent-borne or other emerging viruses are encouraged to apply. Virologists working at high containment will also receive special consideration.Successful applicants should demonstrate the ability to compete for research funding and have a strong publication record. UTMB, as home to the NIAID-supported Western Regional Center of Excellence in Biodefence and Emerging Infectious Diseases, the Galveston National Laboratory, and the World Reference Center for Arboviruses, offers and outstanding collaborative environment with over 150 scientists focusing on infectious disease and immunology research, unique BSL-3 and BSL-4 containment laboratories, and a broad array of state-of-the-art research core facilities.

Interested candidates should send a curriculum vitae, an outline of research interest and the names of four references electronically to: dwalker@utmb.edu, or via mail to: Zoonotic Virology Search Committee C/O Sherrill Hebert, Department of Pathology, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, Texas 77555-0609.

Staff Level Positions

Please address any inquiries to IHII.Jobs@UTMB.edu referencing the position of interest in the subject line of your email correspondence.

Galveston National Laboratory:

Accountant II
This individual will be responsible for the research support core service centers’ monthly billing as well as preparing and reconciling monthly financial expense reports for GNL core service centers. The incumbent will also review and make recommendations on proposed budget changes in order to determine whether such changes are permissible under the terms of grants or contracts, ensure that expired grants are closed out properly, assist with analysis and preparation of various financial reports for both internal use and as required for external agencies, examine historical and projected financial data to provide senior management with information upon which to make relevant financial decisions, provide transactional and analytical support for assigned functions or departments, approve daily expense transactions, and maintain financial databases. Preference will be given to individuals with extensive experience in managing federal grant/contract accounts, managing of service center accounts and preparing periodic reports related to time and effort. In addition to standard office software, the incumbent should ideally have a working knowledge of MS Access, Peoplesoft FMS and HCM, Hyperion reporting, and NIH Commons.

This position has been filled.

Coordinator for Regulatory Affairs
The incumbent will have current or recent experience in management or quality assurance roles for GLP, GMP or other regulated research activities. He/she will be responsible for implementing appropriate GLP training packages for GNL Core Directors and key staff and will work with the Regulatory Services Core Director and Associate Director to develop SOPs and policies covering the pre-study planning and review process that will be required for initiation of any GLP or other regulated study within the GNL. The Coordinator will also provide advice and assistance to other GNL laboratory and supporting Core Directors for development of facility-specific SOPs, primarily related to facilities and equipment operations, and GNL commissioning. The Coordinator will interact closely with other UTMB GLP program staff to ensure compliance of GNL activities with UTMB Institutional GLP policies and procedures, as well as interacting with regulatory agencies and outside QA professional organizations to ensure planning for GLP operations within the GNL is consistent with current industry standards and FDA expectations.

Interested candidates should apply online at http://www.utmb.edu. Click on “Jobs” then "External Applicants" or "Current UTMB Employees" as appropriate. Then click "Advanced Search". Enter '8400' in the "Job Opening ID" field to locate the GLP Program Manager (Micro) position.

IT Compliance Specialist
This individual will work with other Regulatory Services Core staff, UTMB GLP program staff, and GNL and UTMB IT/IS staff, to develop implementation plans and appropriate supporting documentation for 21 CFR Part 11 and Part 58 compliant operations of the Master Control electronic document and training management system as well as all electronic and computerized laboratory equipment, systems and networks in the GNL that may be required to support GLP-compliant research activities and/or maintain compliance with other relevant regulations, such as the CDC and USDA Select Agent regulations (42 CFR Part 73, 7 CFR Part 331 and 9 CFR Part 121). It is expected that the individual recruited to fill this role will have prior experience in implementation and validation of computerized laboratory systems, networks and software applications in a regulated research environment.

IT Team Leader
This individual, who will serve as IT Director within the GNL, will report to the Director of the GNL, and will be responsible for the strategic direction for the GNL IT infrastructure. He/she should have a background in network management and operations of high speed computing equipment, and will work with the Director and Associate Director for Research to establish necessary IT staffing levels within the GNL. This individual will serve as the director/operations manager for the IT function and will oversee the operations of the GNL network, including the creation of SOPs, disaster recovery and business continuity plans, service level metrics, implementation and support of technology, staff development/management, budget process and collaboration with the central UTMB IT organization.

This position has been filled.

Laboratory Manager
The Incumbent will be responsible for reagent preparation, shipping, record keeping, inventory management of infectious agents. and preparation and assembly of the BSL-3 core SOPs for both GLP and non GLP laboratories.

Project Manager
This individual will be involved in establishing, conducting and monitoring multiple collaborative research projects. These projects will be diverse in nature and are expected to have a variety of funding mechanisms, reporting requirements and deliverables. The person hired to fill the Project Manager position will have a key role in the Collaborative Research Services Core by taking responsibility for the day-to-day management of these projects. In this role the incumbent will be required to 1) Assist in the development of collaborative research agreements between external investigators and UTMB, including the review and approval of all material transfer agreement and confidentiality agreements that may be required. 2) Oversee budgets and supervise support staff and 3) Ensure that all reporting requirements are met in a timely manner.

Project Manager (GNL)
The incumbent will serve as the primary liaison between core directors, the Assistant Director and those wishing to utilize the GNL. In this role, she/he will ensure efficient scheduling and tracking of scientific projects within the GNL and be responsible for maintaining schedules of deliverables associated with ongoing studies and filing the requisite reports with research sponsors. In addition, she/he will meet with the Assistant Director regularly to report any deviations from scheduled activities and help develop plans for mediation. She/he will be well versed in the use of Microsoft Project software, and will be expected to provide guidance regarding the scope of its implementation and training for end users. The Project Manager will also be responsible for configuration/maintenance of the software package and associated hardware as well as the development of database driven, web-based front end systems to facilitate efficient communication amongst users of the GNL cores.

This position has been filled.

Research Associate II
This individual will be part of a team whose mission is to support and enhance community-based research of health conditions and events associated with infectious etiologies and to translate these results into healthier outcomes for the people served by UTMB and the state of Texas. The Research Associate will provide general research support to two faculty members in the Infectious Disease Epidemiology Program. This will include assistance in managing the day-to-day operations of large epidemiologic studies and maintenance of all project documentation files. The ideal candidate will possess the ability to: conduct a literature search; coordinate and participate in data collection activities, manage and analyze data using SAS and other statistical software; prepare and present reports for internal and external distribution, manage IRB applications and correspondence, and assist in the preparation of research grant proposals. The ideal person will be highly organized, quantitative and detail- oriented, with excellent interpersonal, communication, and problem-solving skills. Candidates who are proficient in SAS and fluent in Spanish are particularly encouraged to apply.

Interested candidates should apply online at http://www.utmb.edu. Click on “Jobs” then "External Applicants" or "Current UTMB Employees" as appropriate. Then click "Advanced Search". Enter '7625' in the "Job Opening ID" field to locate the Research Associate II - Internal Medicine, Infectious Disease Division position.

Research Associates (2)
There is an immediate need for two Research Associates who will support the research and administrative efforts of the GNL BSL4 laboratories.

Interested candidates should apply online at http://www.utmb.edu. Click on “Jobs” and locate the Research Associate II, Pathology positions by utilizing the Basic Job Search Keywords function. The Job IDs for these positions are 5655 and 5736.

Senior Quality Assurance Auditor
The incumbent will serve as the Senior QA Auditor for regulated research activities in the GNL. 21 CFR Part 58 requires quality assurance for all GLP compliant studies “to assure management that the facilities, equipment, personnel, methods, practices, records, and controls are in conformance with the regulations”. In the short term, the Senior QA auditor will primarily conduct audits and risk assessments of existing SOPs and policies pertaining to facilities management and other operations (e.g. Animal Resources) that are expected to support any regulated activities within the GNL. Although this individual’s responsibilities will be to review and report to the Regulatory Services Core Director and other GNL management on activities related to regulated studies in the GNL, they will be seconded to the institutional UTMB GLP program and will work in UTMB’s GLP Quality Assurance Unit. This is to ensure compliance with the 21 CFR Part 58 regulations which require QA personnel to be independent from any study, and to ensure continuity of the GLP QA effort at UTMB.

Veterinarian Team Leader
This individual will have specialized training in laparoscopic surgery and endoscopy as well as the needed experience to organize and lead an active experimental surgical facility to support the service/scientific goals of the GNL Advanced Veterinary Services Core. Her/his surgical experience will also be utilized for the implantation of telemetric devices, osmotic pumps and other veterinary or medical devices in a variety of animal species as requested by study directors. Responsibilities will also include ongoing health monitoring, diagnostics and treatment as well as daily interaction with the attending veterinarian at UTMB. Additionally she/he will be available for comprehensive consultation for protocol development, animal models, in vivo imaging and technical assistance to accomplish the scientific goals of the GNL Advanced Veterinary Services Core.

This position has been filled.

Veterinary Technicians (2-3)
The incumbents will be highly trained in animal husbandry, have experience of working on study protocols in the area of infectious diseases and will perform all required husbandry and veterinary technician duties. They will also anesthetize, inject, bleed, necropsy, and perform other procedures on rodents and lagomorphs in a high- or maximum-containment environment. They will be responsible (under the leadership of the husbandry supervisor) for training staff who enter the laboratory, assist in sampling, and perform the animal work in testing vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics.

In addition, they will accomplish required training for data capturing and data delivery for specific study protocols, for usage of specialized equipment and GLP related activities as needed and will follow all of the administrative procedures within the “Core D”.