Assistant Director, Sauer Lab, Center for Biomedical Research Support

Job Posting Title:

Assistant Director, Sauer Lab, Center for Biomedical Research Support

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Hiring Department:

Center for Biomedical Research Support

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Position Open To:

All Applicants

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Weekly Scheduled Hours:

40

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FLSA Status:

Exempt from FLSA

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Earliest Start Date:

Immediately

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Position Duration:

Expected to Continue

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Location:

AUSTIN, TX

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Job Details:

General Notes

The Center for Biomedical Research Support (CBRS) at The University of Texas at Austin brings together a collaborative network of core facilities and laboratory support services under the Vice President for Research, (OVPR). At a leading public research university recognized as a “Public Ivy,” CBRS connects researchers across campus and beyond with advanced technologies, specialized expertise, and services that support a broad range of scientific disciplines.

CBRS seeks an Assistant Director for its Cryo-EM Facility to join this collaborative service community. The position combines scientific expertise, researcher support, and facility leadership, helping investigators with varied research goals and levels of experience access and apply cryo-electron microscopy. As part of the broader CBRS network, the Assistant Director will work alongside colleagues across research cores to connect expertise, support interdisciplinary projects, and meet the evolving needs of the research community.

UT Austin offers a competitive benefits package that includes:

• 100% employer-paid basic medical coverage
• Retirement contributions
• Paid vacation and sick time
• Paid holidays

Please visit our Human Resources (HR) website to learn more about the total benefits offered.

Purpose

The Sauer Structural Biology Laboratory (SSBL) is a state-of-the-art electron microscopy (EM) facility equipped with Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and CryoEM capabilities. Our instruments include a FEI Titan Krios with a Biocontinuum GIF and K3 direct detector, a Thermo-Fisher Glacios with a Falcon IVi detector, and a JEOL 1400 Flash with a ClearView camera and Oxford Instruments Xplore detector, as well as a soon to be deployed Aquilos 2+. SSBL is seeking motivated and collaborative candidates for an assistant director position. We welcome applicants who are eager to contribute to a high-performance core facility, support cutting-edge structural biology research, and grow professionally within a dynamic, service oriented environment.

Responsibilities

• Continuously monitor performance of microscope and camera systems.
• Maintain and coordinate service on Cryo-EM, TEM and SEM and ancillary equipment to ensure that the facility and all instruments are in top working condition for high-resolution structural studies.
• Monitor facilities and ancillary systems for the microscopes, and coordinate service and maintenance as needed. Continuously monitor performance of microscope and camera systems.
• Assist in planning and maintaining the computing environment needed for data collection and image processing, coordinating with CBRS research computing staff and institutional partners to support facility and user needs.
• Consult with client labs to assist with planning and execution of experiments
• Evaluate, supervise, and mentor staff, assisting in their professional growth
• Operate as a technical resource for colleagues, CBRS administration and the academic community, advising on workflows and equipment choices.
• Lead community outreach and engagement efforts, including workshops, user meetings, training programs, and scientific events that strengthen connections among users and partner organizations.
• Lead development and review of service rates and cost-recovery models, ensuring alignment with institutional policies, operational sustainability, and user needs
• Participate in budget development, financial planning, rate reviews, and cost-recovery analyses to ensure the long-term sustainability and growth of facility operations.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in life or physical sciences, or in a field related to the work to be performed.
• At least 4 years’ experience operating or maintaining high-end transmission electron microscopes, with at least 3 years of experience using cryo-TEM for imaging of biological samples.
• Demonstrated experience managing staff, including providing direction and supporting professional development.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for working in a team environment and collaborating with a multi-disciplinary user base.
• Strong commitment to building and maintaining a positive work environment.
• Ability to work independently or as a team member.
• Strong critical thinking and troubleshooting skills.
• Ability to complete tasks thoroughly and accurately, ensuring high-quality outcomes.
• Experience using SerialEM.

Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Preferred Qualification

• Proven experience in a multi-user core facility environment, including training, troubleshooting, and assisting researchers across various biological projects.
• Deep knowledge of SPA cryo-EM workflows/equipment, with knowledge of cryo-ET and microED data collection and processing as a plus.
• Strong computational expertise relevant to cryo-EM research, including experience with Linux environments, scientific scripting, workflow automation, GPU-based processing, or high-performance computing.
• Experience developing, troubleshooting, or improving cryo-EM data processing workflows, with an understanding of associated computing, storage, and data transfer requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to connect microscopy operations with computational resources and research workflows, working effectively with researchers, technical staff, and institutional computing partners.
• Thorough understanding of the theoretical basis of cryo-EM and the practical technical considerations associated with data collection and analysis.
• Track record of contributing to scientific endeavors/publications within the field of electron microscopy
• Experience in the use and operation of FEI/ThermoFisher Scientific and JEOL electron microscopes.

Salary Range

$100,000 + depending on qualifications

Working Conditions

• Personal protection equipment (furnished).
• May work around chemical fumes.
• May work around standard office conditions.
• May work around bio-hazards.
• May work around chemicals.
• Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation.

Required Materials

Please mark "yes" on the application for required materials. Failure to attach all additional materials listed may affect candidates being considered for the position.

• Resume/CV
• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor.
• Letter of interest
  

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded.  Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.

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Employment Eligibility:

Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.

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Retirement Plan Eligibility:

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

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Background Checks:

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

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Equal Opportunity Employer:

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

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Pay Transparency:

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

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Employment Eligibility Verification:

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form.  You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States.  Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment.  Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

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E-Verify:

The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:

• E-Verify Poster (English and Spanish) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (English) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]

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Compliance:

Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.

The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.