Development Scientist - Contract

Job Description

Job Description

This is a 6 month term contract with a prominent bio lab equipment manufacturer in Sacramento with possibilities to extend.

Hands-on lab role supporting antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) and related R&D work. The candidate will execute experiments per SOPs, maintain lab operations, ensure accurate documentation, and communicate results to project leads in a fast-paced, multi-project environment.

Required Qualifications

• Experience working in a laboratory environment, preferably supporting biological, microbiological, or analytical testing activities.
• Comfortable handling blood, body fluids, biological samples, or other potentially biohazardous materials while following established safety protocols.
• Experience documenting experiments, observations, procedures, and results with strong attention to detail and data integrity.
• Ability to accurately draft and maintain laboratory records, reports, SOPs, work instructions, or technical documentation.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to seek clarification when objectives, procedures, or instructions are unclear.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a collaborative team environment.
• Ability to perform repetitive laboratory tasks while maintaining focus, accuracy, and quality standards.
• Strong problem-solving skills and sound judgment when addressing errors, deviations, or unexpected experimental results.
• Commitment to quality, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences (or related)
• 0–2 years hands-on lab experience (industry, internship, or academic)
• Strong wet-lab fundamentals:
  • Aseptic technique
  • Accurate pipetting
  • Solution preparation
• Ability to follow SOPs and maintain high data integrity
• Clear communication and ability to work in a team environment
• Comfortable working on-site, multitasking, and adapting to shifting priorities

Desired Personal Attributes

• Takes ownership of mistakes and proactively works to identify root causes and corrective actions.
• Willing to respectfully address concerns or errors made by teammates to ensure data quality and study integrity.
• Maintains a professional and constructive approach when working with difficult personalities or navigating team conflicts.
• Comfortable asking questions and seeking guidance rather than making assumptions when requirements are unclear.
• Demonstrates patience, consistency, and attention to detail during repetitive bench work and routine testing.
• Contributes positively to team success by being dependable, collaborative, respectful, and willing to assist others when needed.

What Success Looks Like

The ideal candidate is a team-oriented laboratory professional who communicates effectively, follows procedures consistently, takes ownership of their work, and maintains high standards of quality and integrity while supporting a collaborative research environment.

Key Focus Areas

Teamwork & Collaboration

• Describe what being a good team member in a lab means to you
• Have you had challenges working with others in a lab? How did you handle it?
• How do you handle situations where a teammate is resistant or doesn’t want to compromise?

Adaptability & Problem Solving

• Tell me about a time things didn’t go as planned in the lab (unexpected results, troubleshooting, etc.)
• How do you handle shifting priorities or being asked to switch tasks quickly?

Understanding & Initiative

• Describe a situation where you didn’t fully understand the goal of a study—how did you work through it?
• How do you ensure clarity before and during an experiment?

Accountability & Feedback

• If you make a mistake in the lab, how do you respond?
• Tell me about a time you were corrected on a procedure—how did you handle it?

Technical Awareness

• Experience with MIC readings / antimicrobial testing (if any)
• Exposure to frozen panels or similar lab workflows
• Example of identifying or correcting an out-of-range or inconsistent result

What Success Looks Like

• Proactive communication (raises issues early)
• Strong attention to detail and documentation discipline
• Flexible and able to pivot across multiple projects
• Reliable execution of lab work with minimal supervision

Nicman Group is a consulting company that has a blend of internal and external projects. This isn't a staffing augmentation position, but rather one where you will be joining an existing Nicman team on a long-term project.

Company Description

Nicman Group is a consulting company that has a blend of internal and external projects. This isn't a staffing augmentation position, but rather one where you will be joining an existing Nicman team on a long-term project.