Cryo-FIB Research Specialist

Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Ashburn (VA); On-site; USD 72,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay and benefits

Exceptional health benefits

Retirement plans

Time off and wellness programs

Job summary

Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Janelia Research Campus in Ashburn seeks a skilled researcher to perform cryo-FIB/SEM sample prep and imaging, advancing collaboration across HHMI groups. You will operate advanced cryo instrumentation, collect data, and help develop robust protocols for high-precision cryo-work.

You will train users, troubleshoot complex systems, and contribute to literature-driven improvements, all while working on-site in a technically demanding facility.

Qualifications

• Minimum 4 years of research experience with cryo techniques.
• Master’s degree or higher in a relevant science field.

Responsibilities

• Run sample preparation, cryo-FIB milling, and imaging for facility users and collaborators.
• Operate, maintain, and configure cryo-FIB/SEM systems, cryolight microscopes, and sample-prep equipment.
• Collect and organize imaging and experimental data; keep daily instrument-use records.
• Judge image and milled sample quality; adjust protocols as needed.
• Troubleshoot hardware, software, and techniques; consult literature before escalation.
• Translate researchers’ needs into concrete imaging or prep plans.

Skills

Cryo-FIB/SEM operation

Cryo-EM sample preparation

Cryo-light microscopy

Data collection & records

Troubleshooting instruments

Training & mentoring

Education

Master’s degree or higher in biology/biochemistry/biophysics/chemistry/engineering/microscopy or related field

Tools

Titan Krios

Helios Hydra

cryo-FIB/SEM systems

cryo-light microscopes

Job description

Primary Work Address: 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA, 20147

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Janelia Research Campus is apioneering research center in Ashburn, Virginia, where scientistspursue fundamental questions in the life sciences. Our integratedteams of biologists, computational scientists, and tool-buildersinnovate research practices and technologies to solve biology’sdeepest mysteries. HHMI launched Janelia in 2006, establishing anintellectually enriching environment for scientists to do creative,collaborative, hands-on work. We share our methods, results, andtools with the scientific community.

This is a role for someone who wants to spend their days at thecontrols of some of the most advanced microscopes in the world,doing the same careful prep and imaging work reliably, day afterday, and building something new when the situation calls forit.

The cryoEM Shared Resource at Janelia Research Campus supportscryo-electron microscopy research for the entire HHMI community,not just the scientists on campus. The facility runs four TitanKrios microscopes, two cryo-FIB/SEM systems (an Aquilos2 and aHelios Hydra), cryo light microscopes, and the equipment needed toprepare cryo-EM grids. It is one of the busiest, most technicallydemanding resources HHMI operates.

You will focus on cryo-FIB/SEM, cryo-light microscopy and CLEM, andadvanced cryo-EM sample preparation. Most of your time goes toroutine operation: preparing samples, milling with the FIB,imaging, and collecting data for facility users and collaborators. When an existing protocol does not cover what a project needs, youwill help build or adapt one. You will also keep up with theliterature and emerging technologies in the field and bring backideas that could make the facility better, and you will train otherscientists in techniques you have already mastered.

You will work closely with facility staff and with research groupsfrom across the country, some of whom you will never meet inperson. Part of the job is translating what a researcher needs intoa concrete imaging or sample-prep plan, and telling them plainlywhen something is not going to work.

What you will actually do

• Run sample preparation, cryo-FIB milling, and imaging forfacility users and collaborative projects, day in and day out. Thisroutine operation and data collection is the core of the job.
• Operate, maintain, and configure the cryo-FIB/SEM systems, cryolight microscopes, and sample-prep equipment.
• Collect and organize imaging and experimental data, and keepaccurate daily records of instrument use and equipmentperformance.
• Judge whether an image, a milled sample, or a prep run is goodenough to use, and know what to change when it is not.
• Troubleshoot problems across hardware, software, and technique,working through SOPs and literature before pulling in a vendor orcolleague.
• Consult with researchers on experimental design and samplestrategy, and guide them on what is feasible and realistic
• When an existing protocol doesn't cover what a project needs,build or adapt one, from sample prep through, FIB milling, imagingand data correlation.
• Review the scientific literature and new technologies, and bringback and implement ideas that could improve the facility's methodsand capabilities.
• Train users and staff on cryo-FIB, cryo-CLEM, and sample prepworkflows, including hands-on demonstration.
• Help plan facility capabilities, order supplies, and scheduleinstrument time.

What we are looking for

• Hands-on with cryo already. You've pre prepared samples, milled, or imaged on a cryo-FIB/SEM or cryo-EMsystem before. This is not a role to learn the fundamentals fromscratch.
• A steady hand with expensive machines. You can operate,troubleshoot, and get real performance out of instruments like aTitan Krios or a Helios Hydra without white-knuckling it.
• Meticulous without being told. Logs, sample tracking, and dailyrecords happen because you do them, not because someonechecks.
• Invested in getting it right, not just getting it done. When aresult looks off, you follow it through until you're confident init, because you care whether the science holds up, not just whetherthe step is checked off.
• Judgment you can defend. You can look at an image or a milledsample and say, honestly, whether it's good enough to move forwardor needs another pass.
• A teacher who doesn't need a script. You can walk a first-timeuser through a delicate procedure and make it look lessintimidating than it is.
• Comfortable with the unknown, when it comes up. Most days you'rerunning an established workflow well. When a sample doesn't behaveand there's no protocol for it, you can build one instead ofstalling out. You stay steady when the path isn't clear and figureout next steps without being walked through them.
• Genuinely curious about the science. You follow the literatureand new techniques as they emerge, and you bring back ideas thatcould make the facility better, not just when someone asks youto.
• Owning your part of a shared process. From sample prep to finalimaging, a sample may pass through several steps and several hands.You take responsibility for the work you touch, and when somethinggoes wrong, you speak up early and work with colleagues and usersto fix it.

Nice to have

• Familiarity with image-correlation or 3D visualizationsoftware.
• Experience training researchers in complex technicalprocedures.
• Strong computer skills, including comfort picking up newinstrument-control and data-handling software.

What this role is not

• A role where every day brings a brand-new scientific problem. Agood part of the work is running established sample-prep, milling,and imaging workflows well, not inventing something new eachtime.
• A role where every protocol is always handed to you fully workedout. Most of the time it will be, but occasionally there isn't oneyet, and building it is your job.
• A pure equipment-maintenance position. You'll help keep theinstruments running, but the point of the role is what you get outof them scientifically, not just keeping them online.
• Your own independent research program. You're supporting researchacross the HHMI community, not pursuing your own projectline.

Practical details

This is an on-site role at Janelia Research Campus in Ashburn,Virginia, working hands-on with the instruments in the cryoEMShared Resource. It requires a minimum of 4 years researchexperience and some prior hands-on experience with cryo-FIB/SEM,cryo-EM sample preparation, or cryo-light microscopy techniques,along with a master’s degree or higher in biology, biochemistry,biophysics, chemistry, engineering, microscopy, or a related field,or an equivalent combination of education and researchexperience.

Physical Requirements

Remaining in a normal seated or standing position for extendedperiods of time; reaching and grasping by extending hand(s) orarm(s); dexterity to manipulate objects with fingers, for exampleusing a keyboard; communication skills using the spoken word;ability to see and hear within normal parameters; ability to moveabout workspace. The position requires mobility, including theability to move materials weighing up to several pounds (such as alaptop computer or tablet). Work may involve possible exposure tomalodorous vapors, low dose radiation, contamination by toxicchemicals and acids and presence of carcinogenic substances orother hazardous materials.

Persons with disabilities may be able to perform the essentialduties of this position with reasonable accommodation. Requests forreasonable accommodation will be evaluated on an individualbasis.

Please Note:

This job description sets forth the job’s principal duties,responsibilities, and requirements; it should not be construed asan exhaustive statement, however. Unless they begin with the word "may," the Essential Duties and Responsibilities described aboveare "essential functions" of the job, as defined by the Americanswith Disabilities Act.

Hiring Pay Range

• Research Specialist I: $ 71,760.00 - $89,700.00
• Research Specialist II: $ 83,760.00 - $104,700.00
• Pay Type: Annual

Our employees are compensated from a total rewards perspective inmany ways for their contributions to our mission, includingcompetitive pay, exceptional health benefits, retirement plans,time off, and a range of recognition and wellness programs. Visitour Benefits atHHMI site to learn more.

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