Senior Researcher Jobs in San Diego, CA

MPF Federal seeks a contract Senior Laboratory Research Technician position for the Naval Health Research Center in Point Loma, San Diego. This position will perform assays and procedures in strict accordance with the laboratory Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Policies, Good Clinical Laboratory Practices (GCLP), accrediting bodies, and U.S. regulatory agencies to include the CAP, DoD Clinical Laboratory Information Program (CLIP), and the U.S. FDA. This individual will be responsible for preparing and analyzing biological samples utilizing advanced Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) platforms and traditional microbiology culture techniques, the operation and maintenance of state-of-the-art instrumentation, validating genomic data prior to system entry, and ensuring absolute adherence to all quality control and biosafety procedures in support of clinical diagnostic, surveillance, and clinical studies research initiatives.

COMPENSATION RANGE: $73,500 - $78,000 annually

This position will support the Naval Health Research Center (NHRC), Operational Infectious Diseases Directorate. OID conducts ongoing, laboratory-based surveillance operations, clinical research study initiatives, and clinical diagnostic testing of U.S. military populations and key civilian cohorts operating in unique and austere environments to quantify and study the etiology of diseases of interest affecting force readiness. The program coordinates the secure transport of biological specimens and associated data from these cohorts directly to the central OID facility, where the laboratory executes high-complexity clinical diagnostics, advanced surveillance sequencing, and in-depth pathogen characterization to support active clinical studies. Actionable diagnostic results, surveillance intelligence, and clinical research findings are rapidly disseminated to key sponsors, the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Division (AFHSD), local military investigators, external collaborators, and municipal health departments to ensure timely, data-driven responses that directly safeguard both the operational readiness of U.S. Armed Forces and global public health.

Responsibilities:

• Performs highly complex laboratory assays, serving as the facility's primary bench operator for end-to-end Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) platforms; executes laboratory procedures in strict accordance with GCLP and established procedures.
• Performs rigorous technical reviews and validates complex assay data, sequencing run metrics, and control parameters; ensures absolute adherence to all established quality procedures, safety protocols, and organizational policies before transmitting final clinical, research, or surveillance data to the Information Management System (IMS).
• Accurately records all experimental procedures, assay parameters, observations, and reagent lot numbers in real-time; adheres strictly to Good Documentation Practices (GDP) to ensure all physical laboratory notebooks, equipment logs, and electronic records remain continuously audit-ready.
• Oversees the physical maintenance of laboratory equipment, manages critical consumable and reagent inventories, and authors, reviews, and updates Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and technical procedures to ensure continuous operational readiness and regulatory compliance.
• Acts as the first-line escalation point for systemic assay failures, critical reagent anomalies, or advanced instrumentation errors; implements immediate Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPAs) and coordinates high-level repairs with vendor technical support.
• Collaborates closely with the R&D division to receive newly validated translational workflows, and leads the technical onboarding, hands-on mentorship, and documented competency assessments for junior laboratory technologists in BSL-2 environments.
• Serves as the designated laboratory Subject Matter Expert (SME) on assigned clinical trials, surveillance studies, or clinical research initiatives; provides technical guidance, assay advice, and operational parameters to the research and coordination teams.

Performs other duties and responsibilities as assigned or directed by the Supervisor, including attending and participating in required training for current and new testing.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's Degree.
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience required.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Excellent laboratory and technical skills.
• • Microbiology experience required and demonstrated experience with sequencing.
  • Demonstrated, extensive hands-on experience with Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) platforms (e.g., Illumina, Oxford Nanopore) and complex library preparation workflows.
  • Highly preferred experience with traditional microbiology culture techniques, including bacterial isolation, phenotypic identification, antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST), plating, and culture maintenance.
• Ability to work independently once trained, excellent record-keeping ability, excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Proven ability to operate within heavily regulated environments (e.g., CAP, FDA, GCLP) and maintain meticulous, audit-ready laboratory documentation.
• Ability to identify areas for process improvement for better efficiency.
• US Citizenship and the ability to obtain and maintain a T3/Secret Clearance.

Physical Capabilities

• Lifting: Requires lifting materials up to 10 lbs.
• Ability to stand or sit at a computer for prolonged periods

Licenses and Certifications

• ASCP certification for molecular or microbiology is a plus.

Work Environment

• This position will take place primarily in a laboratory setting.

MPF Federal is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. We offer a competitive compensation package including a competitive salary, medical benefits, PTO, holiday pay and more.