The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute is a world leader in genomic research, with an expanding scientific programme dedicated to understanding gene function in health & disease.
The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, based south of Cambridge, is one of the world’s leading genomic research centres funded primarily by the Wellcome Trust. Our mission is to use genome sequences to advance understanding of the biology of humans and pathogens in order to improve human health.
The Institute conducts research in four thematic areas – human genetics, pathogen genetics, model organism genetics and informatics. Building on its expertise in the genetic manipulation of ES cells and the production of iPS cells, we are developing plans for a new scientific programme in stem cells and cellular phenotyping [SCCP]. The programme will have two major components – a resource of stem cells/iPS cells and a high-throughput cellular phenotyping platform.
We are currently drawing together the scientific leadership and technical expertise to develop and shape the resources and the platform. The significant infrastructure requirements are being progressed in parallel and include major laboratory refurbishment, equipment specification and purchase, defining resource needs and recruitment and training of technical groups. The new platform will sit alongside our established large scale experimental pipelines as part of an extensive scientific infrastructure including sequencing, genotyping, sample management, large scale PCR and others which support and drive numerous projects both internally and externally.
We are looking for scientists and engineers with significant experience and strong understanding of how to scale up lab methods into SOPs suitable for a high throughput environment where human iPS cell lines will be produced and characterised. Such work would be done in consultation with faculty users and facility managers to introduce, develop, scale-up and optimise new technologies & techniques necessary to maintain these facilities at the leading edge of iPS science.
Reporting to the Head of Operations, you will contribute to the ongoing performance improvement of the facility using internal and external stakeholders. The improvements will implement new SOPs and KPIs that meet and exceed our faculty's scientific goals. You will also ensure that new processes are trained out to operational teams so that they can deliver ongoing service improvements.
This is a fantastic opportunity to use your scientific or engineering background to deliver ongoing performance improvements in a major piece of UK scientific infrastructure.
Essential Skills
A PhD degree in Biology or equivalent extensive experience or substantial experience of engineering high-throughput solutions.
Significant experience and strong understanding of scaling up biological processes from a biological or engineering (e.g. micro-fluidics) perspective.
Experience of up-scaling technologies and introducing them to high throughput platforms controlled by operational teams.
Experience of successfully resolving a range of scientific/technical issues, in Cell Culture/Cellular Phenotyping, effectively involving formal mechanisms across teams.
Highly developed communication skills with experience of dealing with people at all levels successfully.
Excellent relationship builder.
High level of influencing and negotiation skills.
Proven ability to deliver customer specifications.
Able to work independently, within managerial direction.
Proven ability to train and develop others in scientific techniques.
Proven organisational skills with the ability to plan and schedule effectively.
Experience of working in a constantly changing environment with the ability to interpret management information to amend plans.
Complex problem solver.
Ideal Skills
Expertise in human stem cell biology, tissue culture, liquid handling robotics, analytical equipment, imaging equipment, LIMs, assay development and containment requirements.
Strategic thinking skills, ability to see the ‘bigger picture’.
Significant experience of this type of development role in a scientific environment (E) where technical services are being provided.
Benefits
The Institute has excellent purpose built facilities on the Genome Campus, Hinxton on the outskirts of Cambridge. We offer a comprehensive range of benefits including a final salary pension scheme and excellent on-site facilities. Further details can be found on our website https://jobs.sanger.ac.uk,
To submit your CV and apply for this job please go to https://jobs.sanger.ac.uk, to register and apply on line.]
Salary range: £37140 to £48944 pa dependent on experience plus excellent benefits.
Closing Date: 5th August 2012