Lead Scientist - Directing Cryo-Electron Microscopy and Tomography Center

St Jude Children's Research Hospital; Memphis (TN); On-site; USD 125,840 - 238,160; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Medical premium coverage for employees

Affordable cost for dependents

Job summary

St Jude Children's Research Hospital is seeking a Lead Scientist to direct the Cryo-EM/Cryo-ET Center in Memphis, Tennessee. This role requires providing scientific and operational leadership, supervising a team of scientists, and ensuring high-quality user support. Candidates must have a Bachelor's degree in a relevant field, significant experience with Cryo-EM workflows, and a strong commitment to scientific service. The position offers comprehensive benefits and a competitive salary range between $125,840 and $238,160 per year.

Qualifications

• Twelve years of relevant work experience required with a Bachelor's degree.
• Significant hands-on experience with Cryo-EM/Cryo-ET workflows.
• Strong commitment to scientific service, training, and user support.

Responsibilities

• Oversee operation of cryo-EM instrumentation and ensure user support.
• Develop training programs for new and advanced users.
• Collaborate with scientists for imaging strategies and project goals.

Skills

Cryo-EM/Cryo-ET expertise

Strong organizational skills

Leadership and mentoring

Image processing software familiarity

Education

Bachelor's degree in relevant scientific area

PhD in Structural Biology, Cell Biology, Biophysics, Biochemistry, or related field

Tools

Cryo-EM instrumentation

EPU

SerialEM

RELION

CryoSPARC

Warp

Job description

Key Responsibilities

• Provide scientific and operational leadership for the Cryo-EM/Cryo-ET Center in collaboration with Center leadership and faculty users.
• Supervise and mentor a team of 3‑4 staff scientists supporting cryo‑EM and cryo‑ET workflows, instrument operations, user training, and data handling and processing.
• Oversee day‑to‑day operation, scheduling, utilization, and performance of cryo‑EM instrumentation, including Krios G3i, Krios G4, Talos Arctica, Talos L120C, and Aquilos 2 systems.
• Ensure high‑quality user support for single‑particle analysis (SPA), cryo‑electron tomography (cryo‑ET), cryo‑FIB milling, cryo‑CLEM, and associated workflows.
• Develop and implement training programs for new and advanced users, including microscope operation, sample preparation, data collection, and best‑practice workflows.
• Work closely with investigators to design imaging strategies aligned with project goals and scientific objectives.
• Participate in the development, optimization, and implementation of emerging cryo‑EM/cry‑ET methodologies, automation workflows, and high‑throughput approaches.
• Collaborate with computational scientists and HPC teams to support data management, on‑the‑fly processing, and image analysis workflows.
• Contribute to strategic planning for future instrumentation, workflow development, and facility expansion.
• Maintain and develop standard operating procedures (SOPs), usage policies, safety documentation, and quality‑control processes.
• Coordinate with vendors, service engineers, and institutional support teams to maintain optimal instrument performance and minimize downtime.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and service‑oriented environment that supports scientific excellence across the institution.

Minimum Education and/or Training

• Bachelor's degree in relevant scientific area is required.

Minimum Experience

• Twelve (12) years of relevant work experience is required with a Bachelor's degree.
• Ten (10) years of relevant experience is required with a Master's degree.
• Seven (7) years of relevant work experience is required with a PhD.

Preferred Education and Experience

• PhD or equivalent in Structural Biology, Cell Biology, Biophysics, Biochemistry, or a related field.
• Significant hands‑on experience with Cryo‑EM/Cryo‑ET workflows.
• Demonstrated expertise in operation of high‑end cryo‑EM instrumentation, including 200 and 300 kV TEM systems.
• Experience with cryo‑ET workflows, cryo‑FIB milling, cryo‑CLEM, or advanced sample preparation methods is advantageous.
• Familiarity with cryo‑EM image‑processing software and data‑collection platforms such as EPU, SerialEM, Tomography 5, RELION, CryoSPARC, Warp, or equivalent tools.
• Strong organizational, communication, and leadership skills.
• Experience supervising or mentoring scientific staff and trainees.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary research environment.
• Strong commitment to scientific service, training, and user support.

Benefits

Your health and well‑being are important to us. That’s why St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital provides employees with high‑quality benefits choices. We are committed to ensuring our benefits are competitive and affordable. St. Jude continues to cover medical premiums for employees and offers low additional costs for dependents.

Compensation

A reasonable estimate of the current salary range is $125,840 – $238,160 per year for the role of Lead Scientist – Directing Cryo‑Electron Microscopy and Tomography Center.

Equal Opportunity Employer

St. Jude is an Equal Opportunity Employer.