Research Technician

European Bioinformatics Institute; Hinxton; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private medical insurance

30 days annual leave

Relocation package

Flexible working arrangements

Campus facilities

Job summary

EMBL Grenoble seeks a Research Technician to join the Marquez Team and help operate the HTX facility, advancing automated crystallography pipelines and fragment screening. You’ll contribute to research projects, work with international collaborators, and support users of the crystallization facility.

The role involves cloning, expression, purification, and maintenance of robotic systems, with a strong emphasis on teamwork and scientific innovation in a dynamic European research setting.

Qualifications

• A degree in biochemistry or related field with laboratory experience.
• Experience with protein production and crystallization.
• Experience in diffraction data collection or fragment screening.
• Ability to work in an international team and communicate with users.

Responsibilities

• Operate automated crystallography platform and robotic systems.
• Develop pipelines for fragment screening using CrystalDirect and CRIMS.
• Perform DNA cloning, protein expression and purification as part of projects.
• Manage orders and maintenance of robotic equipment; liaise with users.
• Contribute to research projects and collaborate with team members.

Skills

English fluency

Team collaboration

Protein crystallography

Robotics operation

Communication with users

Education

Biochemistry degree (Masters or Bachelor)

Tools

CrystalDirect technology

CRIMS software

Robotic liquid handling

Job description

EMBL Grenoble specializes in fundamental research in structural biology, and in developing state-of-the art instrumentation, methods and services. The site is located on the dynamic European Photon and Neutron science campus (EPN campus), together with other international and French research institutions.

We are looking for a Research Technician to join Marquez Team in the EMBL Grenoble Unit.

The Marquez team has a strong focus on technology and methods development in macromolecular crystallography and operates the High Throughput Crystallization Laboratory (HTX Lab) at EMBL Grenoble. The HTX lab is one of the largest platforms for automated macromolecular crystallization screening in Europe and is offering advanced crystallography services to users in academia and industry worldwide.

The Marquez Team has developed automated pipelines for ligand and fragment-based screening by X-ray crystallography based on the CrystalDirect technology for automated crystal harvesting and the CRIMS software. These pipelines are applied to study targets of biotechnological and biomedical relevance. The successful candidate will contribute towards the operation of the HTX facility as well as the development of innovative methods in protein crystallography.

Your role

You will cooperate with other team members towards the operation of the HTX facility, further development of our automated crystallography and fragment screening pipelines and will contribute to research projects.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Operation of the automated crystallography platform comprising automated liquid handling, imaging and crystal harvesting robotic systems. Liaising with HTX lab users.
• Contributing to further development of automated crystallography pipelines for fragment screening based on the CrystalDirect technology and the CRIMS software within the framework of the EC funded projects, including the Fragment Screen project.
• DNA cloning, protein expression and purification and protein crystallography will be performed as part of the internal research projects.
• Management of orders and consumables for the HTX laboratory and general management and maintenance of robotic equipment (arranging with external companies for repairs when necessary).
• Participation in research projects in cooperation with other members of the team, including fragment screening on targets of biomedical or biotechnological relevance.

You have

• A degree in biochemistry (Masters, Bachelor degree or equivalent) or a related field from a technical school or university.
• Skills in protein production for structural studies and in protein crystallization as well as the use of robotic laboratory equipment.
• Experience in diffraction data collection or fragment screening.
• The ability to work within a team and communicate with users of the crystallization facility is essential.
• Motivation to acquire further skills and contribute to the development of new methods.
• Desire to work in an international environment and to contribute to high quality research and services.
• Fluency in English and good computer skills.

You might also have

• Experience in structural analysis through macromolecular crystallography, ligand screening or the analysis of small molecule-protein interactions.

Contract length: 3 years renewable to 9 years.

Salary: Grade 4 or 5 depending on experience and qualifications (monthly salary starting at €3.395, 47 after tax and before 12,99% EMBL social security deductions) + other paid benefits based on personal circumstances.

Why join us

EMBL is curiosity-driven, community-oriented and international. As an inclusive, equal opportunity employer, we believe that diversity enables us to collaborate more effectively and be innovative in our approaches. We are, therefore, committed to creating an inclusive and flexible culture - one where everyone can realise their full potential and make a positive contribution to our organisation.

We encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing team – we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and personal experiences reflect the diversity of the populations that our science serves. We actively encourage applications from all genders and cultures, ethnic groups and all demographics to help us avoid perpetuating biases and oversights at this transformational point in our people strategy.

Enjoy lots of benefits

• Financial incentives: Salary free of income tax, Monthly family, child and non-resident allowances, annual salary review, pension scheme, death benefit, long-term care, accident-at-work and unemployment insurances
• Flexible working arrangements
• Private medical insurance for you and your immediate family (including all prescriptions and generous dental & optical cover)
• Generous time off: 30 days annual leave per year, in addition to public holidays
• Relocation package including installation grant (if applicable)
• Campus life: Free shuttle bus (Heidelberg), library, subsidised on-site cafeteria, casual dress code, extensive sports and social club activities (on campus and remotely)
• Family benefits: Kindergarten (Heidelberg), 10 days of child sick leave, generous paid maternity/parental leave and monthly family & child allowances
• Benefits for international newcomers: Visa exemption, education grant for private schooling, financial support to travel back to your home country every second year and a monthly non-resident allowance.
• For detailed information please visit our employee benefits page here

What else you need to know

• International applicants: We recruit internationally and successful candidates are offered visa exemptions. Visit our International Applicants page, to find out more.
• EMBL is a signatory of DORA. Find out how we apply DORA principles to our recruitment and performance assessment processes here.
• Diversity and inclusion: At EMBL, we believe that diverse teams drive innovation and scientific excellence. We encourage applications from candidates of all genders, identities, nationalities and/or any other diverse backgrounds.

Closing Date

30/09/2026