Senior Immunologist - Applied Research Associates, Inc

ARA, an employee-owned applied science company, is seeking a senior-level immunologist (Ph.D. with 3+ years of additional experience) with experience applying their expertise to develop mathematical models of human physiology. A successful candidate will work with a multidisciplinary team to develop within-host models of human physiological response to biological agent exposure. The models will focus on response to specific agents of interest as well as agent-agnostic principles and be directly tied to prediction of physiological signs/symptoms of injury/illness. Models will transition to virtual simulations, risk assessment platforms, training in virtual environments, and medical logistical modeling. In addition to solving challenging problems of national importance, ARA provides mentorship, opportunities for rapid career growth, strong benefits, and flexibility to prioritize your work/life balance.

The team works to develop injury/illness models by understanding human physiological response, gathering available biological data, and making informed choices of variables to model and parameters to include. Models developed allow end-users to analyze scenarios accounting for physiological variability, time-varying exposures, low-level concentrations, the effects of medical countermeasures, and various operational postures. In addition to model development, the position will require support for the verification and validation of models, report writing and technical presentation development, and collaborating in interagency working groups. An ideal candidate would have a strong immunology and physiology background and can demonstrate ability to develop mathematical models and communicate them in a manner that can speak to both technical audiences and lay audiences. A successful candidate will work with a small but focused multidisciplinary team comprised of mathematicians, computational biologists, physicists, and programmers.

Our broad research portfolio includes the characterization of human health effects from chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and other hazards, retrospective and predictive risk assessments of hazardous agents, medical planning, and development of scientific software. Most of our modeling and simulation work supports decision makers across a spectrum of federal, state, and local agencies. ARA offers our staff members clearly defined technical and/or management growth tract opportunities that will allow you to help define the types of problems and projects that you like to work on. As you progress in your career at ARA, you will have the opportunity to follow your chosen track and progressively tackle more challenging tasks which will allow you to move into more senior positions with potential for your own projects, research, and customer relations.

What you’ll do as an Immunologist at ARA

• Work closely with a multidisciplinary team of scientists, mathematicians, and programmers on a wide range of challenging technical problems.
• Develop and document physiologically based, high-fidelity mathematical models to provide descriptions of molecular and cellular components and their interactions as they relate to the complex pathophysiology associated with human response to CB exposure.
• Relate physiological response captured in models to prediction of sign/symptom presentation and their progression over time.
• Attend technical project meetings and working groups with team members, partnering companies, and sponsoring agencies.
• Contribute to the development of client--facing materials such as white papers, quad charts, technical reports, presentations, and other technical material.
• Contribute to the growth of our existing scientific portfolio via business development activities (proposal writing, client meetings, etc.).

Physiological Modeler Position Requirements

• Applicants selected will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information; requirements include being a U.S. citizen.
• Ph.D. in Immunology, Microbiology, Virology, Systems Biology, or related areas with 3+ years of additional related experience.
• Demonstrated skills in developing mathematical models of physiological processes, human health, medical treatment, or related areas.
• Must demonstrate the maturity to work and communicate in a team-oriented, professional environment.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated expertise with Python, or similar scripting/programming languages.

Physiological Modeler Position Preferences

• Knowledge and experience in any of the following areas are considered a plus:
  • Data Science / Machine Learning / Statistical Modeling expertise.
  • Working in virtual/simulated environments.
  • Active DoD security clearance.
  • Business development experience in industry.

Applied Research Associates, Inc. Company Information:

Applied Research Associates, Inc. (aka ARA) is an employee-owned international research and engineering company known for providing technically superior solutions to complex and challenging problems in the physical sciences. We were founded in Albuquerque, NM in 1979 as the disco era was, thankfully, closing out and the personal computer era was beginning. We employ over 2,000 professionals and continue to grow. ARA offices throughout the U.S. and Canada provide a broad range of technical expertise in defense, civil, and health technologies, computer software and simulation, systems analysis, environmental technologies, and testing and measurement.

ARA also prides ourselves on having a challenging culture where innovation & experimentation are the norm. At ARA, employees are our greatest assets, so we give our employees the tools, training, and opportunities to take active roles as owners. The motto, “Engineering and Science for Fun and Profit” sums up the ARA experience. The company realizes employee ownership spawns greater creativity and initiative along with higher performance and customer satisfaction levels. We are also very proud of our Women’s Initiative Network (WIN) whose purpose is to motivate, support, and encourage professional career development for women to maximize career and professional accomplishments.

Experience

Required

• 3 - 5 years: Ph.D. in Immunology, Microbiology, Virology, Systems Biology or related discipline.

Preferred

• 8 - 10 years: Bachelor’s Degree in mathematics or life-sciences/engineering.
• 6 - 8 years: Master’s Degree in mathematics or life-sciences/engineering.

Education

Required

• Doctor of Philosophy or better in Microbiology & Immunology or related field

Behaviors

Required

• Team Player: Works well as a member of a group
• Innovative: Consistently introduces new ideas and demonstrates original thinking
• Functional Expert: Considered a thought leader on a subject
• Enthusiastic: Shows intense and eager enjoyment and interest
• Detail Oriented: Capable of carrying out a given task with all details necessary to get the task done well
• Dedicated: Devoted to a task or purpose with loyalty or integrity

Motivations

Preferred

• Self-Starter: Inspired to perform without outside help
• Growth Opportunities: Inspired to perform well by the chance to take on more responsibility
• Goal Completion: Inspired to perform well by the completion of tasks
• Ability to Make an Impact: Inspired to perform well by the ability to contribute to the success of a project or the organization

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)

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