Research Technician / Scientific Officer - Microbial Automation & Culturomics Core Facility

About the team/job

EMBL is a world leader in scientific research and at the forefront in the development of cutting-edge technologies. Research at EMBL is supported by the development of enabling technologies that are made available to the scientific community in its core facilities, ten of which are currently located at EMBL Heidelberg. Core facilities provide unique tools, expert advice and service for life scientists at EMBL and member states. EMBL is seeking an experienced and highly motivated microbiologist or screening expert to join the new Core Facility on Microbial Automation & Culturomics in Heidelberg. The core facility is being launched as part of the scientific Program Molecules to Ecosystems, and its goal is to enable high-throughput approaches in cultivation, genetic manipulation and phenotyping of microbial species in isolation or in communities. The facility will give researchers access and training into cutting-edge automation, and accommodates controlled environmental chambers and robotic systems for large-scale microbial cultivation, genetics and screens. It will also develop and distribute genome-wide genetic tools (mutant loss-of and gain-of function libraries) for different microbial species and strains, and offer services on microbial community deconvolution and characterization – with an initial focus on bacteria of the human gut microbiome. The facility will be used by different research groups across all EMBL sites, and in the future also by external visitors. It will support research projects with a broad scientific spectrum on microbial genetics and phenotyping. The first members, including the head, Alexandra Koumoutsi are here, and the same is true for the first equipment.

Your role

The EMBL Microbial Automation & Culturomics Core Facility is looking for a Scientific Officer. The key responsibilities will include:

• Organizational and technical assistance within the facility
• Interacting with the facility users to communicate standard operating procedures
• Contributing to administrative responsibilities of the facility such as ordering and maintaining lab inventory, day-to-day lab activities and invoicing users
• Perform hands-on experiments on large-scale chemical and genetic screens, microbial community deconvolution, assembly and phenotyping
• Implement/ assist in developing integrated/automated workflows for the facility
• Maintaining of state-of-the-art instrumentation (e.g. oxygen controlled chambers, high-throughput robotic equipment etc.)
• Propagating/ disseminating established resources and cryopreserved libraries
• Supporting visiting scientists during their time at EMBL

You have

• An appropriate undergraduate or advanced degree from an accredited university or technical school
• Experience in molecular biology and microbiology
• Excellent interpersonal, organizational and communication skills
• High motivation to work independently, while collaborating with the team and interacting with the facility users
• High adaptability and problem solving skills
• Proficiency in spoken and written English

You might also have

• Experience in screening
• Experience in working with non-model microbes and/or gut microbiota
• Experience in working with controlled environments

Why join us

EMBL is curiosity-driven, community-oriented and international. As an inclusive, equal opportunity employer, we believe that diversity enables us to collaborate more effectively and be innovative in our approaches.

EMBL offers attractive conditions and benefits appropriate to an international research organisation with a very collegial and family-friendly working environment. Competitive salary and social security benefits, financial support for relocation, a relaxed culture, professional development, an on-site nursery, canteen and other staff facilities make EMBL a great place to work.

Enjoy lots of benefits

• Financial incentives: Income tax exemption, monthly family, child and non-resident allowances, annual salary review, a pension scheme, life insurance, long-term care, accident-at-work and unemployment insurances
• Flexible working arrangements
• Certified training and continued development of your professional and personal skills
• Private medical insurance for you and your immediate family
• Generous time off: 30 days annual leave per year
• Generous relocation package including installation grant (if applicable)
• Family benefits: On-site nursery, 10 days of child sick leave, generous parental leave and monthly family and child allowances
• Benefits for international newcomers: Visa exemption, education grant for private schooling, financial support to travel back to your home country every second year and amonthly non-resident allowance

What else you need to know

We are Europe’s research laboratory for the life sciences – an intergovernmental organisation performing scientific research in disciplines including molecular biology, physics, chemistry and computer science. We are an international, innovative and interdisciplinary laboratory with more than 1900 employees from many nations, operating across six sites, in Heidelberg (HQ), Barcelona, Hinxton near Cambridge, Hamburg, Grenoble and Rome.

Please note that appointments on fixed term contracts can be renewed up to 9 years in total, depending on circumstances at the time of the review.

**Don’t meet every single requirement? We are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply nevertheless.

EMBL is a signatory of DORA. Find out how we implement best practices in research assessment in our recruitment processes here.

To apply, please fill in the online form and upload a motivation letter and your CV. At least two reference letters will be requested after the deadline.