Director of High Resolution Cryo-em Facility

**Department** Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry - Medical Microbiology and Immunology Dept

**Salary range** $80,635 to $112,111

**Posted date** February 21, 2025

**Closing date** April 21, 2025

**Position Type** Full Time - Trust Funded

**Description**:
**_This position is part of the Association of the Academic Staff of the University of Alberta (AASUA)._**

This position will be trust funded for the first 5 years and contingent on the availability of funds thereafter.

**Location** - This role is in-person at North Campus Edmonton.

**Working at the University of Alberta**
- The University of Alberta acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 6 territory, and respects the histories, languages and cultures of First Nations, Métis, Inuit and all FirstPeoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community._

The University of Alberta is a community of knowledge seekers, change makers and world shapers who lead with purpose each and every day. We are home to over 14,000 faculty and staff, more than 40,000 students and a growing community of 300,000 alumni worldwide.

Your work will have a meaningful influence on a fascinating cross-section of people — from our students and community members, to our renowned researchers and innovators, making discoveries and generating solutions that make the world healthier, safer, stronger and more just. Learn more.

**Working for Striving for Pandemic Preparedness - The Alberta Research Consortium**

SPP-ARC (Striving for Pandemic Preparedness - The Alberta Research Consortium) is a research initiative funded through a grant from the Government of Alberta aiming to building capacity in pandemic preparedness. With this grant, we are developing a new SPP-ARC Alberta Cryo-Electron Microscopy (Cryo-EM) Core Facility, which features a state-of-the-art Titan Krios G4, a Talos L120C, and support equipment (Vitrobot and Leica GP2 grid plungers, carbon coater, glow discharge units, etc.).

**Position Summary**

The Director of the High-Resolution Cryo-EM Core Facility will be responsible for scientific, operational, and strategic oversight of the Cryo-EM Facility by establishing a reliable Cryo-EM workflow in a multi-user environment.

Training of users, growth development, and fundraising are important, specific responsibilities. For academic purposes and for performance appraisal at the Faculty Evaluation Committee (FEC), the director of the High Resolution Cryo-EM Core Facility reports to the Chair, Dr. Kevin Kane, of the Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology (MMI), Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry (FoMD) at the University of Alberta. For all scientific and operational matters regarding the cryo-EM facilty, the position reports to the Director of SPP-ARC, Dr. Matthias Gotte (MMI, FoMD).

**Duties**

Research and Educational Responsibilities (50%)
- Provides expert leadership and direction for the research and training efforts generated by the Cryo-EM Facility
- Chairs the SPP-ARC’s Cryo-EM user committee and implements the committee’s recommendations
- Manages and oversees scheduling and maintenance of the state-of-the-art Krios G4 and supporting equipment in the National High Field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Centre (NANUC) building
- Instructs and assists the users with data collection and data transfer
- Provides both technical and practical advice to the users on grid/sample optimization, data collection, data processing, and experiment design
- Forges collaborative relationships with PIs, staff and trainees in various faculties
- Maintains an up-to-date knowledge of Cryo-electron microscopy technologies
- Facilitates partnership with users outside the UofA to support and foster research in the field of Cryo-EM
- Supports business development strategies to attract academic and commercial users
- Conducts tours, seminars, and promotes the Facility

Operations and Executive Site Facility Management (20%)
- Develops an effective booking system and operational procedures for the Facility, including a training program for Facility personnel and users
- Monitors the operational status of current equipment and oversees routine maintenance, including repairs as required
- Communicates with the service team to resolve any technical problem or data quality issues and keeps the systems up to date
- Oversees data storage, archiving, transfer, and security standards
- Ensures that the safety and biohazard standards are strictly practiced on site and maintains the
- Facility’s registration in the ARISE database
- Manages Facility usage billings

Training of Facility Users (20%)
- Provides training of new users of the Facility on the theoretical and practical aspects of cryo-electron microscopy in a classroom and hands-on lab setting
- Designs the modules and provides training for users at all levels, including lectures, practical sessions, seminars and workshops related to Cryo-EM, which may be developed into a graduate level credit course
- Gives lecture