The Bangalore Life Science Cluster (BLiSC) is recruiting for a technical consultant to assist in the establishment of an Animal Biosafety Laboratory level 3 (ABSL-3). This facility will be administered through the campus Animal Care and Resource Centre (ACRC). The ACRC is a state-of-the-art facility with major support from the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India and utilizes the expertise and experience of scientists from the National Centre for Biological Sciences and the Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (https://www.ncbs.res.in/research-facilities/acrc). In response to the COVID-19 pandemic the campus mobilized and undertook a wide spectrum of activities ranging from diagnostics, to tracking of viral variants, to establishing a pre-clinical pipeline for therapeutic and vaccine development. An important new component of these capabilities will be a facility to conduct challenge studies utilizing ACE2 mouse models generated in the campus Mouse Genome Engineering Facility (https://www.ncbs.res.in/research-facilities/acrc-ace2). This initiative is underwritten by a Biotechnology Ignition Grant from BIRAC and includes funding for an individual with an appropriate background and expertise to assist in the design and set up of the ABSL-3 in concordance with government regulations and policies and best practice standards.
Key responsibilities of this position include (but are not limited to):
- Contribute to the design of the animal BSL-3 (ABSL-3) facility taking into account strict regulatory compliance, user needs, and available budget
- Complete certification process of the ABSL-3 facility
- Conduct annual recertification of all operations in the ABSL-3 (engineering controls, personal protective equipment, building and system integrity, standard operating procedures (SOPs) and administrative controls such as documentation and record retention systems) and arrange for third party validation
- Submit all reports required from regulatory agencies and be the point of contact for all queries raised
- Liaison with the Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBSC) of the BLiSC campus
- Assist facility users in the design of their experiments with appropriate safety measures and assist with their IBSC applications
- Establish and operate a process by which requests from external users will be reviewed and certified for appropriate biosafety approvals per government regulations
- Proactively identify processes that would increase safety and operational efficiencies
- Remain up to date on constantly evolving regulatory requirements both internationally and nationally that are relevant to ABSL-3 functions and serve as a resource for this information for facility users
- Ensure the health and safety of facility personnel by arranging initial and annual health check-ups and safety training programs.
- Work with facility management to achieve international accreditation of the animal facility (such as AAALAC)
- On a routine basis the incumbent of this position will
- Evaluate and revise administrative controls and facilitate Maintenance Operations to ensure occupant safety and facility integrity
- Validate engineering controls
- Review and update SOPs
Essential Qualification and Experience:
(i) MS and 3 years experience with BSL-2 (or higher) activities
(ii) Knowledge of regulatory requirements for animal BSL-3 facility infrastructure and operations
(iii) Excellent verbal and writing skills to effectively communicate with diverse stakeholders
(iv) Basic knowledge of biomedical research and the use of animal models in this endeavor
(v) Experience in establishing SOP development and team management
Desirable:
(i) Previous experience working in a research environment and animal facility
Applications should include a one page cover letter highlighting how your previous experience and training equip you to carry out the responsibilities of this position. A resume/CV should also be uploaded with the cover letter.
The position will remain open until filled, but to ensure full consideration applications should be received by August 15, 2021.
Salary: As per norms
Number of position: 1
Last date for applying online: 15th August, 2021
Age limit: 50 years
Application procedure:
Applications should include a one page cover letter highlighting how your previous experience and training equip you to carry out the responsibilities of this position. A resume/CV should also be uploaded with the cover letter. The position will remain open until filled, but to ensure full consideration applications should be received by August 15, 2021.
How to apply:
Step 1: Interested candidates should register ONLINE through the link on our website using a valid email ID.
Step 2: You will receive a user ID and password on your registered email ID.
Step 3: Using your ID and password, you can fill in the application by clicking on “Submit Application”
Step 4: Once you fill in the application, you can SAVE or PREVIEW the application. Please Note: Any corrections should be made before you SAVE the application.
Step 5: After you SAVE, you can submit the application by clicking “SUBMIT”.
Step 6: All essential certificate is proof of your qualification, date of birth, experience, caste, etc. Should be uploaded while submitting the ONLINE application.
Note: Please do NOT send hard copies of applications/documents except those who apply online.
Sd/-
Head, Establishment