Head of Microscopy Technical Unit

The Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (F.S.P.) CNIC has been conceived to develop research of excellence, competitive and of international relevance in relation to cardiovascular diseases. The CNIC has a research center of 24,000 m², located in Madrid, with more than 6,000 m² for laboratories equipped with a state-of-the-art infrastructure and equipment.

We are seeking an expert in advanced light imaging to lead the Microscopy Unit at CNIC. The selected candidate will oversee the strategic development, operation, and scientific excellence of the unit, ensuring the availability of cutting-edge microscopy technologies and methodologies to support multidisciplinary research, in accordance with the following Key Responsibilities

FUNCTIONS:

The selected candidate will oversee the following Key responsibilities:

• Facility Management & Strategy:

Overseeing daily operations, managing a multidisciplinary team of scientists and technicians, and ensuring the efficient use of all equipment. This includes managing the budget, service contracts, and reporting obligations to institutional stakeholders. The Head is responsible for the strategic development and expansion of the facility's methodological and technological service portfolio, including the acquisition or upgrade of new instruments and scientific software. The Head is also responsible for maintaining and updating the ISO9001:2015 certification of the Unit.

• Scientific Leadership & Research:

Leading projects that use advanced light microscopy and spectro-microscopy techniques to address scientific questions and contribute to high-quality publications and writing of grant proposals. Demonstrated track record of publications in the field. Developing novel microscopy techniques.

• User Support & Training:

Providing users with expert scientific consultation on experimental design, sample preparation, data acquisition, processing, and interpretation. A major part of the role involves training and instructing a diverse range of users (students, postdocs, staff, PIs) in instrument operation and ensuring compliance with safety policies.

• Equipment Maintenance & Troubleshooting:

Coordinating the smooth operation of the facilities, including regular maintenance, calibration, repairs, and resolving technical issues.

• Collaboration & Communication:

Collaborating with researchers across various disciplines (biology, cardiology, materials science, chemistry, etc.) and serving as an external representative of the facility to promote services and establish new collaborations.

• Innovation Drive:

Driving innovation in optical and advanced microscopy techniques, including quantitative analysis and artificial intelligence AI applications. Writing grant proposals as Principal Investigator and leading strategic planning for technology upgrades.

MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS:

1. PhD in Physics, Biophysics, Chemistry, Materials Science, or a related field.
2. More than 10 years of experience as the leader of an advanced microscopy facility.
3. Proven track record of scientific publications related to microscopy, with co-authorship of more than 10 articles in the past 10 years (since 2016).
4. Experience as Principal Investigator/Coordinator in grants related to the installation of advanced microscopy equipment (infrastructure)

VALUABLE REQUIREMENTS:

• C1. Proven experience (demonstrated through publications/patents, grants, titles, academic appointments, etc.)
• C2. Fundraising related to imaging infrastructure
• C3. Development of new imaging applications
• C4. Underrepresentation of gender by category, in accordance with Action S1 of the 2021-2024 Equality Plan, POSITIVE ACTION IN CALLS FOR POSTS”
• C5. Interview

Positive action: a correction index of 1.5 is established for each year of experience in the evaluation of the number of years in those criteria where experience is evaluated, in the event that the disable person greater than 66% and 1.2 in the event that the disable person greater than 30%.

We offer:

• Opportunity to work in a leading cardiovascular research institution equipped with state-of-the-art resources and technology.
• Integration in a young translational research team, in a highly competitive environment.
• Start date: Inmediate.
• Distinguished Researcher “Contrato de Investigador/a Distinguido/a” regulated by the article 23 of the Spanish Law, on Science, Technology and Innovation (texto refundido Ley 14/2011, de 1 de junio, de la Ciencia, la Tecnología y la Innovación),  as long as the selected candidate complies with the legal requirements for the formalization of the contract in accordance with the Spanish labor law.
• Duration will be negotiated with the recruited candidate.

RECRUITMENT PLAN:

The RESOLUTION OF THE SECRETARIAT OF STATE FOR PUBLIC FUNCTION APPROVING THE COMMON ACTION CRITERIA FOR THE RECRUITMENT PROCESSES IN THE STATE PUBLIC SECTOR ENTITIES of April 11, 2022, set forth in point 6.1 that “Unless a specific regulation establishes a merit-bases recruitment system (concurso), the competition (concurso-oposición) must be the recruitment system”

In CNIC, the specific regulations approved by the Foundation's board of trustees establish a merit-base recruitment system (concurso) including a personal interview.

At least the 3 candidates with the highest score, as long as they reach the minimum of 70 points as a sum of criteria (C1‐C4) will be interviewed. The candidate with the highest score will be hired given the total score (C1-C5) is higher than 80 points.

MEMBERS OF THE EVALUATION COMMITTEE:

• Basic Research Director
• Clinical Research Director
• Coordinator Research Office
• Scientific Management Director
• HR member

The CNIC guarantees, within its field of action, the principle of equal access to employment, and may not establish any direct or indirect discrimination, based on grounds of origin, including racial or ethnic origin, sex, age, marital status, religion or beliefs, political opinion, sexual orientation and identity, gender expression, sexual characteristics, trade union membership, social status, language within the State and disability, provided that workers are fit to perform the work or job in question.

By participating in the selection process, the participant agrees that their data appear in the public resolutions of the selection process. Such resolutions (provisional list of admitted and excluded, definitive list of admitted and excluded and resolution of the process) are published on the CNIC website.

SCORING CRITERIA:

• C1. Proven experience (demonstrated through publications/patents, grants, titles, academic appointments, etc.) related to the following technologies (45%):

          a)      Photon fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) and phasor analysis (5%)

          b)      Single-molecule localization by direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (dSTORM) (5%)

          c)      Stimulated emission depletion (STED)-super resolution microscopy (5%)

          d)      Molecular diffusion (Number and Brightness, Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy) (5%)

          e)      Total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) (5%)

          f)       Multiphoton imaging (5%)

          g)      Single plane illumination microscopy (SPIM) (5%)

          h)      Fluorophore/drug chemistry (5%)

          i)        Image analysis platforms (e.g., ImageJ/FIJI, Deconvolution SW, Imaris, etc.) (5%)

C2. Fundraising related to imaging infrastructure (number of grants, contracts, etc. and role within the research team). The amount awarded will carry special weight. This criterion will be valued as a whole according to the relevance and number of the date provided. (15%)

C3. Development of new imaging applications (demonstrated through articles, documents, grants, patents, etc.). Those with a focus on cardiovascular applications will carry special weight. This criterion will be valued as a whole according to the relevance and number of the new imaging applications. (15%)

C4. Underrepresentation of gender by category, in accordance with Action S1 of the 2021-2024 Equality Plan, POSITIVE ACTION IN CALLS FOR POSTS” (5%)

C5. Interview. (20%)