Entomologist

Harris County (TX) - Houston, TX

Full-time - Entry Level

Houston, TX

Construction of Buildings

About the position

If you're looking to be a part of a collaborative environment where your skills can make an impact, explore our current opportunities in creating a better future for public health. Harris County Public Health (HCPH) includes a network of more than 1,100 public health professionals working together to improve health outcomes for the third most populous county in the United States. HCPH provides a multitude of services such as medical and dental services, community programming, and health education for the approximately 2.3 million people in unincorporated Harris County. Through its core values of innovation, engagement, and health equity, HCPH strives to bring meaningful solutions to public health issues while keeping Harris County healthy and vibrant. Under the supervision of the Alternative Mosquito Control & Applied Research Manager (AMCAR), the Entomologist is responsible for overseeing the Section's laboratory and field operations. The successful candidate will assist the Manager with experimental designs, developing training material, protocols, generating reports, and presentations as required.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for rearing both colony strain and feral mosquito species through complete life cycles for testing.
• Deploy and retrieve adult and larval mosquito trapping devices, classify, count and identify larvae and adult mosquitoes to species level.
• Ensure AMCAR staff are knowledgeable and trained on equipment and procedures for effective operations.
• Conduct surveys for larval development sites, adult mosquito population sampling and potential research study areas.
• Perform DNA/RNA extractions, PCR amplification and sequencing for arthropod identification and pathogen detection.
• Evaluate laboratory and field activities, generate and produce reports as required.
• Assists in the design, testing and evaluation of novel mosquito control products and surveillance tools both in the field and laboratory.
• Certify quality assurance and quality control within the laboratory by following all Federal and State protocols.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Entomology or related field of science.
• Two (2) years of related work experience in mosquito trapping, field collection and morphological identification.
• One (1) year of microbiology or molecular biology laboratory experience.
• Must have a valid (TX) driver's license upon hire and a good driving record.
• Must acquire Texas Certified Pesticide Applicators License within one (1) year of employment.

Nice-to-haves

• Knowledge of arthropod biology and habitats, including insectary colony rearing and insecticide resistance testing.
• Familiarity with sequencing technologies.
• Experience with fabrication and maintenance of entomological equipment, mechanical and construction knowledge.
• Basic skills: Microsoft Windows, MS Excel, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, MS Outlook.
• Beginning level coding (python, linux, etc.).

Benefits

• Medical Coverage
• Dental Coverage
• Vision Coverage
• Wellness Plan
• Life Insurance
• Long-term disability
• Employee Assistance Program
• Ten (10) days of vacation each year for the first five (5) years of service
• Eleven (11) County-observed holidays and one (1) floating holiday
• Professional development opportunities
• Dependent Care Reimbursement Plan
• Healthcare Reimbursement Account
• 457 Deferred Compensation Plan
• Retirement Pension (TCDRS)
• Flexible schedule (varies by department)
• Transportation Assistance (Metro RideSponsor Program)