Clinical Genomic Scientist - Cancer Genomic Test Development

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A Brief Overview

The Center for Diagnostic Innovation (CDI) under the Department of Pathology of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) is seeking a highly motivated Clinical Genomic Scientist (CGS) with an interest in cancer genomic research and laboratory diagnostics to join our team. This is an exciting opportunity to work collaboratively within the CDI Cancer Genomics team and together with our laboratory directors, to develop, validate, and launch clinical assays using cutting edge technologies which have a direct impact on patient care. This position will also include performing clinical research. The ability to communicate in a highly matrixed environment will be key to the candidate's success. Seasoned professionals as well as new graduates are welcome to apply and will be considered for the career ladder position commensurate with their experience. This position is fully onsite at CHOP Philadelphia campus.

The Clinical Genomic Scientist I is primarily focused on developing and validating wet bench protocols and data analysis workflows to support clinical test development within Cancer Genomics. The scope of the work will include the development, improvement, QC, troubleshooting and optimization of wet bench workflows and processes, establishing data analysis workflows and troubleshooting, as well as presenting results of multi-omics-based tests. The position involves a wide variety of activities described within the job responsibilities. Activities occur with a moderate degree of supervision with moderate latitude for independent judgment.

What you will do

• Primary Responsibilities:
• Accurately performs clinical correlation of gene/variant with patient phenotype, variant classification, scientific literature review, and/or report writing for genomic tests of the high complexity, including but not limited to chromosomal SNP array, exome/genome analysis, and NGS/exome-based panels.
• Supports refinement or update of existing analysis workflows/protocols in order to improve sensitivity, efficiency and quality of testing.
• Supports new test development efforts of the laboratory. Designs and conducts validation experiments, analyzes validation data and write high quality validation reports. Defines quantitative metrics and thresholds for quality control and establish quality assurance program for the newly developed tests.
• Performs quality control testing and maintain quality management programs according to written protocols and policies. Reviews results for accuracy prior to acceptance. Recognizes and resolves abnormal, unusual or unexpected results; appropriately identify issues that require further action by the Supervisor, Manager or Director. Completes, evaluates and records all appropriate quality controls and quality assurance markers. Activates troubleshooting procedures when necessary.
• Assists others (as appropriate based on skill level) by demonstrating expertise of advance experience and or training as necessary for laboratory operation. Evaluates new protocols, methods, techniques and/or equipment and makes recommendations to the Director, Manager or Supervisor. Prepares technical documentation drafts for publication and/or procedure manuals.
• Additional responsibilities:
• Prepares and presents technical education and case presentations to laboratory or medical staff. Participates in education/mentorship of other laboratory staff through direct interaction and presentations. May publish/present scientific presentations/papers at a national level. Prepares and presents data at Rounds, meetings, Con Eds.
• Provides professional, courteous and calm customer service to both internal and external customers. Identifies appropriate resources and sources for re-directed inquiries. Responds appropriately and professionally to technical inquiries and requests for information: refers caller to Supervisor/Director/Manager when required. Acts as a reference source for laboratory procedures within their skill inventory as necessary. Takes charge of any unusual or problem situations and reports issue to Supervisor, Manager or Director. Follows privacy rules (HIPAA) as defined by the hospital policy. Interacts with co-workers, hospital staff and all others (via various communication methods) in ways that foster professionalism, efficiency and optimal patient care.
• Regularly reviews operational procedure manuals, individual competency assessment, quality assurance monitors for completeness, accuracy and regulatory compliance. Assists the Supervisor/Manager with recommendations for content, accuracy and improvements and makes changes as directed. Actively participates in laboratory section continuing education/quality assurance meetings by preparing and presenting presentations related to their work. Assist the Supervisor/Manager with the preparation of competency assessment tools.
• May also be involved in research activities, including abstract/manuscript submission and presentations at local or national professional conferences, related to a specialized patient population, disease area, genetic pathway or testing technology.

Education Qualifications

• Master's Degree Genetics, Molecular Biology or related field - Required
• Doctorate Genetics, Molecular Biology, Cancer Genomics or related field - Preferred

Experience Qualifications

• At least three (3) years relevant experience - Required
• At least three (3) years relevant experience - Required
• Clinical laboratory or research experience in a disease area, genetic pathway or genomic testing technology - Preferred

Skills and Abilities

The ideal candidate will have the following qualifications:

* Must have a MS degree (PhD preferred) in Cancer Genomics, Genetics or other related fields

* Experience with molecular biology techniques such as DNA/RNA extraction, PCR, cell culture, qPCR, ddPCR, and related QC/troubleshooting

* Experience with Next Generation Sequencing (Illumina). Nanopore sequencing experience is a plus

* Experience or background with liquid biopsy (cell free DNA) and/or DNA methylation will be strongly considered

* Experience in assay development and validation

* Strong communication and presentation skills and ability to generate informative graphics using basic plotting software such as R, matlab, or python

* Knowledge of bioinformatics pipeline or workflow development frameworks

• Advanced analytic skills, preferably demonstrated by peer-reviewed publications
• High level accountability and attention to details
• Excellent organization and communication skills
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment
• Knowledge of the working mechanism of microarray, NGS, mass spectrometry, or other high-throughput technologies
• Familiarity with resources of genomic data sets and analysis tools, such as UCSC Genome Browser, HGMD, ClinVar, Alamut and NCBI databases

To carry out its mission, CHOP is committed to supporting the health of our patients, families, workforce, and global community. As a condition of employment, CHOP employees who work in patient care buildings or who have patient facing responsibilities must receive an annual influenza vaccine. Learn more.

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SALARY RANGE:

Salary ranges are shown for full-time jobs. If you're working part-time, your pay will be adjusted accordingly.

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