NGS Technician or Technologist (Biomedical Sequencing Facility)

The Biomedical Sequencing Facility is Austria’s leading technology platform and service provider for next generation sequencing (NGS) and genomics in biomedicine. It is located at the CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, working in close collaboration with the Medical University of Vienna, the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rare and Undiagnosed Diseases, and the St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Center.

To keep up with rapid growth, we are searching a highly motivated NGS Technician (entry-level position) or NGS Technologist (for candidates with strong prior experience in the field) who wants to contribute to the booming field of personalized and genomic medicine. The successful candidate will operate the latest genome sequencing equipment and contribute to high-quality sequencing services to biomedical research and genomic medicine. At CeMM, we take career development of our staff seriously. For example, we will train the successful candidate in state-of-the-art technologies that are in high demand in academia and industry, and we encourage contribution and co-authorship in publications. Importantly, genomic medicine is a hot topic in Austria and internationally, thus creating a highly promising area for future career development.

Relevant Qualifications

• Bachelor or Master degree (or equivalent) with strong wet-lab experience
• High accuracy, reliability, precision under time pressure, and organizational skills
• Very strong motivation and commitment, proactive mindset, getting-things-done attitude
• Prior experience working with DNA and/or RNA assays is mandatory. Prior experience with next generation sequencing is a plus
• Prior experience in a core facility, molecular diagnostics laboratory, or biotechnology company is also a plus (but not mandatory)
• Friendly, collaborative mindset, ability to multi-task and to work effectively in an international environment
• Written and oral communication skills in English (German language skills are not required)
• Dedication and commitment to high-quality service provision, serving biomedical researchers across a broad range of topics/projects
• Motivation to work in one of the fastest-moving and most future-oriented areas of biomedicine

Typical Tasks

• Library preparation for next generation sequencing (manually and/or with automated robotic systems)
• Next generation sequencing on Illumina (NovaSeq, HiSeq 3000/4000, NextSeq, Miseq, etc.) and nanopore machines
• Optimization and testing of new protocols, e.g. cancer genomics, single-cell sequencing, and epigenome profiling
• Troubleshooting of technical problems in the sample preparation and sequencing workflows
• Contribution to lab management, training of new lab members, and scientific publications
• Optimization and testing of new protocols, often in close coordination with BSF customers
• Customer support, interaction with researchers, and collaborative projects
• We ask for a time commitment of at least 3 years (candidates considering a PhD should apply instead to the CeMM PhD Program)

The Biomedical Sequencing Facility (https://www.biomedical-sequencing.org/)

The successful candidate will be part of the Biomedical Sequencing Facility (BSF) team, which is based at CeMM. The BSF is Austria’s first and leading center of expertise for next generation sequencing in biomedicine. Coordinated by Christoph Bock and with a dedicated team of staff scientists, the BSF contributes to biomedical research and whole genome medicine in Vienna, Austria, and internationally. The BSF is equipped with the latest technology for high-throughput genomics (Illumina NovaSeq, Oxford Nanopore, 10X Genomics, etc.) and powerful scientific computing infrastructure. The BSF’s mandate includes a strong focus on technology development, contribution to study design and bioinformatic data analysis, as well as training and teaching best practices in sequencing technology and genomic medicine. Furthermore, it supports biomedical scientists and clinicians in the development of custom NGS protocols and in the bioinformatic analysis of the resulting datasets.

The Institute (http://www.cemm.at)

CeMM is an international research institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and a founding member of EU-LIFE. It has an outstanding track record of top-notch science and medical translation (last few years: >10 papers in Nature/Cell/Science/NEJM, >25 papers in Nature/Cell sister journals). With ~150 researchers, CeMM provides a truly collaborative and personal environment, while maintaining critical mass and direct access to all relevant technologies. Research at CeMM focuses on cancer, inflammation, and immune disorders. CeMM is located at the center of one of the largest medical campuses in Europe, within walking distance of Vienna’s historical city center. A study by “The Scientist” placed CeMM among the top-5 best places to work in academia world-wide (https://www.the-scientist.com/features/best-places-to-work-academia-2012-40676). Vienna is frequently ranked the world’s best city to live. It is a United Nations city with a large English-speaking community. The official language at CeMM is English, and more than 40 different nationalities are represented at the institute. CeMM promotes equal opportunity, with a mix of different talents, backgrounds, competences, and interests. We are offering an excellent employee benefits package including full insurance coverage (health, accident, retirement), health care services, daily bonus for the in-house cafeteria, relocation reimbursement, and an annual gross salary of at least EUR 35,000 (depending on qualification and relevant professional experience).

Please apply online (https:/cemm.jobbase.io/job/737c5fg9) with cover letter, CV, academic transcripts, and contact details of three referees. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Any application received by 31 October 2019 will be considered. Start dates are flexible.