Advanced Imaging Analysis Specialist - Infrastructure and Facilities - 103637 - Grade 7

University of Birmingham; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

Join the University of Birmingham's Institute of Translational Medicine as a key player in advanced image analysis. This full-time role offers an engaging environment within a top-tier research facility, with responsibilities across specialist services and supporting researchers. Experience in fluorescence microscopy and coding in MATLAB, R, or Python along with a degree in relevant fields are essential.

Benefits

40 days paid holiday a year

Occupational sick pay

Pension scheme

Subsidised day nurseries

Flexible working arrangements

Qualifications

• Significant expertise in advanced fluorescence microscopy.
• Expert knowledge of image analysis software required.
• Ability to develop project management skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert advice and training on advanced image analysis.
• Supervise and mentor support staff for service excellence.
• Manage the Facilities budget and procurement processes.

Skills

Advanced fluorescence microscopy

Image analysis

Project management

Communication

Education

Degree level education or equivalent

Tools

MATLAB

R

Python

Visiopharm

InForm

Job description

Position Details

Institute of Translational Medicine, College of Medical and Dental Sciences

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £34,980 to £44,263 with potential progression once in post to £46,974

Grade: 7

Full Time, Permanent

Closing date: 24th July 2025

Our offer to you

People are at the heart of what we are and do.

The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, andweare equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university.We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.

We are committed to helping the people who work here todevelopthrough our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programmewhichprovides allprofessionalservices staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential.With almost 5,000professionalservices jobs in a wide-range of functionsin Edgbaston andin our campus inDubai, there are plenty of opportunities foryou to be able to develop yourcareer at the University.

We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate.We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are,and how we work.

Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees andtothe success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer avarietyof flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working.In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 dayspaid holidaya year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.

The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site.On campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool, shops,places to eat and drink,our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.

Find out more about thebenefits of working for the Universityof Birmingham

Background

Department overview

Birmingham Tissue Analytics (BTA) is a Research facility located within the Institute of Translational Medicine (ITM) providing advanced histology services using a range of cutting-edge spatial biology technologies including Akoya Biosciences PhenoImager HT/Phenocycler, Lunaphore COMET, Nanostring GeoMx and CosMx. BTA aims to support experimental research, industry-funded preclinical projects, and early-phase clinical trial delivery through provision of GCP-compliant multi-parameter tissue analysis.

The post-holder will work under the academic guidance of Professor Andrew Filer (BTA Academic lead) and will be supervised by Dr David Gardner (BTA Research Facility Manager). They will also be expected to interact closely with other staff working within BTA, with local researchers, with related research facility staff members and clinicians. The post-holder will work in accordance toagreed specifications and protocols, time, and budgets, and in a manner compliant with the appropriate regulatory and quality standards.

Role Summary

To create and contribute to the creation of knowledge by undertaking a specified range of activities that will involve use and demonstration of cutting-edge image analysis, providing expertise and training to a large internal and external user base. A large part of the role will focus on advanced image analysis, including expertise in the use of existing image analysis software and generation of bespoke algorithms for advanced image analysis. This will typically require coding expertise in languages such as MATLAB, R and/or Python and familiarity with Unix shell.

The candidate will need to develop constructive working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders (both internal and external) and use project management skills to coordinate projects from initial plans to delivery, including quotation provision, communication, and reporting throughout the managed projects.

The successful candidate will supervise and mentor support staff and ensure compliance with local standard operating procedures, and all Health and Safety policies.

Main Duties

Provide a professional specialist service for the Birmingham Tissue Analytics Spatial Biology Facility-which will include:

• Providing expert advice for internal and external customers wishing to use the service, providing expert advice, assistance, and guidance in establishing user’s requirements, resolving high level problems with specific techniques/applications, answering queries, and providing quotes for the use of the service;
• Providing training and support to internal and external users of the facility with a particular focus on advanced image analysis, including expertise in the use of existing image analysis software (Visiopharm, InForm, Horizon) and generation of bespoke algorithms for advanced image analysis;
• Providing professional specialist feedback on results to users, identifying and advising on enhancements to procedures/protocols which may elicit improvements in data;
• Organising and attending, together with the Research Facilities Manager/Technical Lead, user group meetings to review new technology and developments in the field as well as explaining the usage and capabilities of current instruments/software;
• Coordinating in the organisation and delivery of Continuous Professional Development by and for internal and external stakeholders;
• Promoting BTA services;
• Managing IT systems administration, with operations including file transfer, scheduled back-ups and long-term archiving of data.

Facilities Management

• Using the Stratocore management system to control and monitor users’ training records and access to equipment, reviewing information to ensure its accuracy and identify future planning requirements.
• Assist in the development and upkeep of the BTA website.
• Manage the workstations, dedicated advanced computing resources and storage space associated with the facility.
• Manage the commercial and custom software associated with the facility.
• Maintaining stocks of consumables, if necessary, generating purchase order requisitions for the College finance office or via the web-based ordering system.
• Receiving and correctly storing consumables and chemical reagents.
• Ensuring that the facilities are maintained in a clean, functional, and safe condition, reporting any problems through the appropriate channels.
• Assisting the Research Facilities Manager in identifying and tracking items held on the University Asset Register.

Finance, procurement and purchasing – you will help manage the Facilities budget which will include:

• Day to day management of the Facilities budget, monitoring spend, identifying any issues with orders, invoices and/or suppliers and taking the appropriate corrective action on own initiative;
• Ensuring all financial rules and procedures are followed;
• Assisting the Research Facilities Manager, when required, with invoicing and recharging users for access to equipment.

People Management - managing one or more Facilities and any allocated temporary resource, including:

• Ensuring (working with your manager) that the goals and objectives which are set for staff support the development and delivery of a quality, customer-focussed service;
• Prioritising and allocating work to meet day to day needs;
• Checking on quality of work and customer feedback;
• Undertaking supportive interventions where staff are not meeting objectives.

General

• Representing the team as required at a variety of College and University meetings;
• Acting as a main contact for emergency call outs;
• Developing and maintaining collaborative working relationships with a wide variety of colleagues internal and external to the College, including contractors and suppliers;
• Promoting equality and valuing diversity, acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture;
• Supporting the University’s sustainability agenda through resource efficient working;
• Any other duties commensurate with the grade.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

• Educated to Degree level (or equivalent qualifications) or relevant technical qualifications and considerable relevant experience.Where no equivalent qualification is held significant practical relevant experience and expertise in a series of progressively more demanding roles will be required.
• Substantial previous expertise in advanced fluorescence microscopy and/or image analysis and computer vision;
• Expert knowledge of existing image analysis software for microscopy and ability to generate bespoke algorithms for advanced image analysis. This will typically require coding expertise in languages such as MATLAB, R and/or Python;
• Proven ability to develop constructive working relationships across a range of stakeholders;
• Proven ability to organise and manage own workload and demonstrate flexibility in terms of work practices/requirements;
• Proven ability to work independently but function as part of a team;
• Ability to source equipment usage information to provide strategic input to service provision;
• Ability to conceptualise user requirements and interpret data;
• Must be able to communicate effectively with all levels of users and stakeholders;
• Knowledge of current relevant Health and Safety policies;
• Evidence of literacy and numeracy;
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day-to-dayactivity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly.

Role context

Roles at this level will require in-depth specialist technical/specialist/IT expertise.Role holders may have supervisory responsibility for a technical service or team, where the primary focus will be on planning, overseeing and reviewing the work of the team and/or will operate as individual technical, specialist or IT experts either supporting service delivery or contributing directly to local project implementation or problem solving through the provision of specialist support activity.

Core competencies/transferable skills

Working at this level you will be able to develop and successfully demonstrate the core competencies/transferable skills outlined in each of the areas shown below.As appropriate for the level, our Birmingham Professionals will take ownership for getting things done. You will be expected to be flexible as required in supporting your department and wider University.

Planning and organising

• be responsible for the provision of a technical service through the day-to-day organisation and technical supervision of a work area;
• manage the prioritisation, allocation and quality of work, developing the technical capability in the area;
• manage a combination of technical and (where required) non-technical staff;
• progress several initiatives concurrently and to plan effectively;
• contribute to developments of the service and in policies,procedures and plans in ownarea;
• ensure compliance with all legal, health and safety standards as applicable;
• lead, if required, on project work.

and/or

• advise on the development and application of specialist techniques/experiments and/or procedures and the analysis and interpretation of results (may run an advanced specialist service);
• act as a recognised source of technical and/or specialist expertise in own area;
• generate original ideas and innovative solutions and/or new techniques/experimental designs.

Problem solving and decision making

• resolve high level problems with specific techniques/applications, or in the implementation of services and technical support;
• provide specialist advice and recommendations to support decision–making of others;
• respond to changing priorities and differing situations.

Organisational understanding

• understand their own and closely related working areas and how they contribute to the success of the University;
• understands how the University operates; actively seeks to share this knowledge with others;
• developing empathy with the academic endeavour.

Relationships and communication

• develop excellent working relationships with customers, proactively anticipating their requirements in order to understand and deliver them.

Further particulars can be foundhere

Informal enquiries to David Gardner, email: [e-mail]

View our staff values and behaviourshere

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyoneon our website .