NSXNational Skills ExchangeSign in
Back to Framework

Geneticists

SOC 19-1029.03Job Zone 5 · Extensive Preparationv.26.05

Context coveredThis framework covers geneticists working in academic, clinical, and industry research settings who design and conduct genomic studies, interpret genetic data, lead research teams, disseminate findings, and secure funding across all career stages from doctoral-level entry to senior leadership.

Sources:O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.SkillsCrosswalkSkillsCrosswalk — O*NET enrichment + adjacency index. Opens in new tab.
Emerging
Entry / Apprentice
  1. Laboratory notebooks — maintain with accurate documentation of genetic research methods, procedures, and results under faculty or senior researcher supervision.
  2. Scientific literature — search and summarize relevant publications to identify established protocols appropriate for assigned genomics research tasks.
  3. Genetic laboratory results — review and interpret standard outputs such as gel electrophoresis or sequencing data with guidance from a supervising geneticist.
  4. Analytical or scientific software — operate tools such as BLAST or genome browsers to process and visualize basic genomic datasets in a research lab setting.
  5. Research conferences and journal articles — attend and read regularly to begin building awareness of current findings in molecular genetics and genomics.
  6. Experimental data — collect and organize using spreadsheet software and database interfaces under direct oversight on an ongoing research project.
  7. Research methods — apply established protocols for nucleic acid extraction, amplification, or protein analysis following standard operating procedures in a genetics laboratory.
  8. Written research summaries — draft preliminary sections of manuscripts or reports describing experimental findings for review by senior investigators.
  9. Grant application components — contribute background sections and literature reviews to funding proposals under the direction of a principal investigator.
  10. Critical thinking and problem sensitivity — identify anomalies in experimental results and escalate concerns to supervising researchers in a structured lab environment.
Developing
Mid-level / Established
  1. Genomic and biological research — plan and execute assigned experiments investigating gene expression regulation or protein interactions with moderate independence in an academic or industry lab.
  2. Scientific literature — systematically evaluate and synthesize published studies to select and adapt methods best suited to current genetic research objectives.
  3. Laboratory notebooks and records — maintain comprehensive and audit-ready documentation of experimental workflows and outcomes across multiple concurrent research projects.
  4. Genetic laboratory results — review, interpret, and report findings from sequencing, genotyping, or expression assays with limited supervisory oversight.
  5. Data analysis pipelines — apply object-oriented or scripted analytical tools to mine and interpret large genomic datasets in a computational research environment.
  6. Research manuscripts — draft complete sections of peer-reviewed papers describing methods, results, and discussion for submission to scientific journals.
  7. Conference presentations — prepare and deliver research findings at professional genetics or genomics conferences, translating complex data for specialist audiences.
  8. Junior technicians and graduate students — provide day-to-day guidance on laboratory techniques and data interpretation within an active research group.
  9. Grant sections — author specific aims, research strategy, and preliminary data components of extramural funding applications under principal investigator leadership.
  10. Metabolic networks and nucleic acid complexes — investigate functional relationships using bioinformatics and wet-lab approaches in a translational or basic science setting.
Proficient
Senior / Expert IC
  1. Basic and applied genomics research programs — design and independently conduct investigations into gene regulation, protein interactions, and nucleic acid complexes across the full experimental lifecycle.
  2. Research methods and procedures — critically evaluate and innovate upon published protocols, adapting them to novel genetic questions without supervisory input in a high-throughput laboratory.
  3. Peer-reviewed publications — author and revise complete manuscripts for submission to high-impact genetics and genomics journals, responding to reviewer critiques autonomously.
  4. Professional conference presentations — develop and deliver invited talks synthesizing original research findings for national and international specialist audiences.
  5. Grant proposals — independently write and submit competitive extramural grant applications to agencies such as NIH or NSF, including all scientific and administrative components.
  6. Genetic laboratory results — interpret complex or ambiguous genomic data, resolve technical discrepancies, and authorize final reports in clinical or research laboratory settings.
  7. Research teams — direct the daily activities of technicians, biologists, and biometricians, assigning tasks and ensuring scientific rigor across multiple simultaneous projects.
  8. Emerging technologies — evaluate and integrate next-generation sequencing, single-cell omics, or CRISPR-based tools into existing research programs based on ongoing literature monitoring.
  9. Systems analysis — model and analyze gene regulatory networks and metabolic pathways using advanced bioinformatics software to generate mechanistic hypotheses.
  10. Scientific communication — translate technical genetic findings into accessible presentations for multidisciplinary collaborators, clinical partners, or science policy stakeholders.
Advanced
Lead / Principal / Executive
  1. Institutional research programs — set the strategic scientific vision and long-range agenda for a genetics division, department, or center at an academic medical center or biotechnology organization.
  2. Cross-disciplinary research portfolios — lead collaborative projects spanning genomics, bioinformatics, and clinical genetics, coordinating contributions across multiple institutions or industry partners.
  3. Research workforce — recruit, mentor, and evaluate geneticists, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students, fostering a culture of scientific rigor and innovation at organizational scale.
  4. Major grant portfolios — secure and steward large programmatic funding mechanisms such as NIH program projects or center grants, overseeing budget allocation and compliance across the enterprise.
  5. Scientific publication strategy — guide the publication agenda of an entire research group, ensuring high-impact dissemination of discoveries in leading genetics and genomics journals.
  6. Field-level knowledge synthesis — chair or serve on national conference scientific committees, curating and shaping the discourse on advances in gene regulation, genomics, and related disciplines.
  7. Research ethics and governance — establish laboratory and institutional standards for data integrity, biosafety, and responsible genomic research, serving on IRBs or biosafety committees.
  8. Technology and platform innovation — champion the adoption and institutional implementation of transformative genomic technologies, influencing organizational infrastructure investment decisions.
  9. Scientific policy and advocacy — represent the institution in external advisory roles to government agencies, foundations, or professional societies to advance funding and regulatory priorities in genetics.
  10. Learning and development culture — design and institutionalize training curricula, mentorship frameworks, and learning strategies that build the next generation of genetics researchers across career stages.

AI-at-Work Competency Framework

Sources:Anthropic Economic IndexAnthropic Economic Index — release_2026_03_24. Opens in new tab.Jadhav & Danve, 2026Skill Automation Feasibility Index — Jadhav & Danve, 2026 (arXiv:2604.06906). Opens in new tab.WEF Skills TaxonomyWEF Skills Taxonomy 2021 — Building a Common Language for Skills at Work. Opens in new tab.

A 4-level framework describing how a worker at each mastery level uses, directs, and evaluates AI tools in this occupation. Each statement cites its evidence inline. Subscribe for $19.99/mo to read the full framework — or sign in if you have a subscription.

  1. Emerging
  2. Developing
  3. Proficient
  4. Advanced
Monthly subscription · Stripe-hosted · unlocks AI-at-Work and Pathsmith™ Durable Skills across the full library

Pathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework

Sources:Pathsmith™ Durable SkillsPathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
Subscriber feature

Ten durable-skill domains mapped to four proficiency levels for this occupation. Subscribe to unlock the full Pathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework across all 1,016 occupations.

Monthly subscription · Stripe-hosted · unlocks AI-at-Work and Pathsmith™ Durable Skills across the full library
Show O*NET source anchors62 anchors · skillscrosswalk.com

O*NET enrichment · skillscrosswalk.com

Suggest an O*NET correction

Source anchors that ground each statement

Related titles
Academic Pediatric Geneticist · Behavioral Geneticist · Cardiovascular Geneticist · Clinical Biochemical Geneticist · Clinical Cytogeneticist · Clinical Geneticist · Clinical Molecular Geneticist · Computational Geneticist · Crop Quantitative Geneticist · Genetic Scientist · Geneticist · Genomics Scientist
RAPIDS apprenticeships
—
O*NET skills
Reading ComprehensionScienceJudgment and Decision MakingCritical ThinkingActive LearningActive ListeningWritingSpeakingComplex Problem SolvingLearning StrategiesMathematicsInstructingMonitoringSystems AnalysisSocial PerceptivenessManagement of Personnel ResourcesCoordinationPersuasionSystems EvaluationTime ManagementService OrientationNegotiation
Knowledge domains
BiologyEnglish LanguageEducation and TrainingMathematicsChemistryComputers and Electronics
Abilities
Written ComprehensionWritten ExpressionInductive ReasoningOral ExpressionOral ComprehensionProblem SensitivityCategory FlexibilityDeductive ReasoningFluency of IdeasInformation Ordering
Work styles
Intellectual CuriosityAttention to DetailInnovationDependabilityIntegrityAchievement Orientation
Technology
Analytical or scientific softwareData base user interface and query softwareObject or component oriented development softwareElectronic mail softwareDevelopment environment softwareFile versioning softwareApplication server softwareData mining softwareOperating system softwareSpreadsheet software
Tasks · seed anchors for statements
  1. Supervise or direct the work of other geneticists, biologists, technicians, or biometricians working on genetics research projects.
  2. Plan or conduct basic genomic and biological research related to areas such as regulation of gene expression, protein interactions, metabolic networks, and nucleic acid or protein complexes.
  3. Prepare results of experimental findings for presentation at professional conferences or in scientific journals.
  4. Maintain laboratory notebooks that record research methods, procedures, and results.
  5. Write grants and papers or attend fundraising events to seek research funds.
  6. Search scientific literature to select and modify methods and procedures most appropriate for genetic research goals.
  7. Review, approve, or interpret genetic laboratory results.
  8. Attend clinical and research conferences and read scientific literature to keep abreast of technological advances and current genetic research findings.
CIP education codes
26.010126.020426.020726.020826.020926.021026.029926.030126.030526.030726.030826.039926.040126.040326.040426.040626.040726.049926.050326.050426.050526.050626.050726.050826.050926.070226.070726.080126.080226.080326.080426.080526.080726.089926.091026.100126.100426.110126.110226.110426.119926.120126.130126.130226.130326.130426.130526.130626.130726.130826.131026.131126.139926.150126.150226.150326.150426.159926.999927.030630.190130.270130.320142.2706

Sources: O*NET v30.2 (CC BY 4.0), SkillsCrosswalk.com, LER.me®, Anthropic Economic Index, SAFI (Jadhav & Danve, 2026), WEF Skills Taxonomy 2021, Pathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework. © 2026 EBSCOed.