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Overview

The Office of the Vice Provost of Research (OVPR) supports and seeks to grow Tufts’ research enterprise, while also maintaining compliance with federal, state, and local laws and regulations. The office provides the key services necessary to deliver exceptional results in research. The OVPR is led by the Vice Provost for Research, Bernard Arulanandam and a leadership team that oversees its six main functions including: Research Administration & Development, Research Compliance & Safety, Strategic Initiatives, Technology Transfer & Industry Collaboration, Comparative Medicine Services and Business Operations.

The Biosafety Program works to ensure that any work associated with biohazards or recombinant/synthetic nucleic acids is done safely and in accordance with regulations.

What You'll Do

The Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) Manager reports to the Assistant Director of Biosafety within the OVPR and will work closely with BSL-3 scientific leadership. The BSL-3 Manager provides technical and regulatory expertise to support the functions of the BSL-3/ABSL-3 laboratory programs and other specialized containment laboratories and initiatives at Tufts University.

Responsibilities include:

• Manages, plans, and oversees the daily administrative and operational activities for the multi-investigator and regional BSL-3 facilities at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University
• Works with the scientific leadership to assess the capacity of and prioritize user’s requests for the facility
• Coordinates and partners with the scientific program leadership, the biosafety team, building facilities and HVAC support, the animal resource support team, security, emergency management personnel, occupational health services, and other internal and external entities to support the functions of the BSL-3 laboratories
• Familiarizes themself with research procedures of the individual research groups and maintains a regular presence in the facility to monitor research activities and provide research-specific training
• Supports the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine BSL-3/ABSL-3 laboratories approximately 85% of the time
• Provides support to the the Tufts’ Boston BSL-3 laboratory approximately 15% of time

What We're Looking For
Basic Requirements:

• Knowledge and skills typically acquired through a Master of Science or Public Health in microbiology, molecular biology, epidemiology, or related discipline or equivalent combination of education and experience. A Bachelor of Science will be considered commensurate with extensive BSL-3 research, biosafety, or facility management experience
• 5+ years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Prior BSL-3 experience, either working in a BSL-3 lab or as a biosafety professional overseeing a BSL-3 lab
• Must be eligible for SRA approval as defined by the Federal Select Agent Program
• Must have knowledge of Select Agents and Toxins regulations and be able to carry out the duties of an Alternate Responsible Official for the Tufts SAT program
• Must be able to wear a respirator and necessary personal protective equipment as appropriate for entering BSL-3 spaces
• Must be familiar with standard laboratory procedures and operations to converse with researchers and provide relevant guidance
• Proficiency with computers, Microsoft Office and standard office software, performing literature searches as well as interpreting the results of those searches
• Must be able to travel between campuses (Grafton and Boston)

Preferred Qualifications:

• PhD in microbiology, molecular biology, or related discipline
• 1-3 years bench experience
• 1-3 years of experience with animal biosafety practices and procedures
• Experience at BSL-3 and ABSL-3
• Strong presentation and technical training skills