Head of Genomics Unit

The Institute

The Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) is an international biomedical research institute of excellence, based in Barcelona, Spain, with more than 400 scientists from 44 countries. The CRG is composed by an interdisciplinary, motivated and creative scientific team which is supported both by a flexible and efficient administration and by high-end and innovative technologies.

In April 2021, the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) received the renewal of the 'HR Excellence in Research' Award from the European Commission. This is a recognition of the Institute's commitment to developing an HR Strategy for Researchers, designed to bring the practices and procedures in line with the principles of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers (Charter and Code).

Please, check out our Recruitment Policy

The role

The mission of the Head of the Genomics Unit will be to scientifically and administratively manage the activities of the core unit. The Unit Head needs to ensure that service is provided at high efficiency with optimal turnaround times and reliability. Responsibilities of the position include communication with users, giving advice on protocols for complex experiments and how to prepare samples for best output, drafting project cost estimates, coordinating the work of staff conducting service projects and technology development, and reviewing the quality of results before making them available to users.

It is the Unit Head’s responsibility to ensure that the services offered by the Unit are kept state-of-the-art, to ensure efficient use of resources, and to define a strategy for new application developments based on the scientific orientation and future requirements of the CRG/PRBB.

The Head will actively apply for grants, will engage in institutional genomics projects and will create alliances and collaborations at the national and international level.

About the unit

The scope of the Genomics Unit is to provide excellent, cutting-edge services in the fields of next-generation sequencing (NGS). The team is highly experienced in NGS technologies and is supported by a team leader that manages the daily operations of the service. The team is composed of 10 people. The Unit is also dedicated to test, implement, and to develop new genomic applications that are of relevance to the CRG and its lines of research.

The Unit is equipped with Illumina Novaseq, Nextseq2000, Nextseq500, and MiSeq sequencers, and instrumentation for sequencing library production including 2 TECAN robots for automation of protocols.

The services of the Unit are contracted by CRG users, as well as by external academic and private customers. The unit provides services to an average of 90 research organizations and companies every year from more than 450 research groups.

The genomics unit is embedded in the CRG core technologies programme that includes the technology units of proteomics, bioinformatics, protein technologies, tissue engineering, flow cytometry and advanced light microscopy. The programme is directed by Mònica Morales, to whom the head of the genomics unit will report, and all units collaborate strongly in the setup and implementation of transversal workflows and technologies across units.

Whom would we like to hire?

Professional experience

Must Have

• You are a highly-skilled expert in NGS technologies
• You are fluent in English
• You hold a PhD in Molecular Biology or similar

Technical skills

• You have a strong experience with Illumina Sequencing Platforms
• You have knowledge of NGS protocols (RNA-seq, small RNA-seq, ATAC-seq, Hi-C, amplicon, exome, genomic and metagenome sequencing) and experience setting-up non-standard protocols for complex samples and QC pipelines
• You have some knowledge of computational methods for sequence analysis and interpretation

Competences

• You have highly developed organization skills
• You are service-oriented and you show a keen interest into further developing NGS protocols and applications
• You have the ability to provide service to a large, international scientific community
• You have an open personality, and the capability to easily interact with people of different scientific backgrounds, nationalities and personalities
• You have the ability to influence, develop and communicate effectively with the team

The Offer – Working Conditions

• Contract duration: Open-ended contract.
• Estimated annual gross salary: Salary is commensurate with qualifications and consistent with our pay scales
• Target start date: Spring 2022.

We provide a highly stimulating environment with state-of-the-art infrastructures, and unique professional career development opportunities. To check out our training and development portfolio, please visit our website in the training section.

We offer and promote a diverse and inclusive environment and welcomes applicants regardless of age, disability, gender, nationality, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity.

The CRG is committed to reconcile a work and family life of its employees and are offering extended vacation period and the possibility to benefit from flexible working hours.

Application Procedure

All applications must include:

1. A motivation letter addressed to Dr. Mònica Morales.
2. A complete CV including contact details.
3. Contact details of two referees.

All applications must be addressed to Dr. Mònica Morales and be submitted online on the CRG Career site - http://www.crg.eu/en/content/careers/job-opportunities

Selection Process

• Pre-selection: The pre-selection process will be based on qualifications and expertise reflected on the candidates CVS. It will be merit-based.

• Interview: Preselected candidates will be interviewed by the Hiring Manager of the position and a selection panel.

• Offer Letter: Once the successful candidate is identified the Human Resources department will send a Job Offer, specifying the start day, salary, working conditions, among other important details.

Deadline: Please submit your application by January 31^st.

Suggestions: The CRG believes in ongoing improvement and promotes a culture of feedback. This is one of the reasons we have in place, at your disposal as a candidate, a mechanism to gather your suggestions/complaints concerning your candidate experience in our recruitment processes. Your feedback really matters to us in our aim at creating a positive candidate journey. You can make a difference and help us improve by letting us know your suggestions through the following form.