Advanced Research Assistant / Technical Specialist

Do you want to help us improve human health and understand life on Earth? Make your mark by shaping the future to enable or deliver life-changing science to solve some of humanity’s greatest challenges.

Here at the world-famous Wellcome Sanger Institute, we have an exciting opportunity for either an Advanced Research Assistant or a Technical Specialist (depending on experience) for the multi-omic profiling of the human skin during development and disease. This position is for a 2-year fixed-term contract and there are multiple positions available.

About the Role:

You will be embedded in the Cellular Genetics Wet Lab Support Team and primarily support the research activities of the Haniffa group. 

You will participate in exciting projects that use cutting-edge technologies to multi-omically map the human skin during disease progression and response to drug interventions for a variety of dermatological conditions in adult skin.

You will have the opportunity to support other exciting projects including the Human Cell Atlas work being undertaken in Cellular Genetics.

You will play a fundamental role within the team, implementing pioneering genomic technologies and bespoke sequencing library creation for gene expression, immune cell profiling and chromatin accessibility analysis of single cells or nuclei in preparation for downstream NGS analysis, using 10X Genomics protocols.

You will use multiple sample and data trackers to carefully keep track of important experimental metadata. You will be involved in supporting the day-to-day management of the lab, including monitoring of resources, reporting equipment and experiment faults, optimising protocols and ensuring the deliverables of the project are met in a timely manner.

About You:

Excellent communication and relationship-building skills alongside strong time management and organisational skills are needed, as is the ability to troubleshoot and identify areas for process improvement.

You are expected to bring molecular biology experience to this role and ideally already have a working knowledge of a variety of 10X technologies including but not limited to; single cell and single nuclei RNA sequencing, ATAC-seq, CITE-seq and spatial transcriptomics, however further training will be provided.

The role will require you to be adaptable and have excellent interpersonal and communication skills to closely coordinate with the Scientific Managers, Staff Scientists and other members of the team leading and working on these projects. 

About Us:

The Haniffa group is part of the Human Cell Atlas initiative, a global collaboration that aims to create a comprehensive reference map of the human body by mapping every cell. The data generated will provide a vital foundation for understanding human health and diagnosing, monitoring, and treating disease. You will be embedded in the Cellular Genetics Wet Lab Support Team and largely work towards the Haniffa team’s research goals; however, being part of a core team in the programme, you will also have the opportunity to contribute to other exciting research themes across the Cellular Genetics faculty research groups. 

Knowledge, skills, and experience required:

E = Essential D = Desirable

Technical Skills:

Advanced Research Assistant 

MSc (or equivalent experience) in a biological science and 2 years postgraduate experience (E)

Tissue dissociation, DNA/RNA extraction, qRT-PCR (E)

Experience with working with the Human Tissue Act. (D)

Ability to test, implement, and troubleshoot new techniques and protocols. (E)

Excellent communication skills (E)

Good attention to detail and record keeping for sample and experimental tracking. (E)

Writing and reviewing SOPs (D)

Writing and reviewing risk assessments (D)

Histology experience with tissue preservation (e.g., fixation, cryopreservation) and cryosectioning. (D)

Experience with histological imaging methods. (D)

Technical Specialist 

MSc (or equivalent experience) and at least 5 years post-graduate experience (E)

Tissue dissociation, DNA/RNA extraction, qRT-PCR (E)

Experience with working with human tissue samples/  Human Tissue Act (E)

Ability to learn new protocols and then run them independently (E)

Excellent laboratory practice (E) 

Excellent communication skills (E)

Good attention to detail and record keeping for sample and experimental tracking (E)

Writing and reviewing SOPs (D)

Writing and reviewing risk assessments (D)

Experience of processing tissue samples for single cell and single nuclei RNAseq analysis (E)

Significant experience with core molecular biology techniques, including sample handling, PCR, RNA/DNA purification, library preparation and similar (E)

Histology experience with tissue preservation (e.g., fixation, cryopreservation) and cryosectioning (D)

Experience with histological imaging methods (D)

Competencies and Behaviours:

Motivation and ambition to make a personal contribution to GRL research (E).

Excellent communication skills to allow efficient interactions with collaborators (E).

Proven experience of working within a team (E).

Ability to work to a schedule and successfully manage and prioritise multiple incoming projects (E). 

Ability to effectively prioritise, multi-task and work independently (E).

Demonstrates inclusivity and respect for all (E).

Other Information:

Please apply with your CV and a cover letter in which you summarise your relevant laboratory work experience (referring to the information above) and detail your motivation for applying for this role. We estimate that the interviews will take place week commencing 25th November.

Salary:

Advanced Research Assistant £32,600 - £39,200

Technical Specialist £40,500 - £48,600

Closing Date: Sunday 17-NOV-24

Contract duration: 2 years

Hybrid Working at Wellcome Sanger:

We recognise that there are many benefits to Hybrid Working; including an improved work-life balance, with more focused time, as well as the ability to organise working time so that collaborative opportunities and team discussions are facilitated on campus. The hybrid working arrangement will vary for different roles and teams. The nature of your role and the type of work you do will determine if a hybrid working arrangement is possible.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:

We aim to attract, recruit, retain and develop talent from the widest possible talent pool, thereby gaining insight and access to different markets to generate a greater impact on the world. We have a supportive culture with the following staff networks, LGBTQ+, Parents and Carers, Disability and Race Equity to bring people together to share experiences, offer specific support and development opportunities and raise awareness. The networks are also a place for allies to provide support to others.

We want our people to be whoever they want to be because we believe people who bring their best selves to work, do their best work. That’s why we’re committed to creating a truly inclusive culture at Sanger Institute. We will consider all individuals without discrimination and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees, where everyone can thrive.

Our Benefits:

We are proud to deliver an awarding campus-wide employee wellbeing strategy and programme. The importance of good health and adopting a healthier lifestyle and the commitment to reduce work-related stress is strongly acknowledged and recognised at Sanger Institute.

Sanger Institute became a signatory of the International Technician Commitment initiative In March 2018.  The Technician Commitment aims to empower and ensure visibility, recognition, career development and sustainability for technicians working in higher education and research, across all disciplines.