SCIENTIST LEAD

School of Natural Resources

The Lead Scientist position is essential to meeting contractual, analytical, and reporting obligations across all three funded initiatives.

Primary responsibilities include:

1. Performing targeted UPLC-MS/MS analysis to quantify more than 50 opioids, analogs, and metabolites in wastewater to support mitigation and intervention strategies. The position directs significant phases of projects under PI oversight. Examples: Leads analytical and data-analysis phases of assigned projects. Coordinates day-to-day technical activities among interdisciplinary team members.
2. Performing metabolomic analyses to identify and quantify over 100 drugs, biomarkers, and hormones associated with community well-being
3. Close collaboration with the Principal Investigator (PI), Co-PIs, data and informatics scientists, and public-health professionals at InkFish LLC, MODHSS, and industry partners (Mighty Good Solutions and Stercus Bioanalytics) to process, interpret, and report findings accurately and efficiently
4. Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

The scope, scale, and technical complexity of these projects require a dedicated research scientist with advanced analytical expertise and experience in high-throughput wastewater surveillance.

Monday - Friday

9am - 5pm

A Master's degree in related/ relevant area and at least 4 years of experience from which comparable knowledge and skills can be acquired is necessary. Additional degree and licensures as required by state/federal laws.

• Ph.D. in Natural Product Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Bioanalytical Chemistry, Environmental Chemistry, Biochemistry, or a closely related field.
• 3-4 years of experience in targeted UPLC-MS/MS method development, validation, and quantitative analysis in complex biological or environmental matrices.
• Demonstrated expertise in metabolomics workflows, including sample preparation, instrument optimization, data processing, and multivariate statistical interpretation.
• Hands-on experience with molecular biology techniques (e.g., nucleic acid extraction, qPCR, library preparation, or related assays) and integration with chemical biomarker data.
• Experience operating and troubleshooting high-resolution or triple quadrupole mass spectrometry platforms under GLP or equivalent quality systems.
• Proficiency in bioinformatics and data analytics, including management of large datasets, statistical modeling, normalization strategies, and population-level interpretation.

• Demonstrated ability to integrate analytical chemistry outputs with demographic, epidemiologic, or community-level datasets to generate actionable public-health insights.
• Experience interpreting and applying multiple technical frameworks simultaneously, including:
• Validated laboratory methods and instrument performance criteria
• Quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) protocols
• Data governance and privacy policies
• Sponsor-specific reporting requirements and regulatory guidelines
• Strong understanding of analytical validation parameters (LLOQ, linearity, precision, accuracy, ion ratio tolerance, matrix effects, etc.) and documentation practices.
• Experience preparing technical reports, sponsor deliverables, and regulatory-compliant documentation.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a highly varied and abstract environment, reconciling analytical performance, data integrity, demographic context, and program objectives to produce accurate, defensible, and actionable outputs.
• Ability to maintain compliance with institutional, sponsor, and external regulatory requirements while supporting translational and scalable analytical platforms.

The anticipated hiring range for this position has been established as $69,097.60- $85,000.00 annually.

Salary is determined by a variety of factors, including but not limited to, the individual's particular combination of education, skills, and experience, as well as organizational requirements.

Your total compensation goes beyond the number on your paycheck. The University of Missouri provides generous leave, health plans, and retirement contributions that add to your bottom line.

Grade: GGS-012
University Title: SCIENTIST LEAD

To review the University of Missouri's Staff Compensation Structure you can view the Job Code detail page. Internal applicants can determine their university title by accessing the Talent Profile tile in myHR.

MU application

Resume/CV

This position is eligible for University benefits. As part of your total compensation, the University offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental and vision plans, retirement, paid time off, short- and long-term disability, paid parental leave, paid caregiver leave, and educational fee discounts for all four UM System campuses. For additional information on University benefits, please visit the Faculty & Staff Benefits website at https://www.umsystem.edu/totalrewards/benefits.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of Missouri is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

To request ADA accommodations, please call the Director of Accessibility and ADA at 573-884-7278.