Laboratory Officer

The Quail group at EMBL Heidelberg is looking for a highly motivated biochemist or biophysicist to join us as a Laboratory Officer. We combine single-molecule biophysics, in vitro biochemistry, quantitative imaging, and cell biology to study how proteins and enzymes collectively organize the genome, with a current focus on transcription factor dynamics at the single-molecule level and additional projects in several other systems. This is primarily a wet-lab position with three components: (i) supporting the lab's in vitro protein biochemistry needs (molecular biology, expression tests, and purification of single-subunit proteins and protein complexes from bacterial, insect, and human systems), (ii) developing and performing single-molecule measurements using correlative force/fluorescence-based optical tweezers, magnetic tweezers, and smTIRF microscopy, and (iii) handling lab management while supporting students and postdoctoral fellows. Interest or experience in programming is a strong plus. If you want to push the boundaries of what single-molecule biophysics can measure, connect it to cellular function, and do so in a collaborative, fast-moving environment, we would like to hear from you. We are committed to inclusion, curiosity-driven research, and people-oriented training.

Your role

 Scientific Research:

• Establish, optimize, and maintain in vitro protein biochemistry workflows, including molecular cloning, recombinant protein expression in bacterial, insect-cell, and human expression systems, and purification and characterization of single-subunit proteins and multi-sub-unit protein complexes
• Design, perform, and troubleshoot single-molecule experiments, using correlative force-fluorescence optical tweezers and single-molecule TIRF (smTIRF) microscopy to investigate protein-DNA and protein-protein interactions, dynamics/kinetics, and force generation
• Design, generate, and validate DNA and nucleic-acid substrates for single-molecule experiments, including DNA constructs with defined sequences, binding sites, lengths, and labeling or attachment strategies
• Develop and perform cell-based experiments to connect molecular mechanisms identified in vitro with their cellular functions, including quantitative ELISAs, RT-qPCR, transient protein expression, and live-cell fluorescence imaging
• Perform quantitative image analysis of single-molecule and live-cell imaging experiments, including particle detection and tracking, fluorescence quantification, colocalization, intensity and lifetime measurements, and extraction of kinetic and spatial parameters
• Analyze and interpret quantitative experimental data using Python, MATLAB, or similar computational tools, including image processing, automated data analysis, curve fitting, kinetic modeling, statistical analysis, and visualization
• Contribute to experimental planning, interpretation of results, troubleshooting, and development of new experimental approaches and protocols within a collaborative, interdisciplinary research environment
• Document experimental procedures, analyze and organize datasets, and communicate findings through lab meetings, presentations, reports, and scientific manuscripts

Lab management, training and supervision:

• Onboard and train new group members and visitors in the lab's technologies and protocols
• Test new tools and reagents and develop updates to experimental protocols
• Perform lab management tasks, including instrument maintenance, the lab calendar, ordering, inventory, and maintaining reagent and protein stocks

You have

• A PhD from an accredited university or technical school
• Hands-on experience with in vitro protein biochemistry, including construct design, molecular biology, and expression and purification in both bacterial and insect-cell systems
• A demonstrated ability to troubleshoot experimental protocols independently and systematically
• An independent work ethic and genuine curiosity to learn new methods and push them beyond their original design
• The ability to manage your contributions across multiple collaborative experiments at once
• Fluent spoken and written English, the working language at EMBL

You might also have

• Experience with single-molecule biophysics approaches, including optical tweezers and TIRF microscopy
• Experience generating stable cell lines, including selecting and validating genomic integrations
• Experience with scripting languages for image analysis, such as MATLAB, Python, or Fiji

Contract duration: 3 years

Salary: Grade 5 or 6 (depending on qualifications and experience), monthly salary from 4.147,92 after tax, plus generous benefits and financial allowances based on individual circumstances. Excluding 12.99% personal pension and insurance contributions. 

Application process

Please submit your CV and cover letter through our online application system. In your cover letter, briefly describe how your experience and expertise would enable you to contribute to the Quail Group as a Laboratory Officer.

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. We are, therefore, committed to creating an inclusive and flexible culture - one where everyone can realise their full potential and make a positive contribution to our organisation. 

We encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing team – we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and personal experiences reflect the diversity of the populations that our science serves. We actively encourage applications from all genders and cultures, ethnic groups and all demographics to help us avoid perpetuating biases and oversights at this transformational point in our people strategy.

Enjoy lots of benefits:

• Financial incentives: Salary free of income tax, Monthly family, child and non-resident allowances, annual salary review, pension scheme, death benefit, long-term care, accident-at-work and unemployment insurances

• Flexible working arrangements

• Private medical insurance for you and your immediate family (including all prescriptions and generous dental & optical cover)

• Generous time off: 30 days annual leave per year, in addition to public holidays

• Relocation package including installation grant (if applicable)

• Campus life: Free shuttle bus (Heidelberg), library, subsidised on-site cafeteria, casual dress code, extensive sports and social club activities (on campus and remotely)

• Family benefits: Kindergarten (Heidelberg), 10 days of child sick leave, generous paid maternity/parental leave and monthly family & 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 a monthly non-resident allowance.

• For detailed information please visit our employee benefits page here

What else you need to know

• International applicants: We recruit internationally and successful candidates are offered visa exemptions. Visit our International Applicants page, to find out more.

• EMBL is a signatory of DORA. Find out how we apply DORA principles to our recruitment and performance assessment processes here.

• Diversity and inclusion: At EMBL, we believe that diverse teams drive innovation and scientific excellence. We encourage applications from candidates of all genders, identities, nationalities and/or any other diverse backgrounds.

• How to apply: To apply please submit a cover letter and a CV through our online system. Applications will close at 23:59 CET on the date shown below. We aim to provide a response within two weeks after the closing date.

Closing Date