Research Technician

Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm, with some evenings and weekends as needed

To learn more about the pay band for this branch and role, please see the Career Banding rates spreadsheet.

A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research and public service, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks as one of the nation's top public universities. Known for its beautiful campus, world-class medical care, commitment to the arts and top athletic programs, Carolina is an ideal place to teach, work and learn.

One of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, Chapel Hill has diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.

University employees can choose from a wide range of professional training opportunities for career growth, skill development and lifelong learning and enjoy exclusive perks for numerous retail, restaurant and performing arts discounts, savings on local child care centers and special rates on select campus events. UNC-Chapel Hill offers full-time employees a comprehensive benefits package, paid leave, and a variety of health, life and retirement plans and additional programs that support a healthy work/life balance.

Our mission is to improve the health and well-being of North Carolinians and others whom we serve. We accomplish this by providing leadership and excellence in the interrelated areas of patient care, education and research.

Patient care: We promote health and provide superb clinical care while maintaining our strong tradition of reaching underserved populations and reducing health disparities across North Carolina and beyond.

Education: We prepare tomorrow's healthcare professionals and biomedical researchers from all backgrounds by facilitating learning within innovative and integrated curricula and team-oriented interprofessional education to ensure a highly skilled workforce.

Research: We develop and support a rich array of outstanding health sciences research programs, centers and resources. We provide infrastructure and opportunities for collaboration among disciplines throughout and beyond our university to support outstanding research. We foster programs in the areas of basic, translational, mechanistic and population research.

The Research Technician will have the opportunity to join a cutting-edge research laboratory in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonology under the supervision of Dr. Maimoona Zariwala. The PCD Genetics Lab is dedicated to elucidating the molecular underpinning and mechanisms, with a particular emphasis on Primary Ciliary Dykinesia, Idiopathic Bronchiectasis, Inborn Errors of Immunity and other rare diseases of mucociliary clearance.

The Research Technician will manage the daily operations of the lab in the overview of genetic research work in rare diseases. Perform molecular biology techniques, laboratory procedures, DNA extraction from various tissue sources, polymerase chain reactions ( PCR), DNA sequencing and analysis, gel electrophroesis, primer design, and restriction enzyme digestion for patients and participants enrolled in multiple research studies. Organization and oversight of research specimen processing and collaboration with commercial entities to perform genotyping on research subjects' samples in addition to in-house laboratory experiments and with high accuracy. The tests may need modification, alteration, or optimization to generate successful results and obtain a proper high quality gel image, as well as clear, readable Sanger DNA sequencing. Sharing of results, summaries, and analysis of the data with direct lab and others in the larger pulmonary group, as needed. The research technician will also perform additional specialized techniques including RNA extraction, reverse transcript PCR, fragment purification, hybridization, lymphocyte transformation, whole genome amplification, basic molecular cloning and cell culture, with minimal guidance.

The Research Technician also assist with duties related to lab operations including supply management, equipment/fridges/freezer maintenance and calibration, preparation of laboratory materials and reagents, tissue preparation and analysis, shipping and handling of samples and interaction with vendors as pertinent. Additionally, they will be responsible for maintenance of tissue and specimen procurement logs, laboratory databases, maintenance and reporting of data obtained in ongoing experiments, and maintenance of the lab in line with all safety and regulatory requirements. The Research Technician may have some supervisory responsibilities overseeing and training technicians, undergraduate students and Research Fellows in the lab.

Demonstrated possession of the competencies necessary to perform the work.

N/A

Not Applicable.

If you experience any problems accessing the system or have questions about the application process, please contact the Office of Human Resources at (919) 843-2300 or send an email to employment@unc.edu

Please note: The Office of Human Resources will not be able to provide specific updates regarding position or application status.

The University is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all to apply without regard to age, color, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.