Microbiome Collection Core Manager, Harvard
Category : Post-Grad Student Opportunities
The Harvard Chan Microbiome in Public Health Center (HCMPH), co-directed by Drs. Curtis Huttenhower and Wendy Garrett at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (http://hcmph.sph.harvard.edu), is seeking a Microbiome Collection Core Manager to lead the Harvard Chan Microbiome Collection Core (HCMCC, http://hcmph.sph.harvard.edu/hcmcc). The HCMCC provides one of the pillars of the HCMPH’s BIOM-Mass platform for population-scale microbiome research, by developing, maintaining, and administering kits and biospecimens for high-throughput microbiome sample collection. It currently supports over 25 funded projects at the Harvard Chan School, throughout the Boston life sciences community, nationally, and internationally.
The HCMCC has developed a modular, room-temperature, USPS-compatible home microbiome sampling kit that has been used for over 10,000 collections to date. It includes components for several different types of oral or gut microbiome samples; molecular, microbial culture, or gnotobiotic animal data generation; standardized questionnaires and metadata to accompany each sample; user-friendly, graphical instructions; and an automated sample handling workflow compatible with downstream storage at the Harvard Chan BiOS Freezer Core or analysis by HCMAC. Kits are assembled and shipped by an external logistics provider to the HCMCC’s specifications, in collaboration with each project’s unique needs, and handled as needed using robotic automation once received back from participants.
Job-Specific Responsibilities:
The Microbiome Collection Core Manager’s primary responsibility is to coordinate the development and execution of these collaborative microbiome sample collection projects, in tandem with other BIOM-Mass and HCMPH components as needed (including the Microbiome Analysis Core [HCMAC], the Huttenhower and Garrett labs, and other Center affiliates). This will include project management for HCMCC-associated activities, from initial research consulting during the project preparation stage, to determining requirements and techniques for biospecimen collection, to creation and assessment of data analysis outputs. Specifically, the affiliated project duties for this position will comprise population-scale human microbiome epidemiology, associated client consulting and management (collaborating/emails/meetings/calls), coordinating HCMCC standardized sample collection kit logistics (coordination/creation/vendor interactions), laboratory information management system integration, grant preparation, coordination with the BIOM-Mass biobank, computational and biostatistic analysis of generated data, and results interpretation/discussion with collaborators. This position will also entail work with the HMAC and Huttenhower lab personnel applying existing microbiome informatics and statistical tools, developed in the Huttenhower lab (e.g. MetaPhlAn2, HUMAnN2) as well as by other groups (UPARSE, QIIME, DADA2), to human microbiome sequence datasets, including microbial communities assayed in disease, animal models, cross-sectional and prospective human cohorts, and associated clinical phenotypes and/or environmental/lifestyle exposure metadata.
The Microbiome Collection Core Manager may also be responsible for occasionally handling samples, and will perform other duties as assigned.
PLEASE NOTE: This position has a term end date of one year from date of hire, with possibility for extension based on funding.
PLEASE NOTE: The primary work location for this position is Boston, Massachusetts. Until our return to campus, which is still to-be-determined, this interview process and position will be conducted virtually – including virtual interviews, remote onboarding, and remote work. The remote nature of this position is only temporary. Local, on-campus work will be required as a condition of continued employment once the School and this role return to an operational status that supports it.
Basic Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience required
- 3+ years of related experience required
- Working knowledge in R software and/or Python required
Additional Qualifications and Skills
The following job-specific skills and competencies are preferred:
- Advanced degree in Biology, Bioinformatics, Computer Science, Biostatistics, or related field
- Experience with quantitative biological project management
- Basic familiarity with scientific software management, and in Linux/Unix software environments for scientific computing and computing clusters (e.g. Slurm manager),
- Familiarity with molecular biology, microbiology, and/or genomics
- Strong interpersonal skills; experience and willingness to collaborate with and coordinate among other research groups
- Flexibility in adapting to changing research needs
- Strong, detailed-oriented writing and communication skills
- Experience working independently, as well as experience and/or desire to work in an interactive, collegial, and interdisciplinary group
The following cultural competencies are also preferred:
- Awareness of and aptitude to appropriately and effectively understand, respect, and adapt to cultural and identity-based difference within group environments
- Knowledge of and commitment to concepts and issues tied to social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion
- Skills related to creating and supporting an environment that allows for inclusion, effective intercultural engagement, and personal humility and authenticity
Additional Information
At the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, we believe that diversity is integral to the Harvard experience and our mission of improving public health education, research and policy. Diversity of cultural backgrounds, identities, lived experiences, perspectives, and ways of understanding the world enriches our community and enables us to best meet the public health needs of the United States and the world. Ongoing learning and development related to diversity allows for both individual and institutional growth, and is necessary to foster and sustain a culture of inclusion. To achieve this, we are committed to ensuring equitable access to opportunities for learning, living, and working at the Harvard Chan School. We maintain an unwavering dedication to diversity, inclusion, and belonging as core to our institutional values and to actively counter, minimize, and address racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia, gender bias, and all forms of discrimination.
Learn more about the School’s mission, objectives, and core values and our diversity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives.
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Harvard University offers an outstanding benefits package including:
- Time Off: 3-4 weeks paid vacation, paid holiday break, 12 paid sick days, 12+ paid holidays, and 3 paid personal days per year.
- Medical/Dental/Vision: Excellent and affordable medical, dental & vision plans, with coverage beginning as of an employee’s start date.
- Retirement: University-funded retirement plan with full vesting after 3 years of service.
- Tuition Assistance & Reimbursement Programs: $40 per class at the Harvard Extension School, discounted options through participating Harvard graduate schools, and reimbursement options for accredited schools outside of Harvard.
- Transportation: 50% discount on MBTA passes, as well as additional options (rideshare, biking, etc.) to assist employees in their daily commute.
- Wellness & Professional Development: Programs and classes at little or no cost, including stress management, hard & soft skills development, career planning, massages, nutrition, meditation, and complimentary health services. Additionally, access to Harvard athletic facilities, libraries, campus events — and many discounts for various cultural and leisure activities throughout metro Boston.
Join the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health to support our mission of health research and education, and to be a part of the oldest institution of higher learning in the country!
To apply to this position click here!
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- The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health does not provide visa sponsorship, now or in the future, for staff positions.
- Harvard University requires pre-employment reference checks and background screenings.
- This position has a 90 day orientation and review period. The O&R period will be waived for any internal Harvard employee transfers.
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