Research Scientist

A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research and public service, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks as one of the nation's top public universities. Known for its beautiful campus, world-class medical care, commitment to the arts and top athletic programs, Carolina is an ideal place to teach, work and learn.

One of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, Chapel Hill has diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.

University employees can choose from a wide range of professional training opportunities for career growth, skill development and lifelong learning and enjoy exclusive perks for numerous retail, restaurant and performing arts discounts, savings on local child care centers and special rates on select campus events. UNC-Chapel Hill offers full-time employees a comprehensive benefits package, paid leave, and a variety of health, life and retirement plans and additional programs that support a healthy work/life balance.

Our mission is to improve the health and well-being of North Carolinians and others whom we serve. We accomplish this by providing leadership and excellence in the interrelated areas of patient care, education and research.

Patient care: We promote health and provide superb clinical care while maintaining our strong tradition of reaching underserved populations and reducing health disparities across North Carolina and beyond.

Education: We prepare tomorrow`s healthcare professionals and biomedical researchers from all backgrounds by facilitating learning within innovative and integrated curricula and team-oriented interprofessional education to ensure a highly skilled workforce.

Research: We develop and support a rich array of outstanding health sciences research programs, centers and resources. We provide infrastructure and opportunities for collaboration among disciplines throughout and beyond our university to support outstanding research. We foster programs in the areas of basic, translational, mechanistic and population research.

The Structural Genomics Consortium at UNC-Chapel Hill ( SGC- UNC) is an open-science research center that generates high-quality reagents, structures, and chemical probes for understudied human proteins and makes them freely available to the global research community without restriction on use. SGC- UNC is establishing a new affinity selection mass spectrometry ( ASMS) screening platform to identify small-molecule ligands for proteins that have been intractable to conventional screening approaches.

The Research Scientist will join the Metabolomics and Proteomics ( MAP) Core at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a collaborative shared research facility that supports investigators across UNC and external partners through advanced mass spectrometry, and data analysis services. This position offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge translational and biomedical research while working with multidisciplinary teams on a wide range of sponsored research projects.

The Research Scientist will provide scientific expertise in drug discovery, mass spectrometry, and analytical method development. Responsibilities include preparing and processing samples for small-molecule analyses; operating, maintaining, and troubleshooting advanced instrumentation, including automated liquid handlers, liquid chromatography (LC) and mass spectrometry (MS) platforms; analyzing and interpreting targeted and untargeted experimental data; maintenance and communication of research records and project achievements.

Working with a high degree of independence, the Research Scientist will serve as a key scientific resource supporting team members and collaborators to design experiments, troubleshoot technical challenges, interpret results, and support successful project completion. The position may also provide technical training and guidance on laboratory procedures, instrumentation operation, and best practices to team members and research personnel, advancing the research mission of SGC- UNC and its collaborative partners

This position requires periodic domestic and international travel to support scientific conferences, research collaborations, and program activities.

Master's or Bachelor's and 0-2 years' experience; or will accept a combination of related education and experience in substitution.

Demonstrated experience conducting independent scientific research.
Experience designing, implementing, and executing complex research studies and experimental workflows.
Experience analyzing, interpreting, and communicating complex scientific datasets.
Demonstrated scholarly productivity through peer-reviewed publications, scientific presentations, or other forms of research dissemination.
Experience collaborating on multidisciplinary research projects and sponsored research activities.
Demonstrated experience utilizing mass spectrometry, analytical chemistry, or closely related analytical methodologies in biomedical research.
Experience generating, analyzing, and interpreting mass spectrometry-based datasets.
Experience with biological sample preparation and analytical workflows involving proteins and small molecule libraries.
Demonstrated experience conducting drug discovery research using LC-MS/MS platforms, including experimental design, data analysis, and interpretation of results.

Ph.D. in Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Bioanalytical Chemistry, Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Molecular Biology, or a closely related scientific discipline.
Two to four years of postdoctoral, research scientist, or equivalent advanced research experience in drug discovery, mass spectrometry, analytical chemistry, or translational biomedical research.
Experience with microplate-based workflows, including 96- and 384-well formats, multichannel and repeat pipetting, plate sealing and handling, and reagent and buffer preparation.
Experience developing, optimizing, validating, and implementing LC-MS/MS methodologies.
Experience with high-resolution mass spectrometry platforms and advanced analytical instrumentation.
Experience utilizing bioinformatics, statistical, and mass spectrometry software for data processing, analysis, and interpretation.
Experience contributing to successful grant applications, sponsored research programs, and collaborative research initiatives.
Strong record of peer-reviewed publications in mass spectrometry, analytical chemistry, or related fields.
Demonstrated experience presenting scientific findings at regional, national, or international scientific meetings.
Demonstrated experience mentoring students, trainees, postdoctoral scholars, or research staff.
Experience supporting multiple investigators and multidisciplinary research programs.
Demonstrated record of scientific contributions through publications, presentations, grant support, collaborative research activities, and advancement of drug discovery research programs

The University is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all to apply without regard to age, color, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.