Project Officer

About the team/job

EMBL is Europe’s life sciences laboratory – an intergovernmental organisation with more than 110 independent research groups and service teams covering the spectrum of molecular biology. It operates across six sites in Heidelberg (headquarters), Barcelona, Cambridge, Grenoble, Hamburg and Rome. Our mission is to perform basic research in molecular biology; train scientists, students and visitors at all levels; offer vital services to scientists in the public and private sectors within the member states; develop new instruments and methods; and engage actively in technology transfer.

EMBL Heidelberg is seeking a Project Officer to join Prof. Jan Korbel's group in the Genome Biology Unit to manage and grow the portfolio of ongoing research activities. Jan Korbel holds a senior position at the EMBL, and his laboratory has access to ample grant funding. Within manifold national and international collaborative research initiatives, the Korbel group is a among the leading scientific groups worldwide in combining computational and experimental approaches, including in single cells, to unravel determinants and consequences of germline and somatic genetic variation.

Involvement in international consortia requires scientific project management, coordinated communication between project partners, as well as grants management. The Project Officer will work closely with Jan Korbel and other group members in communication and management of current research projects, with a particular emphasis on reporting, communication and coordination of activities, and as such would have the opportunity to actively manage scientific research projects in the Korbel group. S/He will additionally tightly interact with the EMBL administration (grant office and finance) and with representatives from collaborating research institutions. 

Your role

You work with diligence, resilience and you are a person of trust reporting directly to Jan Korbel.

In detail, tasks will include:

• Documentation and participation in the planning of project strategies and time management, communication thereof within the team(s).
• Communication of project results to scientific colleagues, external collaborators, and the general public.
• Close monitoring of project progress and preparation of decision points, developing efficient work plans, and illustrating project schedules.
• Scientific reporting, including reporting to funding agencies.
• Participation in and documentation of group ad network meetings as well as teleconference calls.
• Tight interaction also with other members of the Korbel group, serving as a contact person in the group.
• Assembly of briefing materials, organization of meetings, and minuting of teleconferences.
• Proactively driving communication and inter-personal relationships within international research consortia.
• Participation in grant writing.

These activities will ensure effective coordination of and between the different research projects and maximize synergies wherever possible. In addition, they may form the basis to recognize new opportunities and apply for new funding for future projects, based on current and new results and new technology developments. 

You have

• The candidate should hold an advanced university degree in the life sciences or equivalent (PhD is an advantage).
• The post holder will have outstanding and effective organisational skills and will enjoy working in an independent and pro-active manner, across a broad range of functions and with maximum flexibility in a dynamic international scientific environment.
• Effective multitasking and the ability to work with tight deadlines are also required. Fluency in spoken and written English language skills will be essential for carrying out the work; other linguistic skills (especially German) will be a plus.
• You already have demonstrated experience in scientific project management, or alternatively equivalent formal qualification and work experience.
• Excellent interpersonal skills as well as creativity and a collaborative team spirit are required, and a willingness to travel would be a plus (but is not mandatory).
• The ability to anticipate needs, to help promote the career of students and postdocs within the Korbel group, and to maintain excellent working relationships with all team members are essential. 

You might also have

• Experience with content management systems and/or basic web development skills
• Visual communication skills. 

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.

EMBL offers attractive conditions and benefits appropriate to an international research organisation with a very collegial and family-friendly working environment. Competitive salary and social security benefits, financial support for relocation, a relaxed culture, professional development, an on-site nursery, canteen and other staff facilities make EMBL a great place to work.

The Korbel group at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), within the Genome Biology Unit, is a ‘hybrid’ laboratory in which computational biologists and experimentalist collaborate tightly to obtain new insights into human disease and molecular mechanisms. By combining experimental and computational approaches, including single-cell sequencing technology, we aim to unravel determinants and consequences of germline and somatic genetic variation. Our group is using bulk as well as single cell-based omics approaches for investigating mechanisms behind complex phenotypes in humans, ranging from common diseases including cancer to ageing. An overarching theme centers on the formation and selection of germline and somatic genetic variation in health and disease states, in particular genomic structural variation (SV).

** 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. 

What else you need to know

We are Europe’s research laboratory for the life sciences – an intergovernmental organisation performing scientific research in disciplines including molecular biology, physics, chemistry and computer science. We are an international, innovative and interdisciplinary laboratory with more than 1900 employees from many nations, operating across six sites, in Heidelberg (HQ), Barcelona, Hinxton near Cambridge, Hamburg, Grenoble and Rome.

Our mission is to offer vital services in training scientists, students and visitors at all levels; to develop new instruments and methods in the life sciences and actively engage in technology transfer activities, and to integrate European life science research. The working language of the institute is English.

Please note that appointments on fixed term contracts can be renewed up to 9 years in total, depending on circumstances at the time of the review.

Part time employment could be discussed as an option.

EMBL is a signatory of DORA. Find out how we implement best practices in research assessment in our recruitment processes here .