Technical Specialist

Advert

Technical Specialist
Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences
School of Medicine
College of Biomedical and Life Sciences

Prof Vincent Dion’s group develops novel approaches to treat expanded CAG/CTG repeat disorders, including Huntington’s disease and myotonic dystrophy. His lab is developing gene editing approaches to contract the disease causing sequences using the Cas9 nickase. To help move this exciting project forward, we are looking to hire a specialist in gene editing and sequencing of expanded repeats. The person should also be able to culture iPSCs, perform gene editing in both immortalised cell lines and iPSCs, and be able to sequence expanded repeats – from library preparation to running the bioinformatics pipeline.

The UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) is a joint £290 million investment from the Medical Research Council (MRC), Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK. Centred on the need for innovative, early-stage science to advance our understanding of how dementias develop and progress, the UK DRI’s research will bring new therapies to patients faster. The Institute’s mission is to find new ways to diagnose, treat and prevent dementias, whilst finding better ways to provide care for people with dementia.

This post is based at the Hadyn Ellis Building, Cathays campus. 

For informal enquiries please contact Professor Vincent Dion on [email protected]

This post is full-time (35 hours per week), available from 1st July 2024 and fixed term until 30th June 2026.

Salary: £32,332 - £34,980 per annum (Grade 5).  Appointments to roles at Cardiff University are usually made at bottom of scale unless in exceptional circumstances.

The majority of roles at Cardiff University are currently operating under “blended working” arrangements, with staff having the flexibility to work partly from home and partly from the University campus depending on specific business requirements. Discussions around these arrangements can take place after the successful candidate has been appointed.

Cardiff University offers many excellent benefits, including 45 days annual leave (incl bank holidays), local pension scheme, a cycle to work scheme and other travel initiatives, annual increments within the pay scale, and more. It is an exciting and vibrant place to work, with many different challenges and is a proud Living Wage supporter.

Date advert posted: Wednesday, 1 May 2024

Closing date: Wednesday, 15 May 2024

Please be aware that Cardiff University reserves the right to close this vacancy early should sufficient applications be received.

Cardiff University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds. We therefore welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of sex, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, trans identity, relationship status, religion or belief, caring responsibilities, or age.  In supporting our employees to achieve a balance between their work and their personal lives, we will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share arrangements.

Applications may be submitted in Welsh, and an application submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application submitted in English.

Job Description

Job Purpose
Support the University within gene editing and expanded repeat sequencing carrying out supporting work, providing advice, guidance and support, and leading projects within this area.

Duties and Responsibilities

Key Duties

• Provide professional advice and guidance on gene editing processes in immortalised cell lines and iPSCs and procedures to internal and external customers, using judgement and creativity to suggest the most appropriate course of action where appropriate, and ensuring understanding of complex and conceptual issues.
• Investigate and analyse specific issues within the sequencing of expanded repeats, creating recommendation reports, supported by advances within the next generation sequencing field.
• Ensure that the provision of gene editing is delivered to the institution, proactively changing the delivery according to customer requirements.
• Collaborate with others in order to make recommendations for developments of established processes and procedures.
• Establish working relationships with key contacts, developing appropriate communication links with the University’s Schools/Directorates and outside bodies as required.
• Create specific working groups from colleagues across the University to achieve UK Dementia Research Institute objectives
• Supervise specific project teams on an occasional basis to accomplish key objectives.
• Develop and deliver training within gene editing and repeat sequencing.
• Undertake a variety of administrative duties to support the Division.
• Instruct and guide other employees across the University within gene editing and repeat sequencing as required.

• Ensure that an understanding of the importance of confidentiality is applied when undertaking all duties.
• Abide by University policies on Health and Safety and Equality and Diversity.
• Perform other duties occasionally which are not included above, but which will be consistent with the role.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria 

Qualifications and Education
1.           Degree/NVQ 4 or equivalent Professional membership/experience.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience
2. Substantial experience of working within:

a)    iPSC culture.
b)    Gene editing in iPSCs and in immortalised cell lines.

c)    Sequencing of expanded CAG/CTG repeats from library preparation to bioinformatics analysis of repeat size.

3. Ability to demonstrate professional knowledge within specialist disciplines, as defined in (2), to give advice and guidance to internal and external customers.

4. Ability to set up standard office systems and procedures and make improvements as appropriate.

Customer Service, Communication and Team Working
5. Ability to communicate conceptually detailed and complex information effectively and professionally with a wide range of people.
6. Evidence of ability to explore customers’ needs and adapt the service accordingly to ensure a quality service is delivered.

Planning, Analysis and Problem solving
7. Evidence of ability to solve expansive problems using initiative and creativity; identifying and proposing practical solutions and resolving problems with range of potential outcomes.
8. Evidence of demonstrable knowledge of key advances within specialist disciplines.
9. Evidence of ability to work unsupervised to deadlines, planning and setting priorities for own work and that of others and monitoring progress.

Other
10.  A willingness to undertake further training and development.

Desirable Criteria

11. Experience with:

a. Protein work: western blotting, immunoprecipitation, etc.
b. Molecular biology, PCR, molecular cloning, etc.

12. Experience of working in a Higher Education environment.

13. Fluency in Welsh, written and oral.

Additional Information

IMPORTANT: Evidencing Criteria
Candidates should evidence that they meet ALL of the essential criteria as well as, where relevant, the desirable criteria.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide this evidence via a supporting statement. Please ensure when submitting this document / attaching it to you application profile you name it with the vacancy reference number, in this instance, 18435BR

Job Category

Medical & Dental, Technical