The incumbents' primary responsibilities will be to perform bench-level diagnostic testing primarily in the parasitology and molecular diagnostics testing sections of the laboratory. This includes reporting results, recording analysis, and providing interpretation to clients, government, and state agencies. The incumbent will handle, process, and test specimens from all animal species. The position is allocated 100% for diagnostic testing duties in the Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (LSU Diagnostics), an American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD) laboratory. Duties include performing classical diagnostic tests in parasitology and molecular diagnostics, as well as other sections as needed, on clinical specimens from companion, farm, and zoo animals. Duties in this role also require preparing educational material on subject matters such as short articles for posting on websites and attendance at professional meetings for purposes of presentation and education. This diagnostic position may require working after regular business hours when needed and may require working weekends on a rotating basis. 

Job Responsibilities:  

•  50%- The successful candidate will perform classical parasitology diagnostic testing on clinical specimens from companion, farm, and zoo animals. The candidate must have experience in diagnostic testing related to the identification of parasites.  Diagnostic responsibilities include performing, recording and reporting test results using the laboratory information management system (LIMS), providing advice and consultation service to clients on proper test specimens and interpretation of test results. This position may require development and validation of new parasitology diagnostic assays using contemporary technology. The incumbent will participate in the improvement of the workflow of the parasitology lab in LADDL and participate in the offering of new test.

• 40%-The successful candidate will perform classical molecular diagnostic testing on clinical specimens from companion, farm, and zoo animals. Diagnostic responsibilities include performing, recording and reporting test results in the laboratory information management system (LIMS), providing advice and consultation service to clients on proper test specimens and interpretation of test results. This position may require development and validation of new molecular diagnostic assays. The successful candidate will participate in the diagnostic test methods in the Molecular Diagnostic Section of the laboratory performing diagnostic testing as needed. 

• 10%-Assist in writing and updating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to reflect procedures performed in the laboratory to maintain quality assurance. Participation in the Quality Assurance Program by training and continued improvements is required. 

  The candidate may be asked to participate in other duties in the laboratory as determined by the Director.

Minimum Qualifications: 

  Bachelor's degree and 3 years of experience in diagnostic parasitology.

Preferred Qualifications: 

  Master's degree and 5 years of experience in diagnostic parasitology.

Special and Physical Qualifications: 

 Safety and Security Sensitive Job - Safety and security-sensitive positions are defined as those positions where any form of substance abuse may affect University activities through unsafe work behavior/performance or error in judgment; or where substance abuse could jeopardize the safety and well-being of employees, other personnel, or the general public, or cause significant damage to University property. This includes positions requiring firearms, access to controlled substances, handling hazardous material, operating heavy equipment or machinery, etc. These positions are subject to drug screens per PS-67/FASOP HR-04.

Emergency Essential Personnel -This position may be required to report to campus in times of emergency and/or closure per PS-18.

Requires standing, sitting, walking, bending, reaching (above shoulder), reaching (below shoulder), vision (near sight), vision (far sight), crawling, twisting, pushing/pulling, climbing, squatting, lifting more than 50 pounds, and lifting less than 50 pounds.