The Center for Drug Discovery at RTI International in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina is seeking a talented and dedicated Research Associate on a contractual basis. This 1-year fixed term (renewable upon mutual agreement) position will play a key role in supervising and conducting studies supporting research in a neuropsychopharmacology laboratory focused on neural mechanisms underlying reward, stress, and pain. The successful candidate will conduct and manage a program of nonclinical and preclinical neuropsychopharmacology research and will have significant prior experience with computational and experimental skills necessary for manipulating and monitoring neural activity in behaving rodents.

• Conduct behavioral and dosing experiments in rodents.
• Perform rodent surgeries including intracranial surgeries and pre- and post-operative care.
• Manipulate and monitor neural activity in rodents engaged in behavioral tasks.
• Obtain, maintain, and inventory general lab supplies and records.
• Maintain documentation of behavioral observations and data collection.
• Check study data and associated records for accuracy and completeness.
• Ensure that experiments are conducted with strict adherence to experimental protocol and regulatory procedures, including NIH, GLP, and DEA regulations as necessary.
• Weekend, holiday, or night work may occasionally be required.
• Oversight and monitoring of laboratory rodents and assessment of rodent health.
• Assist with training of new and less experienced staff.
• Maintain laboratory equipment and troubleshoot equipment as needed.
• Prepare for and assist with laboratory inspections as needed.
• Publish and present findings in peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences.
• Prepare written and oral reports on a regular basis.
• Maintain clear and accurate communication with supervisor, team members, and external collaborators.
• Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy.

• Doctoral degree in relevant science (e.g. neuroscience, pharmacology, psychology).
• Minimum of 3 years of experience with behavioral/pharmacological models in rodents.
• Research experience with neural recording techniques and data analysis preferred.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to meet aggressive timelines and deliverables in a collaborative environment.

For San Francisco, CA USA Job Postings Only: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. Further information is available .

The anticipated pay range for this role is listed below. Our pay ranges represent national averages and may vary by location as a geographic differential may be applied to some locations within the United States.

RTI considers multiple factors when making an offer including, for example: established salary range, internal budget, business needs, and education and years of work experience possessed by the applicant. Further, salary is merely one element to our offer.

At RTI, we demonstrate our commitment to rewarding individual and team achievement through a total rewards package. This package includes (among other things) a competitive base salary, a generous paid time off policy, merit based annual increases, bonus opportunities and a robust recognition program. Other benefits include a competitive range of insurance plans (including health, dental, life, and short-term and long-term disability), access to a retirement savings program such as a 401(k) plan, paid parental leave for all parents, financial assistance with adoption expenses or infertility treatments, financial reimbursement for education and developmental opportunities, an employee assistance program, and numerous other offerings to support a healthy work-life balance.