The Jülich campus hosts a vibrant electron microscopy, biophysics and structural biology community.

We are seeking to recruit a team leader to head the new life science electron microscopy facility, to be established at the Ernst Ruska-Centre. The activities of the facility support cutting-edge methodological as well as topical cryo-EM research for internal and external users. The position will oversee microscope user operation, training and outreach activities of the facility together with technical and specialist support staff. The center has a focus on microscopy method development as well as focused topical biological and physical research. Forschungszentrum Jülich has recently become part of the German Instruct-ERIC Center offering external cryo-EM user access at the European level.

Your tasks in detail:

• Organize and oversee an accessible and developing infrastructure for internal and external cryo-EM users.
  
• Coordinate use, maintenance and performance of microscope equipment in the facility (Talos120, Arctica, 2 x Krios, Aquilos, Arctis).
  
• Integrate novel future hardware technologies, e.g., double Cs/Cc imaging correctors, Helium temperature and STEM, into sustainable internal and external user operation.
  
• Engaging with researchers and vendors to explore emerging techniques and prototype developments in the field in close coordination with ER-C directors.
  
• Training, supervising and mentoring cryo-EM specialists and technicians in single-particle cryo-EM and cryo-electron tomography application and execution.
  
• Carrying out independent research on implementing emerging and innovative electron microscopy methodologies (30 %).
  
• Offer services to clients from industry in addition to academic users.
  
• Providing a visible hub for cryo-EM at the ER-C - creating and running workshops to disseminate to the scientific community cryo-EM aspects of theory, sample preparation, data acquisition, analysis and preparation for publication.

Your Profile:

• Master degree in biology, chemistry, physics or related field, ideally with subsequent PhD degree in a relevant area
  
• A track record of scientific and/or technological achievements in electron microscopy
  
• Several years of experience of microscope operation in a structural biology or materials science EM facility
  
• Experience with maintaining and purchasing microscopy hardware
  
• Strong communication skills and ability to work with internal colleagues and external visitors in an international and interdisciplinary team
  
• Strong willingness to grow into a leadership role or already existing experience in leading a team

Our Offer:

We work on the very latest issues that impact our society and are offering you the chance to actively help in shaping the change! We offer you:

• The chance to work at one of the largest research centers in Germany, with excellent scientific equipment and leading European computational resources, located on a green campus, and near the cultural centers Köln, Düsseldorf, and Aachen. The Jülich campus also hosts a vibrant biophysics, bioinformatics and structural biology community.
  
• The activities are embedded in a long-term supported scientific infrastructure within outstanding electron microscopy environment together with the Biological and Physical sciences.
  
• Direct access to high-level cryo-EM infrastructure at the Ernst-Ruska Centre2.0 including a new building. The facility has been extended with state-of-the-art cryo-microscopes and FIB-SEMs of ThermoFisher, 2x Titan Krios, Talos Arctica and FIB-SEMs Aquilos 2, Arctis.
  
• As part of the National Roadmap for Research Infrastructures of the ERC 2.0, access to worldwide unique electron microscope instruments including more than 15 high-end microscopes for shared use between Material and Life sciences.
  
• Excellent manufacturer support and very rapid response time for equipment maintenance and development in the context of the large Ernst-Ruska Centre facility.
  
• Working in a dynamic team of researchers with backgrounds in different disciplines across biology, chemistry, physics and informatics to advance cryo-EM methods.
  
• A wide range of scientific challenges covering user support, training, teaching and method development for structural biology.
  
• Additional support by the ER-C user office for user operation
  
• Structured leadership development to build and strengthen your team-leading skills
  
• Targeted services for international employees, e.g. through our International Advisory Service
  
• Long-term prospect: Following an initial fixed-term contract of 2 years, our aim is to offer you a position on a long-term basis. Let`s use this time to discover how well we fit together.
  

Salary and social benefits will conform to the provisions of the Collective Agreement for the Public Service (TVöD-Bund), pay group 14-15, depending on the applicant’s qualifications and the precise nature of the tasks assigned to them. All information about the Collective Agreement for the Public Service (TVöD-Bund) can be found on the BMI website: https://go.fzj.de/bmi.tvoed The monthly salaries in euro can be found here: https://go.fzj.de/bmi.tvoed.entgelt

In addition to exciting tasks and a collaborative working atmosphere at Jülich, we have a lot more to offer: https://go.fzj.de/benefits

We welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds, e.g. in terms of age, gender, disability, sexual orientation / identity, and social, ethnic and religious origin. A diverse and inclusive working environment with equal opportunities in which everyone can realize their potential is important to us. The following links provide further information on diversity and equal opportunities: https://go.fzj.de/equality and on specific support options for women: https://go.fzj.de/womens-job-journey