Technical Specialist - Cytometry

Job no: 0062386
Location: Parkville
Role type: Full-time; Continuing
Faculty: Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences
Department/School: Department of Microbiology and Immunology/School of Biomedical Sciences
Salary: UOM 6 – $96,459 – $104,413 p.a. plus 17% super

As required by clause 1.15.9 of the 2024 EA, current casual or fixed-term employees of the University will be provided with 7 days of prior opportunity to apply for and be considered for vacant continuing positions if they meet the following criteria: 

• they have been employed by the University over two or more semesters and over two consecutive calendar years, 
• they have been employed on a 0.5 FTE or more time fraction, and
• they have the skills, experience, qualifications, and expertise required by the Selection Criteria.

In addition, redeployment candidates will be given a prior opportunity under the Recruitment and Appointment Policy together; this cohort is known as Priority Applicants.

About the Role
The Melbourne Cytometry Platform (MCP) seeks a highly motivated and enthusiastic person to join our team of dynamic, and passionate cytometry experts as a Cytometry Technical Specialist (CTS), to provide excellent service to the researchers whom we support. Annually, the MCP enables the research of approximately 400 University and external scientists and students who make use of our conventional and spectral cytometers, including cell sorters and analysers from Becton Dickinson, Beckman Coulter, and Cytek Biosciences. The successful candidate will be primarily responsible for expertly operating cell sorters, including setting up experiments following best practice, troubleshooting of instrumentation, and assisting researchers in the correct operation of bench-top cytometers. They will ensure that all instruments are properly maintained and QCed and that the facilities are well organised and health and safety is prioritised. The ideal candidate will continue to develop their knowledge and skill in theoretical and practical cytometry applications by a combination of guided training and self-driven learning.

Your responsibilities include:

• Operating the Platform’s sorters in a timely and scheduled manner to allow maximal use by University of Melbourne staff and students and external clients
• Ensuring timely maintenance and servicing of all the equipment within the Platform
• Providing expertise and technical advice to researchers on experimental design for flow cytometry experiments and sorting utilizing the full capabilities of the MCP’s resources

Who We Are Looking For
Our ideal candidate will have at least three years of practical experience in a research laboratory environment. You should be competent in setting up and operating cytometers and have expertise with at least one flow cytometry acquisition software, such as FACS Diva, SpectroFlo, or CytExpert. You should also have a demonstrated ability to work effectively as part of a team, as well as independently, with broad direction from your supervisor. You must possess excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to engage effectively with colleagues, students, researchers of varying seniority levels, and contractors. You will adeptly handle multiple demands, prioritise tasks, and meet deadlines in a dynamic environment. Additionally, you should demonstrate strong and accurate record-keeping skills.

You will have:

• A degree (BSc, BBMed or similar) with Honours or Masters in mammalian biological sciences, for example immunology or cell biology
• High level of proficiency in the use of standard application software such as the Microsoft Office suite and flow cytometry analysis software such as FlowJo or FCS Express
• Demonstrated commitment to providing excellent customer service

For further information regarding responsibilities and requirements, please refer to the attached PD.

This role requires that the successful candidate must undergo and maintain an up-to-date Working with Children Check. This is essential to guarantee a secure environment for all individuals at the University. In the case the selected candidate doesn't have a valid Working with Children Check, they will be able to apply for the WWCC as part of the initial onboarding procedures.

Please note: Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. This role requires current valid work rights for Australia.

Your New Team – The Melbourne Cytometry Platform
The Melbourne Cytometry Platform includes a dedicated team of cytometrists that attend cytometry instrumentation geographically distributed across four nodes across the University of Melbourne. The largest node is located within the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity. In addition, there are nodes of critical mass at the Melbourne Brain Centre, Bio21 and the Melbourne Dental School. The MCP supports users with inductions, training and education, the advanced operation of high-end instrumentation and the introduction of novel applications. With around 30,000 hours of operation per annum, the platform is a research support-oriented service provider underpinning around 80 research publications annually via access to our shared resource laboratories and the management, and assisted operation of a broad diversity of instrumentation including benchtop analysers and cell sorters. Further information about the Cytometry Platform is available at https://biomedicalsciences.unimelb.edu.au/cytometry

What We Offer You!
In addition, we offer the opportunity to be part of a vibrant community and enjoy a range of benefits, including generous leave provisions, salary packaging, health and well-being services and discounts on graduate courses. For more information, check out our benefits  page!

About the University of Melbourne
We’re tightly connected with the community, both at home and abroad. We take pride in our people, who all contribute to our mission to benefit society through the transformative impact of education and research. Discover more via our website  and stay connected with our stories and people on LinkedIn .   

Be Yourself
The University of Melbourne values the unique backgrounds, experiences and contributions that each person brings to our community and welcomes and celebrates diversity.  First Nations people, those identifying as LGBTQIA+, parents, carers, people of all ages, abilities and genders, and people of diverse ethnicity, nationality and faith are encouraged to apply. Our aim is to create a workforce that reflects the diversity of the community in which we live. For more information please visit our Diversity and Inclusion  page.

We are dedicated to ensuring barrier free and inclusive practices to recruit the most talented candidates. If you require reasonable adjustments, please contact the employee listed on the first page of the Position Description found below, with an email containing your name and contact details for a confidential discussion. Please ensure your email is titled "Reasonable Adjustments Request".

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Applicants
We aspire to be the University of choice for Indigenous Australians, with unprecedented investment to attract, nurture and retain Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and staff. Tangible support through a range of programs and initiatives will ensure that you personally succeed and flourish while at the University of Melbourne.

For further information, including our 2023-2027 Indigenous strategy please visit -https://about.unimelb.edu.au/reconciliation/murmuk-djerring

Join Us!
If you feel this role is right for you, please apply with the following documents: 

• Resume
• Cover Letter outlining your interest and experience
• The responses against the Selection Criteria^ (found in the Position Description)

^For information to help you with compiling short statements to answer the selection criteria and competencies, please go to http://about.unimelb.edu.au/careers/selection-criteria

If you have any questions regarding the recruitment process, please feel free to contact Nick Petersen via email at [email protected] , ensuring that you include the Position Number and the Job Title as the subject. Please do not share your application to this email address.

If you have any particular questions regarding the job please follow the details listed on the Position Description.

Please note that in the event of sourcing a suitable candidate, the closing date for applications may be brought forward, and the job vacancy may be closed. Therefore, we encourage interested individuals to submit their applications promptly.

Position Description