Hiring:  Light and Electron Microscopy Expert

Applicants can view the official job posting and apply at https://jobs.fsu.edu (ID 38883). Applicants are required to complete the online application with all applicable information. Applications must include all work history up to ten years, and all education details even if attaching a resume. The position is currently open and applications will be reviewed continuously until the position is filled.

The Position

            The Biological Science Imaging Resource at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida seeks an experienced Scientific Research Specialist to assist in facility operations. Your role will center around coordinating, consulting, and providing professional imaging and analytical support services for the BSIR, including configuration and maintenance of facility equipment.

Your role will require you to:

·         Configure and maintain light and electron microscopes

·         Assist microscope service engineers

·         Work with and train facility users

·         Troubleshoot complex problems

·         Maintain computational infrastructure

·         Oversee undergraduate assistants

·         Competently compose documents (protocols, webpages, policies, etc.)

·         Lift heavy objects (up to 50 lbs)

An ideal candidate will have excellent working knowledge of confocal microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. They would also be highly mechanically, electronically, and computationally inclined. Good communication and people skills are essential. Experience with scanning electron microscopy would be a plus. We will consider training someone with partial experience, the right mind set (see below), and commitment.

Applicants can apply at https://jobs.fsu.edu (ID 38883). The position is currently open and applications will be reviewed continuously until the position is filled

About the BSIR

The Biological Science Imaging Resource (BSIR) is dedicated to making state of the art transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and confocal microscopy available to everyone without multimillion dollar investments in instruments and facilities.  The center piece of the BSIR is the FEI’s Titan Krios through which we offer affordable, state of the art, remote robotic TEM imaging. With the Appion automated data collection system, users can view data collected in real time via a web browser. We also offer laser scanning dual photon confocal imaging using Zeiss’s LSM 510 confocal microscope, scanning electron microscopy through the FEI Nova Nano SEM, and bright field fluorescent light microscopy.

            The BSIR is managed by Dr. Duncan Sousa and policy is set by the BSIR faculty oversight committee chaired by Dr. Kenneth Taylor. While Dr. Sousa directs BSIR staff, you will be expected to be highly independent, manage problems as they arise, juggle competing demands, and be constantly thinking of new ways to improve operations. If you’re looking for a position where you will always be told exactly what to do and how to do it the BSIR may not be the right place for you.

A Taste of the Job

Here are a few issues a successful candidate may encounter:

·         You are in the middle helping someone with a time sensitive confocal experiment and a user comes in and says the CM120 TEM is making a noise. Go!

·         The LED on the confocal Hg lamp power supply is unreadable and you have been tasked with finding a way to repair it, if possible, without buying a new power supply from the manufacturer.

·         The new carbon evaporator has come in and users want to use it immediately. You have been tasked with making this happen while creating a user friendly operations protocol and ensuring no one breaks the machine.

·         The magnification calibrations for the CM120 have a poorly defined margin of error. You have been tasked with updating or redoing the calibrations as quickly as possible so a user can include them in a grant application.

·         Data transfer between the Titan Krios and the computing center is a bottleneck of external disk drives, multiple transfers and backups. You have been tasked with finding a more streamlined solution.

·         You are filling the 120L liquid nitrogen dewar for the Titan Krios and a user comes to you and says the Titan room smells like smoke. Duncan is around, but the user found you first.

Benefits

·         Salary commensurate with experience

·         Annual leave

·         Sick leave

·         Excellent health insurance

·         Dental

·         Vision

·         Excellent retirement options

·         Low cost of living

·         Career experience and advancement

·         Great weather and within driving distance of fantastic beaches

·         Florida is a great environment for outdoor activities, especially in the winter. No snow; if you want snow, you go to it on your schedule; it does not come to you at inconvenient times

Preferences

·         Masters in biological science or an appropriate area of specialization and 5 years of experience or BS in biological science or an appropriate area of specialization and 10 years of experience.

·         Must be able to handle (move and change out) tanks of gas (nitrogen, argon, etc.) in excess of 125 lbs.

·         Must be able to lift 50 lbs.

Mind Set

·         Very strong work ethic – The BSIR is looking for someone who wants to get the job done and isn’t just waiting to clock out.

·         Extremely organized – You’ll often have 50 things to keep track of (some only occurring very infrequently and other randomly popping up). You need systems for making sure nothing falls through the cracks: set alarms for yourself, using checklists, etc.

·         Willingness to learn new and disparate skills – The world of science is ever changing and you will need to keep up with it.

·         At ease around delicate instrumentation – You are careful around delicate instrumentation, but also aren’t afraid to dig into it and fix an issue.

·         Cool under pressure – You don’t freak out when crises happen, you can problem-solve on a dime, and even when you’re stressed you remain gracious and refrain from, e.g., snapping at people.

·         Reliable – When you say you’ll do X by Y o’clock, then as a rule, that’s what will happen (and if not you adjust your predictions).

·         Forthright – When you make a mistake (inevitable in a facility this size) you’ll need to let Duncan know promptly so he can help fix it, rather than sweeping it under the rug.

·         Proactive – You’ll keep on the lookout not only for things that need to be done, but for ways to make our operations even better. We want someone who isn’t afraid to steadily come up with suggestions and ideas for things to try.

·         Personable – You’ll often be the face of the BSIR when interacting with users, staff, and service engineers, so you’ll need to be friendly and able to speak articulately about who we are, what we do, what the current issue is, etc.

·         Growth-minded – You enjoy self-improvement and don’t feel very defensive when you get constructive criticism. If one of your colleagues says (for example), “Hey, I made this new spreadsheet for billing and with it I only spent an hour generating the monthly invoices (as opposed to 4 hrs). Maybe you’d like to take a look at it…” Do you anticipate feeling eager to try out a potential improvement? Or do you anticipate feeling the urge to defend the way you’ve been doing things? This kind of constructive criticism is a big part of BSIR culture; if that sounds really unpleasant, it may not be a good fit.

Other

This position requires successful completion of a criminal history background check to include fingerprinting.

Florida State University is An Equal Opportunity/Access/Affirmative Action/Pro Disabled & Veteran Employer.

FSU's Equal Opportunity Statement can be viewed at: http://www.hr.fsu.edu/PDF/Publications/diversity/EEO_Statement.pdf

Effective January 1, 2014, tobacco use, including simulated tobacco use, is prohibited on property, interior and exterior, owned or managed by Florida State University. This policy applies to all Florida State University students, employees, consultants, contractors, visitors, and external individuals.

If qualified and interested in this job opening, apply to Florida State University at https://jobs.fsu.edu