King's College London

About us

King’s College London is seeking a highly motivated cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) expert to manage its newly established Cryo-EM Structural Discovery Facility. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge structural biology research through single-particle cryo-electron microscopy and cryo-electron tomography, while playing a pivotal role in the development and operation of the facility.

At the heart of this facility is a 200 keV JEOL cryoARM200 electron microscope with an energy filter and a top-of-the-range Gatan K3 direct electron detector. This instrument is capable of producing reconstructions at better than 3 Å resolution and also acts as a “feeder” instrument for the LonCEM Titan Krios microscope at the Francis Crick Institute, where King’s  has a share. The facility also includes a Leica GP2 automated vitrification system for sample preparation.

The facility is part of our Research Platforms team within the Research Management and Innovation Directorate (RMID) and works closely with the Centre for Ultrastructural Imaging (CUI). Together, we provide everything from cryo-EM sample preparation and storage to screening and high-resolution data collection.

About the role

As Facility Manager, you’ll lead the operation and development of the Cryo-EM Structural Discovery Facility, making sure services run efficiently and sustainably. You’ll operate the electron microscope and manage the facility day to day, while supporting multiple research projects and providing expert training and advice to academic and industry users. In addition, you’ll drive strategic development, optimise workflows, and implement best practices to boost efficiency and research output. You will work closely with the recently appointed academic director of the facility, Dr Joe Atherton, on developing the facility’s capabilities, academic output and financial sustainability.

We’re looking for someone with deep technical expertise in cryo-EM, including sample preparation, instrument operation, automated data acquisition, and image processing.

Strong leadership and organisational skills are essential to keep the facility at the forefront of technology and aligned with King’s strategic goals.

This is a full-time post (35 Hours per week), and you will be offered an indefinite contract.

 About you

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria

1.      PhD qualified in relevant subject area, or equivalent.

2.      Expertise in cryo-TEM operation, including screening and high-resolution data collection. 

3.      An in-depth working knowledge of current methods and procedures for cryo-EM specimen preparation and imaging technology.

4.      Experience in training new users and facilitating access to high-end instrumentation.

5.      Experience with cryo-EM data collection software (most desirably SmartScope, SerialEM and/or Gatan Latitude).

6.      Knowledge of key aspects of facility management, for example, supporting day‑to‑day operations in a similar facility, supervising staff, or working with procurement and financial processes.

7.      A good understanding of health and safety procedures and its implementation in the workplace. 

8.      Excellent communication skills, along with strong interpersonal skills, including ability to engage senior management and communicate with staff at all levels.

Desirable criteria

1.      Experience with the maintenance and basic troubleshooting of Cryo- TEMs 

2.      A good understanding of cryo-EM data management, such as data transfer and storage, and network clustering. 

3.      Experience with automated vitrification equipment and an understanding of FIB-milling and/or cryo-CLEM methodologies.  

4.      Experience in facility pricing, budget management and reporting. 

5.      Proficiency using data processing software packages (CCPEM, CryoSPARC, Relion, IMOD, etc.)

Downloading a copy of our Job Description

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the page. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

Further Information

At King’s, we believe that the diversity of our community and a culture that is welcoming, open, inclusive and collaborative, are great strengths of the university.

The Equality Act of 2010 protects the rights of our students and staff and provides a framework to fulfil our duties to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and in addition, to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between those who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. At times, this will include balancing rights and beliefs that can feel in tension.

We are committed to free speech and to academic freedom, believing that our foundational purpose as a university, is to create spaces where a wide range of ideas, including ideas that are controversial, can be discussed and debated, and where members of our community can express lawful views without fear of intimidation, harassment or discrimination.

When engaging in the robust exchange of ideas, we ask that our community is mindful of our Dignity at King’s guidance.

We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the person specification section of the job description. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ‘How we Recruit’ pages.