The Office of University Research Compliance at Oklahoma State University (OSU) seeks candidates for the position of Biosafety Specialist

About this Position

Under the direction of the Biological Safety Officer (BSO), helps monitor & coordinate the campus-wide biosafety program, which includes providing support to biosafety & biosecurity efforts, including efforts involving oversight of select agent & toxin activities.

Conducts risk-based inspections of research & teaching laboratories falling within the purview of the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC).  Helps process protocol applications submitted for IBC review. Responds to emergencies in biosafety laboratories.

Helps personnel with matters related to biosafety & acts as a liaison to faculty, staff, & students.

• Provides consultative services to personnel & IBC members regarding issues & concerns associated with regulations, policies, & procedures governing activities involving the use of biohazardous material.
• Assists with risk assessments related to the use of biohazardous material to corroborate safety measures & compliance.
• Assists the BSO with developing & updating pertinent safety policies & standard operating procedures (SOPs), as needed.
• Helps the BSO in scheduling & providing general biosafety training to personnel, as needed. This includes helping to develop training materials.
• Acts as a member of a team that is trained on & operates a VHP decontamination unit, including setting up the equipment, operating it in accordance with SOPs, & maintaining it & pertinent records related to its use.
• Responds to and assists with incident/emergency response actions.
• Provides guidance and assistance as needed to biological spills.
• Provides back-up coverage to emergencies in the absence of the BSO.
• Provides administrative support to the BSO and the IBC Chair 

Helps coordinate activities associated with processing IBC protocols to ensure that submitted protocols are reviewed efficiently & consistently with University policies & procedures, pertinent federal regulations & guidance, as well as Oklahoma state statues.

• Serves as a resource for investigators & instructors regarding review requirements for IBC protocols, including questions concerning the applicability of federal regulations & the IBC application process.
• Performs preliminary administrative reviews of protocols that are submitted to the IBC, checking for accuracy & completeness. Follows-up with the appropriate individual if an application is incomplete.
• Tracks pending IBC protocols & advises University personnel on the status of their project's review.
• Ensures that sensitive & confidential issues are communicated, resolved, & properly documented in accordance with all applicable regulations, policies, & procedures.
• Assists the BSO in maintaining OSU’s Biosafety webpage content.

Works to ensure compliance with federal regulatory requirements & required guidelines, and institutional policies & procedures germane to the use of biohazardous materials as defined in the University’s Institutional Biosafety Policy .

• Works to ensure compliance with applicable regulations guidelines and directives including those issued by the NIH USDA-APHIS and CDC.
• Helps to ensure compliance with institutional policies and procedures pertaining to activities involving the use of recombinant DNA and infectious agents and toxins. Assists in advising investigators & instructors regarding appropriate biocontainment levels & applicable regulations & guidelines.
• Assists in advising investigators and instructors regarding appropriate biocontainment levels and applicable regulations and guidelines.
• Helps with risk assessments related to the use of biohazardous material, to corroborate safety measures & compliance.
• Helps with the review of proposals, laboratory SOPs, grant/contract applications, & Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) questionnaires.
• Helps the BSO maintain accurate records of ongoing activities falling within the IBC’s purview. 
• Serves as an alternate responsible official (ARO) for the university's select agent program.

Conducts biological safety laboratory inspections.

• Helps the BSO in developing, implementing, & enhancing checklists & other auditing/surveying methods designed to assess the adequacy of operations & facilities falling within IBC purview.
• Helps with inspections of laboratories & facilities.
• Assists with documenting & reporting deficiencies & violations, written inspection reports & corrective action reports.
• Interacts with OSU personnel and others, to ensure identified deficiencies are corrected in a timely manner. Follows up on the remediation of problems found during inspections on behalf of the BSO.
• Helps the BSO with documentation of certain laboratory inventories, as required by federal regulations.
• Helps in the decommissioning of laboratories that are subject to IBC inspection in order to ensure that all biohazardous materials have been handled appropriately and that the space has been appropriately decontaminated.
• Performs other duties as assigned. 

Required Qualifications

• Associate's

  Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Food/Animal Science, or related field.

  (degree must be conferred on or before agreed upon start date)

• Two years relevant professional experience in the field of biosafety or two years demonstrated experience working with biohazardous material in a research setting.

• Certifications, Registrations, and/or Licenses:

  Must possess a valid driver's license for travel between sites.

• Skills, Proficiencies, and/or Knowledge:

  Working knowledge of microbiology and the ability to evaluate microorganisms, toxins, and nucleic acids in terms of biosafety. Knowledge of recombinant DNA, biotoxins, and microbial human and animal pathogens. Ability to recognize unsafe conditions and practices related to the use of biohazardous material. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Solid interpersonal skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with a diverse audience of professionals. Ability to gather data, compile information, and prepare reports. Ability to maintain confidentially. Demonstrated ability to manage multiple tasks in an organized manner while carrying out tasks accurately. Proficient computer skills, which include word processing (MS Office applications), database applications, and email programs. Desire to learn and remain current in the field of biosafety and biocontainment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's

  Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Food/Animal Science, or related field.

• Experience working in a biosafety level 2 lab or higher.

  Work Schedule

  Monday through Friday, 8:00am-5:00pm with a 1-hour lunch break.

  Appointment Length

  Regular Continuous/Until Further Notice

  Hiring Range

  $21.00 - $27.00 / hour

  Special Instructions to Applicants

  Applicants should include a resume, a cover letter, and the names, addresses (including e-mail addresses), and telephone numbers of three professional references. Applications must be submitted electronically and will be accepted until a successful candidate is selected.