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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 25 O C T O B E R 1 8 , 2 0 2 1 F O C U S M I D C O A S T / D OW N E A S T M A I N E Jackson Lab ramps up recruiting for research jobs W hen it comes to recruiting researchers in today's chal- lenging hiring environment, Jackson Laboratory is the mouse that roars. Increasingly during the pandemic, the Bar Harbor-based nonprofit research institute finds scientific tal- ent by selling job candidates on its mission of empowering the global biomedical community in the quest to improve human health. Jackson Lab does that via the production of 12,000 strains of genetically specialized mice used in research worldwide. "Our job candidates have always been attracted by our mission, though it is remarkable to see the amount of people who work in very different organizations and industries who are now motivated, perhaps due to a reset in life and career goals [in the wake of the pandemic], to look at JAX and who are so motivated by our recruit- ment efforts," says Chad Cotter, who joined Jackson Lab as talent acquisi- tion director earlier this year. Hiring is a priority at the organiza- tion, whose 2,400-strong workforce includes 1,400 in Bar harbor, more than 100 in Ellsworth, 400 in Farmington, Conn., and 400 in Sacramento, Calif., as well as others in China and Japan. Out of more than 130 current job openings, Cotter says the hardest to fill are front-line research positions. "ere's a particular and acute chal- lenge to hiring front-line staff that so many employers have experienced in the past 12 months, and we have felt as well," he says. "At the same time, specialized roles in research, especially those in genomics and bioinformatics, are in very short supply in the labor market at the moment, and we are fac- ing these challenges with novel sourc- ing and recruiting methods." To a greater degree today, those methods include tapping into employees' contacts to find potential applicants, and involving recent hires in the networking process. "We are finding that the networks of our employees and the members of the community are deeper than we imagined," Cotter says, adding that social media and in-person outreach to individuals and organizations are equally important. "ese connections are bea- cons of our relationships as we hopefully approach the latter days of the pandemic." R e n e e C o r d e s , M a i n e b i z s e n i o r w r i t e r, c a n b e r e a c h e d a t r c o r d e s @ m a i n e b i z . b i z a n d @ r s c o r d e s Jackson Laboratory Bar Harbor Founded: 1929 What it does: Bar Harbor-based nonprofit biomedical research institution. Employees: 2,400 total (including 1,500 in Bar Harbor and 100-plus in Ellsworth) 2021 operating budget: $503 million P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F JA C K S O N L A BO R AT O R Y In Bar Harbor, Jackson Laboratory employs 450 animal-care technicians, like the individual pictured here. Our job candidates have always been attracted by our mission. — Chad Cotter Jackson Laboratory

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