Institution
ALBA, the Spanish synchrotron light source, is a large research infrastructure operating ten beamlines, complementary facilities, and an Electron Microscopy Center partnership. The facility is currently growing by constructing multiple more beamlines, expanding the Electron Microscopy Center, and integrating advanced data analytics, to sum up a wide range of infrastructures geared toward finding solutions to societal challenges.
The facility, located in Cerdanyola del Vallès (Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain), is funded by the Spanish and Catalan Governments. Thousands of researchers per year are using the synchrotron light from the 3 GeV electron beam to analyse and understand the structure and function of matter. Enabled research and innovation is spanning a wide variety of fields, such as health, environment, food security, energy production/storage, catalysis, communication technologies and cultural heritage. Our highly motivated staff works in a multidisciplinary work environment with an atmosphere formed by lived diversity, inclusion and respect for our colleagues. ALBA is located close to Barcelona in a natural park, well connected by car and public transportation, with excellent connections to the world and an employer who understands the importance of life-work balance. You can find more about the history of the ALBA synchrotron light facility here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHMqiH4qBAo
ALBA is now geared to its upgrade to a 4th generation facility, ALBA II (https://www.cells.es/en/about/alba-ii), and is on schedule to see the new beam, offering a dramatic increase and coherent flux, on a sample on 2031. This is an exceptional time for the facility, ALBA is in a phase of growth and dynamics.
MISTRALis a mature full field soft X-ray microscopy beamline with a solid record on cryo soft X-ray tomography. The beamline is imaging the ultrastructure of cells at a resolution of ~25nm in a volume of 16×16×10 µm3. The observed frozen, hydrated cells do not need to be sliced or chemically modified, preserving the native structure. The region of interest is selected using an off-line cryo-3D-structured illumination microscope and an on-line visible light epifluorescence microscope for correlative, low-resolution 2D imaging.
MISTRAL is also able to perform cryo-spectromicroscopy experiments to locate oligoelements or heavy atoms from introduced nanoparticles or compounds in the cell ultrastructure. The technique is also used to characterize magnetic materials by selecting the polarization of the photon source, and to perform spectroscopic maps on materials relevant for energy storage or catalysis.
Tasks
As group leader of MISTRAL, you will use your capabilities to build, motivate and guide your group to develop the scientific program of MISTRAL, maintain and foster existing and potential user communities, identify research needs for Europe and develop the corresponding opportunities for the MISTRAL program, and communicate and coordinate with peers and collaborators within ALBA and your network. As an experienced beamline scientist, you will forecast the needs of the future scientific community accessing MISTRAL to guide the design, construction and commissioning of the upgrade of the beamline.
The following tasks summarize this in a nut shell:
Management:
* Managing the MISTRAL group.
* Coordinating the MISTRAL program within the Life Sciences section and ALBA and related instruments.
* Reporting to ALBA management and responding to ALBA management requests.
Project management during upgrade:
* Defining functional specifications and managing the tender documents.
* Guiding and monitoring the engineering and scientific team to achieve a design capable of fulfilling the specifications, together with the rest of the group.
* Monitoring/supervising the construction, installation, and commissioning of the beamline upgrades.
Operation manager and scientific program:
* Further develop the Spanish and European research and innovation network in bioimaging.
* Building the MISTRAL community and communicating the new beamline capabilities as well as requesting the user needs.
* Managing and organizing the beamline to highest operational excellence.
* Identifying research needs and develop opportunities for MISTRAL, ALBA and its community
* Integrate MISTRAL within ALBA’s multimodal portfolio by developing correlative methods and protocols.
* Developan own research program which fully benefits from MISTRAL’s capabilities and its ecosystem for creating workflows, communities and services which are unique in Europe and the world.
* To carry out the functions and tasks as a Controller in accordance with the provisions of the occupational risk prevention plan (HS-PdP-16 SP
Requirements
The requirements for participation must be met on the date of the deadline for the submission of applications and will be accredited by means of the CV attached to it, without prejudice to the power of the selection body to require the contribution of the originals of the certifications accrediting the qualifications, training and work experience invoked in the CV.
Applications that do not present the aforementioned or required documentation during the selection procedure will not be accepted.
The successful candidate must:
* Hold a PhD (or equivalent) in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Biotechnology or a closely related discipline.
* Hold a PhD (or equivalent) in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Biotechnology or a closely related discipline.
* Proven experience of at least three years in X-ray imaging.
* The working language at ALBA is English. A good level of English comparable to C1 or higher both written and spoken is required.
Everyone who meets the requirements will be admitted for the selective process. This position is reserved for those candidates having the legal status of person with disabilities, with a degree of disability equal or greater than 33%. In case of one or more admitted applicants with this status of disability, these candidates will be evaluated at first. In the event that no candidate with the status of disability is finally selected for the position, the selection process shall continue and the rest of the applicants will be evaluated.
Selection Process Development
The selection will be carried out through the competition-opposition system.
As a first phase, an analysis of the curriculum will be carried out (assessment of previous experience and / or scientific history, degree, training and other professional information relevant to the position). Career breaks or variations in the chronological order of CVs will be regarded as an evolution of a career, and consequently, as a contribution to the professional development.
The assessment of the CV in the competition phase will be scored up to 40 points, which will consider the following aspects:
* Have a work experience at Synchrotron Light Sources of three years in a position as scientist or higher, or an excellent record of utilization of soft X-ray tomography or soft X-ray spectro-microscopy for at least 6 years.(10 points)
* Publication record or experience on research on volume ultrastructure of biological samples using soft X-ray tomography (10 points).
* Publication record or experience on research on magnetic nanomaterials, materials for energy storage and other material science or chemistry applications using soft X-ray tomography or soft X-ray spectro-microscopy (5 points)
* Experience in a full-field or a scanning transmission X-ray microscopy instrument (10 points)
* Experience and/or traning in project management (5 points).
The best rated candidates, at least two if possible, will be invited to an interview where the technical competence, knowledge, skills and professional experience linked to the position will be assessed, with a total score of 60 points. A minimum of 30 points must be obtained out of a total of 60 points to be eligible.
Provided they meet the minimum requirements and have ranked among the top five after the assessment of the CV phase, at least one person from the underrepresented gender in the division/office will be interviewed.
The interview will include at least:
* Publication record and experience in correlative techniques to soft X-ray tomography: phase-contrast X-ray imaging, cryo-nano-fluorescence/ spectroscopy, super-resolution or confocal visible light techniques, among others. (15 points)
* Knowledge of sample preparation methods for X-ray or electron cryo-bioimaging techniques (10 points)
* Knowledge and publication record on advanced scientific instrumentation under cryogenic and/or vacuum conditions, in particular X-ray optical instrumentation and microscopy (10 points)
* Vision of the job position and the role of MISTRAL in integrative structural biology. (5 points)
* Proficiency on control systems, data acquisition, data analysis, computing and programming (especially Python). (5 points)
* Supervision and/or mentoring. (5 points)
* Grant applications and successful execution of granted projects. (5 points)
* Auto-assessment of soft skills and motivation for applying. (5 points)
The merits will be accredited by means of the CV attached to the application. The selection board may require accreditation by additional documentation, originals or certified copies confirming the experience invoked in the CV.
In case of a tied final score, the position will be awarded to the person who belongs to the most underrepresented gender in the corresponding Division and subsidiarily to the overall company.
If necessary, alternates of the members of the selection board will be appointed by the president of the selection process, and the change will be published in the announcement.
The resolution of the selection procedure will be carried out within a maximum period of six months from the deadline for submitting applications for participation.
The selection process may be declared vacant if the selection board considers not to have found eligible candidates for the position although they might meet the requirements to participate in the selection process specified in the offer.
Other information
Permanentcontract.
The Selection Board is composed by the following members: Klaus Attenkofer, Judith Juanhuix, Lucia Aballe and Barbara Calisto.
#J-18808-Ljbffr