At Houston Methodist, the Research Associate I position for the Antibody Discovery & Accelerated Protein Therapeutics (ADAPT) research group is responsible for overseeing daily laboratory operations. Under the direction of the Principal Investigator (PI) or Scientist (Faculty), this position trains lab personnel, ensures safety and regulatory compliance, oversees equipment maintenance and inventory, and coordinates with other teams to facilitate the successful execution of ADAPT’s high-throughput discovery and development projects. This role maintains meticulous records, manages daily laboratory operations, and prepares documentation for safety committees, supporting the ADAPT lab’s mission to develop cutting-edge therapeutic platforms. Key responsibilities include:

Daily operations & oversight: Manage and coordinate lab workflows, scheduling, and resource allocation to ensure efficient and safe operations, consistent with ADAPT’s mission and Houston Methodist policies.

Equipment & inventory management: Oversee equipment calibration, scheduling, and maintenance. Monitor and manage chemical, reagent, and consumable inventories. Ensure proper documentation of all maintenance and supply transactions.

Safety & regulatory compliance: Serve as Safety Officer by enforcing all laboratory safety protocols, ensuring team members complete required safety training, and maintaining up-to-date records for regulatory compliance.

Personnel training: Mentor and guide research staff, junior associates, students, and visitors in lab techniques, protocols, and SOPs. Facilitate open communication, foster a supportive team environment, and promote intellectual curiosity and professional development in line with ADAPT lab culture.

Research & experimental work: Collaborate on study design; perform and refine experimental protocols; gather, analyze, and summarize data. Contribute to scientific presentations, publications, and grant applications.

Collaboration & communication: Actively coordinate with Team Leaders, the PI, and department administrators to ensure seamless lab operations and timely achievement of project milestones. Communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders while adhering to confidentiality protocols.

Record-keeping & data management: Maintain accurate, detailed records of experiments and lab activities in LabArchives and Box, ensuring data integrity and compliance with institutional policies.

Lab culture & teamwork: Uphold ADAPT lab’s culture by promoting collegiality, intellectual curiosity, shared credit, and open communication. Encourage high-quality, ethical research practices and a spirit of collaboration.

PATIENT AGE GROUP(S) AND POPULATION(S) SERVED
Refer to departmental "Scope of Service" and "Provision of Care" plans, as applicable, for description of primary age groups and populations served by this job for the respective HM entity.

HOUSTON METHODIST EXPERIENCE EXPECTATIONS

• Provide personalized care and service by consistently demonstrating our I CARE values:
  • INTEGRITY: We are honest and ethical in all we say and do.
  • COMPASSION: We embrace the whole person including emotional, ethical, physical, and spiritual needs.
  • ACCOUNTABILITY: We hold ourselves accountable for all our actions.
  • RESPECT: We treat every individual as a person of worth, dignity, and value.
  • EXCELLENCE: We strive to be the best at what we do and a model for others to emulate.

• Practices the Caring and Serving Model

• Delivers personalized service using HM Service Standards

• Provides for exceptional patient/customer experiences by following our Standards of Practice of always using Positive Language (AIDET, Managing Up, Key Words)

• Intentionally collaborates with other healthcare professionals involved in patients/customers or employees' experiential journeys to ensure strong communication, ease of access to information, and a seamless experience.

• Involves patients (customers) in shift/handoff reports by enabling their participation in their plan of care as applicable to the given job

• Displays cultural humility, diversity, equity and inclusion principles

• Actively supports the organization's vision, fulfills the mission and abides by the I CARE values

PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Assigns and reviews the work and outcomes for projects completed by assistants.

• Contributes to a positive work environment and contributes to a dynamic, team-focused work unit that actively helps one other to achieve optimal department results. Collaborates with all members of the research team by actively communicating and reporting pertinent information as it relates to an assigned system(s) in a comprehensive manner.

• Provides contributions towards the improvement of department scores for turnover/retention/employee engagement.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Analyzes data for research grants and publications. Prepares scientific presentations for department meetings.

• Completes/performs research experiments and incorporates novel procedures and methods into research experiments as appropriate (low to medium complexity).

• Maintains accurate records of all research and data collection.

QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Establishes and maintains quality control of project operations.

• Writes and maintains regulatory and safety committee applications/protocols.

• Identifies opportunities for corrective action and process improvement providing recommendations and contributes to meeting departmental and hospital targets for quality and safety.

FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Uses resources efficiently; does not waste supplies. Self-motivated to independently manage time effectively and prioritize daily tasks, minimizing incidental overtime.

• Assists with ensuring orders are on appropriate grants.

GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Participates in grant writing.

• Determines specific research project goals and objectives to be attained. Assumes responsibility and oversight for those goals and objectives.

• Seeks opportunities to identify developmental needs of self and takes appropriate action. Ensures own career discussions occur with appropriate management. Completes and updates the individual development plan (IDP) on an ongoing basis.

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive; the employee will also perform other reasonably related business/job duties as assigned. Houston Methodist reserves the right to revise job duties and responsibilities as the need arises.

EDUCATION

• Master's degree in related field or terminal degree with two years post-doctoral experience

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Five years experience, depending on education level

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS - REQUIRED

• N/A

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through ongoing skills, competency assessments, and performance evaluations

• Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading and writing the English language necessary to perform the essential functions of this job, especially with regard to activities impacting patient or employee safety or security

• Ability to effectively communicate with patients, physicians, family members and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus, and application of positive language principles

• Ability to work independently

• Capable of handling challenging/difficult situations

• Demonstrates sound judgment and executes analytical skills

SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

WORK ATTIRE

• Uniform No
• Scrubs Yes
• Business professional Yes
• Other (department approved) No

ON-CALL*
*Note that employees may be required to be on-call during emergencies (ie. DIsaster, Severe Weather Events, etc) regardless of selection below.

• On Call* No

TRAVEL**
**Travel specifications may vary by department**

• May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area No
• May require travel outside Houston Metropolitan area No

Houston Methodist Research Institute was formed in 2004 to rapidly and efficiently translate discoveries made in the laboratory and the clinic into new diagnostics, therapies, and treatments. The research institute was created to provide the infrastructure and support for these endeavors, and to house the technology and resources needed to make innovative breakthroughs in important areas of human disease. A 540,000 square foot building dedicated to research, the research institute houses over 1,500 staff and trainees, 284 principal investigators and has more than 570 ongoing clinical trials.