Research Scientist, CryoET

Research Scientist, CryoET

EMBL - European Molecular Biology Laboratory

Grenoble, France

A full-time Research Scientist position is available at the EMBL Grenoble to join the group led by Florian Wollweber (starting in November 2025). The group will study eukaryogenesis by investigating diverse non-model organisms, such as Asgard archaea and microbial eukaryotes, using a combination of cryoET, cryoEM and complementary imaging techniques. For examples of our work, see https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36544020/ and https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40120574/.

EMBL Grenoble is located at the European Photon and Neutron Campus (EPN, http://www.epn-campus.eu/about-us/) and together with the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) and the Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS) forms the Partnership for Structural Biology (PSB), whose complementary and integrated facilities provide a very rich environment for cutting-edge structural biology.

Your role

As a Research Scientist, you will support the group’s research efforts in the fields of in situ structural biology, multi-scale imaging, and evolutionary cell biology. You will work closely with the group leader to coordinate and assist PhD students and postdocs in achieving the laboratory’s scientific goals. In addition, this role also offers the opportunity to develop independent research projects aligned with the group’s overarching goals. You are expected to learn and implement innovative techniques, participate in scientific meetings and establish novel workflows. You will also benefit from the highly collaborative research environment at the EMBL by pursuing long-term collaborations with other research groups and world-class core facilities. The key selection criterion will be the motivation and ability to work in an interdisciplinary team and to manage ongoing research efforts with a high level of intellectual creativity, persistence and dedication.

You have

• PhD in the life sciences;
• Experience in two or more of the following areas:
  • cryo-electron microscopy or cryo-tomography, including image processing;
  • Advanced cryoET sample preparation (correlative approaches, cryoFIB milling);
  • Microbiology, cell biology and/or biochemistry.
• An affinity for methods development and collaborative multidisciplinary work;
• Excellent communication and organisation skills;
• Fluency in English.

You might also have

• Experience in advanced light microscopy workflows (e.g. super-resolution imaging, expansion microscopy);
• Experience in environmental microbiology;
• Experience in bioinformatics or advanced data analysis;
• Experience in teaching, training and supervision of students.

Don’t meet every single requirement? We are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply nevertheless!

The contract duration is 3 years, renewable to a maximum of 9 years.
Starting date: Flexible, earliest starting date is November 1 2025.
Salary: Monthly salary from 3.400 EUR after tax, and before personal pension and insurance contributions (12.05%). Plus other paid benefits.

How to apply

To apply, please submit a cover letter and a CV through our online system. Furthermore, please provide contact details of three referees. Further information about the position can be obtained from Florian Wollweber (wollweber@embl.fr).

EMBL Grenoble

The local environment of the EPN campus provides access to state-of-the-art cryoEM/ET instrumentation (2x Titan Krios [ESRF], 2x Glacios [EMBL and IBS] and 2x Aquilos [IBS and EMBL – to be installed in late 2025]).

The ESRF synchrotron X-ray beamlines for MX and SAXS, neutron scattering at the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL), high-field NMR at the Institute of Structural Biology (IBS) as well as protein expression screening, insect cell facilities, biophysical platform, light microscopy facilities and high-throughput crystallization platforms.

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 (select sites), on-site library, subsidised on-site gym and 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 strongly believe that inclusive and diverse teams benefit from higher levels of innovation and creative thought. We encourage applications from women, LGBTQ+ & individuals from all nationalities;
• How to apply: To apply please submit a cover letter and a CV through our online system. Applications will close at 23:59 CET on the date shown below. We aim to provide a response within two weeks after the closing date.

Closing Date: 31/08/2025

Apply NowDeadline 31 August