Cryo-EM Specialist

About the team/job

EMBL Grenoble is looking for an experienced and motivated cryo-EM specialist to join its in-house EM facility team. The post holder will be responsible for the day-to-day operation and future development of the facility as well as user training in sample screening and data collection. The successful candidate will work closely with local scientists (group leaders, research support staff, postdoctoral scientists, and students) and with external collaborators. EMBL Grenoble is located at the European Photon and Neutron Campus (EPN, http://www.epn-campus.eu/about-us/ ) and together with the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) and the Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS) forms the Partnership for Structural Biology (PSB), whose complementary and integrated facilities provide a very rich environment for cutting-edge structural biology. 

Your role

• Jointly with a second cryo-EM expert ensure smooth running of the facility instrumentation (Glacios/Falcon 4i/SelectrisX, Tecnai G2 BT, Vitrobot, glow discharger, plasma cleaner)
• Engage in troubleshooting users’ sessions and interact with ThermoFisher Service Engineers
• Advice and train new users in cryo-EM SPA and cryo-ET and take part in teaching electron microscopy to the wider EMBL user community
• Maintain and develop local infrastructure: implement and/or develop novel methods in the broader area of electron microscopy (e.g. automation of grid preparation or image processing methods) in collaboration with engineers and scientists at EMBL Grenoble and EMBL Heidelberg to keep the facility internationally competitive with state-of-the-art services, technology, and infrastructure
• Collaborate with local scientists and engage in cryo-EM projects including data collection and processing
• Stay up to date with the latest developments in the cryo-EM methodologies Interact with the EMBL Grenoble Instrumentation Team to take part in the development of the new cryoEM technologies (e.g. automated grid preparation)
• Liaise with the electron microscopists at EMBL Heidelberg, including at the new Imaging Center, and on the EPN Campus in Grenoble in joint initiatives
• Occasionally travel between Grenoble and Heidelberg for the purpose of data collection, training and technology transfer 

You have

• A degree in the physical or Biological Sciences, Engineering or related disciplines
• Extensive experience in the operation of transmission electron microscopes and data acquisition and processing for single particle and tomography projects
• Good knowledge of cryo-EM data processing software and understanding of high-performance computing infrastructures
• Familiarity with user-oriented facility operation model
• Independence and ability to solve problems
• Good time management, proactive attitude, multi-tasking and excellent communication skills. 

Why join us

EMBL is an inclusive, equal-opportunity employer offering attractive conditions and benefits appropriate to an international research organisation with a very collegial and family-friendly working environment. The remuneration package comprises a competitive salary, a comprehensive pension scheme, medical, educational and other social benefits, as well as financial support for relocation and installation, including your family. The local environment of the EPN campus provides access to state-of-the-art structural biology technologies, including several high-end cryo-EM microscopes (1 Titan Krios (CM01 at ESRF), 2 Glacios (EMBL and IBS) and second Krios (CM02) is planned for installation in 2023), the ESRF synchrotron X-ray beamlines for MX and SAXS, neutron scattering at the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL), high-field NMR at the Institute of Structural Biology (IBS) as well as protein expression screening, insect cell facilities, biophysical platform, confocal microscopy and high-throughput crystallization platforms. 

What else you need to know

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.

Our mission is to offer vital services in training scientists, students and visitors at all levels; to develop new instruments and methods in the life sciences and actively engage in technology transfer activities, and to integrate European life science research.

Please note that appointments on fixed-term contracts can be renewed, depending on circumstances at the time of the review. The initial contract is for 3 years with a possibility of renewal for up to 9 years.

The salary and the exact responsibilities level will depend on the candidate’s profile.

In your online application, you will be asked to submit a cover letter, CV and the contact details of three referees.

EMBL is a signatory of DORA.

Find out how we implement best practices in research assessment in our recruitment processes here: https://www.embl.org/about/research-assessment/