BIOLOGICAL SCIENTIST JOB DESCRIPTION

A Biological Scientist designs and executes research experiments that advance fundamental understanding of biological systems in academic and government settings. This role sits at the intersection of fieldwork and laboratory analysis, managing complex experiments from hypothesis through peer-reviewed publication while mentoring junior scientists and collaborating with federal partners. Success requires mastery of experimental design, quantitative analysis, and scientific communication in regulated research environments where data integrity and reproducibility are non-negotiable. The role directly enables institutions to produce publishable discoveries and maintain compliance with government research standards.

As the Biological Scientist, you own the design and execution of experimental research programs from inception through publication, translating hypotheses into rigorous, data-driven discoveries. You report to research leadership within academic institutions or government agencies, collaborating with federal partners and leading field and laboratory teams toward outcomes that advance your organization's scientific mission.

Career Impact: Publishing peer-reviewed research and leading field expeditions positions you as a recognized expert in your domain, directly raising your standing within the academic research community and opening doors to principal investigator roles.

Business Impact: Your experimental rigor and data analysis directly determine whether your institution meets compliance standards, secures federal funding, and produces discoveries that influence policy and practice.

Growth Opportunity: This role develops statistical modeling, grant-writing, and scientific leadership skills that are prerequisites for advancing to research director or principal investigator positions in academia or government labs.

• Design experiments grounded in specific biological hypotheses, working across laboratory and field settings.
• Conduct fieldwork to collect and maintain biological samples following standardized protocols and regulatory requirements.
• Execute quantitative analyses using statistical methods to evaluate experimental outcomes and support publication.
• Analyze experimental data and interpret results for technical reports and peer-reviewed publications.
• Mentor junior scientists and technicians in experimental design, data analysis, and scientific communication.
• Coordinate with federal, academic, and partner organizations to align research objectives and share findings.
• Manage data collection, quality assurance, and documentation across complex research programs.
• Present experimental findings and results in group meetings and scientific forums.

• Master's degree or PhD in biology, environmental science, or a related field; or equivalent combination of advanced coursework and laboratory research experience.
• 3 or more years of research experience in experimental design and execution, with demonstrated ability to conduct independent investigations.
• Proficiency in quantitative analysis and statistical methods including Bayesian modeling, multivariate analysis, or similar approaches.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct independent investigations and publish results in peer-reviewed journals.
• Proficiency in scientific writing and technical communication for diverse audiences.
• Leadership and mentoring capabilities for junior scientists and research teams.
• Experience designing, conducting, and troubleshooting experiments in field and laboratory settings.

• PhD in biological, environmental, or marine science discipline.
• Proficiency with data visualization tools and programming languages commonly used in biological research.
• Familiarity with federal research compliance standards and data management protocols.
• Experience in marine, ecological, or field-based biological research.

• Peer-reviewed publications authored or co-authored annually, reflecting research productivity.
• Percentage of experimental data meeting quality and reproducibility standards.
• Successful field expeditions and sample collection cycles completed on schedule.
• Grants secured or substantially contributed to, demonstrating funding sustainability.
• Junior scientists mentored and developed, measuring leadership impact.
• Timeliness of technical reports and regulatory submissions meeting deadlines.
• Typical tools: Statistical analysis (commonly R or Python); data visualization and mapping systems (commonly QGIS).

• Base Salary Range: $68,000 to $98,000 annually
• Bonus: Publication or grant performance bonuses where institutionally offered, typically 0–8% of base
• Equity: Not typically offered in academic and government research roles
• Health Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision insurance; employer-sponsored coverage
• PTO: 18 to 22 days annual leave plus institutional holidays; additional sabbatical eligibility after 5 to 7 years
• Common Perks: Professional development funding, conference travel support, tuition benefits, retirement plans

Figures are estimates based on general US market benchmarks and may be outdated. Adjust based on location, institution size, and seniority level.

All applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. Employers providing equal consideration to all qualified candidates regardless of protected characteristics including race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status under federal, state, and local employment law. Reasonable accommodations available upon request for individuals with disabilities. Employment contingent on successful completion of a background investigation and drug screening as required by federal research standards.

The Biological Scientist owns the design and execution of deep-sea coral experiments, serving as the technical lead for coral propagation research at a marine research facility. This role directly enables the expansion of captive coral husbandry practices through field collections, laboratory analysis, and peer-reviewed publication of findings.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and conduct experiments on deep-sea corals
• Serve in a technical capacity for projects and point of contact for coral propagation team
• Participate in field work at sea to collect and maintain corals for husbandry
• Design and execute experiments in the lab and in the field
• Utilize programming codes and graphing software
• Conduct analysis needed to carryout portions of larger cross-discipline investigations
• Conduct analysis needed to complete manuscripts
• Train and mentor other team members on technical topics
• Apply knowledge and skills with data visualization to develop peer-reviewed publications
• Coordinate with federal, academic, and NGO partners

Education and Experience

• PhD in biological or environmental sciences
• Experience with maintaining coral in salt-water aquaria for 2 years or more
• Experience with conducting experiments on salt-water aquaria-maintained invertebrates
• Proficiency with R and RStudio
• Bayesian modeling preferred
• Working knowledge of graphing software and Geographic Information System (QGIS)
• Excellent verbal and technical writing skills
• Leadership and mentoring skills
• Ability to successfully pass a background investigation and drug screen

Reporting to the Inflammation and Immunology Research Unit leadership, the Biological Scientist executes cell-based assays that advance the development of disease-modifying treatments for conditions including eczema, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease. Success means enabling rapid experimentation cycles and high-quality data delivery that support cross-functional project teams.

Core Functions

• Execute and optimize cell-based functional and biochemical assays
• Conduct gene expression analyses, protein quantification, and primary cell culture
• Record experimental work regularly in electronic notebook systems
• Analyze, organize, and present results in small and large group meetings
• Read relevant scientific literature to aid in experimental design
• Contribute to a dynamic culture that embraces teamwork and innovation

Requirements

• B.S. degree with 3 years or more of experience or M.S. degree with 0-3 years or more of experience
• Experience in immunology, pharmacology, biochemistry, cell biology, or a related discipline
• Ability to plan and execute in vitro experiments with minimal supervision
• Knowledge of standard mammalian cell culture techniques
• Experience isolating and culturing primary human immune cells in vitro
• Proficiency in cell and molecular biology techniques including flow cytometry, ELISA and MSD, qRT-PCR, and Western blot

Sitting at the intersection of marine research and fisheries management, the Biological Scientist leads statistically rigorous field monitoring programs that evaluate fish population health across marine ecosystems. Operating across field sampling, data analysis, and technical reporting, the role ensures compliance with research protocols and delivers actionable intelligence to regional and federal fisheries partners.

Primary Duties

• Conduct all aspects of the Fisheries-Independent Monitoring (FIM) program
• Conduct statistically valid research experiments and surveys in marine waters
• Conduct fisheries-independent sampling efforts following strict protocol
• Complete fish and invertebrate identifications using microscopes and video cameras
• Set-up and deploy offshore cameras
• Operate side scan sonar equipment to characterize bottom habitat composition
• Build and sample with standardized commercial and recreational hooked gears
• Process and manage collected data following defined procedures
• Perform routine data summaries and assist in preparing technical and scientific reports
• Perform and participate in public outreach efforts

Background and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in one of the natural sciences
• At least 1 year of experience in the fisheries field and sampling in marine environments
• Knowledge of estuarine and reef fish life history and methods and gear used for collection of marine fisheries samples
• Knowledge of personal computers, database software, and electronics and technology
• Skill to safely operate and trailer vessels up to 26 feet in length
• Ability to communicate effectively with the public, establish and maintain effective work relationships, and apply problem-solving techniques
• Ability to handle and process large fish and participate in frequent multi-day offshore research cruises
• Ability to collect and summarize fisheries data and prepare technical reports

A key member of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke research team, the Biological Scientist produces high-quality biomarker data and laboratory analyses that support neuroscience investigations into basic life principles. Collaborating across technicians, scientists, and external research partners, the role translates experimental observations into validated datasets and peer-reviewed research outputs.

Accountabilities

• Provide technical experience needed to assist in studying the basic principles of plant and animal life
• Perform histology, antibody validation, immuno-histochemistry (IHC), and multiplex immunofluorescence (MF-IHC) biomarker screening
• Collect and analyze biological data about relationships among organisms and their environment
• Monitor and observe experiments, recording production and test data
• Analyze experimental data and interpret results to write reports and summaries
• Coordinate the work of biological technicians and technologists and other scientists
• Operate and maintain equipment used in quantitative or qualitative analysis
• Program and use computers to store, process, and analyze data
• Interpret research or operational data

Technical Qualifications

• Master's degree or Bachelor's degree in biology or related field with laboratory-based training
• Molecular Biology experience required
• Minimum of 3 years of experience performing histology, antibody validation, immunohistochemistry (IHC), and multiplex immunofluorescence (MF-IHC) biomarker screening
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in tissue clearing protocols, in situ hybridization using RNAscope HiPlex and related assays, tissue dissection, and tissue and cell culture
• Minimum of 3 years of experience with basic animal handling (rats and mice) and standard chromogenic and fluorescence IHC techniques
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in microscopy (brightfield, epifluorescence, confocal, light sheet) and flow cytometry

Embedded within the Department of Defense Human Systems Directorate, the Program Analyst produces administrative, technical, and strategic documentation that enables program execution across seven major research areas including climate, toxicology, and biological sciences. Based in Washington, DC and supporting the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, the role ensures continuity of operations and information management across leadership and research teams.

Core Responsibilities

• Assist in preparing for meetings and workshops, including developing announcements, agendas, read-ahead documents, meeting minutes, and technical briefing materials
• Prepare draft papers including technical evaluations, weekly reports, information papers, action memoranda, and emails
• Provide administrative support for office business policy and procedures
• Maintain broad situational awareness of research and development efforts
• Monitor year-end closeout actions
• Develop and maintain content and information for HSD website and associated websites
• Assist in preparing, editing, reviewing, monitoring, and facilitating documents and briefings

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in medicine, biology, neuroscience, engineering, mathematics, or other science and technology related subjects
• Top Secret security clearance and ability to obtain and maintain SCI
• 5 years of recent and relevant experience
• Proficiency in technical research, an in-depth knowledge of human performance, training, environmental sciences, biosystems, and technical writing
• Excellent communication skills, unstructured verbal interactions, briefings, and meeting moderation
• Ability to work independently in a distributed environment while maintaining a strong commitment to deliverable schedules

Create cutting-edge machine learning models that extract causal insights from population-scale genetic datasets, electronic medical records, and internal genomics lab data, enabling the design of robust, interpretable AI systems for biological discovery. The Principal Data Scientist partners with engineers, geneticists, and domain scientists in a startup environment to build ML infrastructure and advance machine learning strategy from the ground up.

Strategic Responsibilities

• Lead the design, implementation, and evaluation of cutting-edge machine learning algorithms
• Help place these data and models in the appropriate scientific context
• Work with engineers to design an appropriate ML-ops infrastructure
• Work with engineers and scientists to manage inputs, intermediates.
• Results of complex machine-learning pipelines

Professional Experience

• Ph.D in computer science, computational biology, or equivalent
• 8 to 15 years of experience performing cutting-edge analyses at the intersection of computer science and computational biology
• Ability to write high-quality code both independently and as part of a team
• Proficiency with standard CNN architectures and tools such as Python, PyTorch, Lightning, and TensorFlow
• Experience in inferring causality from observational data is a plus
• Experience with real world electronic medical record data is a plus
• Familiarity with AWS systems, architectures, and cloud-based infrastructure design patterns is a plus

As the Biologist/Scientist Associate, this role executes hands-on molecular biology and cell culture work that produces validated research data for cross-functional laboratory projects. The research team relies on accurate sample processing, assay execution, and imaging analysis to advance experimental timelines and support grant deliverables.

Day-to-Day Responsibilities

• Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team in an interactive lab environment
• Develop products and documents related to research plans
• Participate in the development of laboratory procedures
• Coordinate with team to define experiments, achieve objectives, and execute experiments
• Process rodent tissue samples for molecular biology analysis
• Perform imaging using fluorescence microscopy and associated imaging analysis
• Perform molecular biology techniques including PCR and cloning
• Conduct a range of biochemical assays including ELISA, reporter assays, Western blotting, and qPCR
• Grow and maintain mammalian cell cultures utilizing sterile techniques
• Arrange and perform assays involving a multi-mode plate reader

Skills and Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in molecular biology, biochemistry, or a related field
• 1 to 2 years of relevant laboratory experience in an academic or industrial setting
• Standard cloning techniques, vector design, DNA and RNA extraction, cDNA synthesis, ligation, restriction digestion, and qPCR
• Mammalian cell culture and transfection techniques
• Basic protein characterization skills (SDS-PAGE, Western blot, BCA, ELISA)
• Handling animal tissue and blood samples
• Highly motivated, well-organized, and an independent thinker with strong problem-solving skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Comfortable working in a highly innovative and fast-paced environment

Craft GLP-compliant viral vaccine reference material through design and execution of influenza propagation, characterization, and validation protocols. Success in the position means delivering regulatory-quality production records, quality documents, and validated viral stocks that meet CDC specifications for external partners and federal agencies.

Operational Focus

• Develop draft SOPs in strict accordance with FDA's 21 CFR 58 GLP regulations
• Clone or synthesize the HA and NA genes into CDC-provided and approved reverse genetics vectors
• Perform laboratory research to determine the optimal HA and NA constructs
• Provide antigenicity testing
• Perform hemagglutination assay (HA) using turkey red blood cells
• Perform Egg Infectious Dose 50 (EID50) assay
• Prepare Batch Production Records (BPR) and other quality documents

Position Requirements

• PhD with 10 years or more of experience
• Extensive knowledge of propagation and adaptation of influenza virus in embryonated chicken eggs
• Understanding of FDA's 21 CFR 58 GLP regulations
• Ability to work with viral propagation and validation
• Strong technical writing skills
• Excellent laboratory management and organization skills