Assistant/Associate Professor in Bioinformatics

DEPARTMENT: Biological Sciences / School of Sciences

ACADEMIC DISCIPLINE: Bioinformatics, Biostatistics, Artificial Intelligence

POSITION TITLE: Assistant/Associate Professor in Bioinformatics

LOCATION: Suzhou, Jiangsu, China

POSITION OPEN DATE: 8th July 2022

ADVERTISEMENT CLOSING DATE: until filled (closing date June 30th 2023)

JOB ID: 1927

CONTRACT TYPE: Fixed-Term/3-year contract, renewable. 3rd contract is open-ended

UNIVERSITY AND DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW:

Located in Suzhou, China, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) is a young, dynamic and EMI university founded in 2006, and is a unique collaborative institution and first joint-venture university in China to offer both UK (University of Liverpool) and Chinese (Ministry of Education) accredited undergraduate degrees for more than 100 programmes. XJTLU also aims to become truly research-led and has committed significant investment into research development and the expansion of master’s and PhD student numbers on campus. The university has over 18,000 students and nearly 1000 academic staff representing in excess of 90 nationalities. For detailed information about the university, please visit www.xjtlu.edu.cn

Multiple Faculty Positions are open in The Department of Biological Sciences. The department focuses on molecular bioscience and has recruited faculty from globally distinguished institutions working in this discipline. Although relatively young, the Department is already establishing a solid reputation, as indicated by the growing number of grant awards to its staff (e.g. from the National Natural Science Foundation of China) and national and international research collaborations (e.g. with Novartis and Unilever plc). It has state-of-the-art instrumentation housed in custom-built labs, and with excellent technical support.

Current research areas include: cancer biology, structural biology, biotechnology, biomedical sciences, bioinformatics, cell signaling, genomics, molecular microbiology, neuroscience, proteomics, and virology. The Department currently offers undergraduate, and PhD degree programme in both biological sciences and bioinformatics as well as master’s programme in biomolecular science.

Staff also benefit from the fact that Suzhou is a ‘hot-spot’ for biotechnology and biomedical science – Cold Spring Harbor Asia (http://www.csh-asia.org/index.html) is located within walking distance and there are over 1000 biotechnology companies in BioBay (http://en.biobay.com.cn/main/index.asp ). As a state-level economic and technical development zone (ETDZ), Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) boasted its No.1 ranking among 218 zones of its kind in China for five consecutive years (2016-2020) by the Ministry of Commerce based on the zone’s comprehensive development level. The broader Suzhou area encompasses the spirit of both old and new in China, with the historic old town’s canals, UNESCO World Heritage Site gardens, and the I.M Pei-designed Suzhou Museum attracting millions of tourists annually. SIP offers an excellent quality of life. The nearby Jinji Lake provides attractive views, by day and by night, and there are a variety of shopping facilities, international and local restaurants, entertainment hubs and a great nightlife. Suzhou became the world's largest industrial city in 2021, with the gross industrial output value reaching the milestone of 4 trillion RMB.

For more information:

https://www.xjtlu.edu.cn/en/study/departments/academic-departments/biological-sciences/

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES: 

• To teach undergraduate and graduate students
• To maintain active research and obtain research funding 
• To carry out various administrative duties related to university teaching and research (e.g. Research Officer, Lab Safety Officer, and Examination Officer)
• To supervise graduate students and support teaching and research staff
• To establish an innovative and well-funded research group that is open to interdisciplinary collaboration.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

• Effective communication skills; fluent in written and spoken English
• Problem-solving/creativity 
• Adaptability and flexibility
• Professionalism and work ethic
• Interpersonal abilities to manage a research team
• Positive attitude and energy
• Diversity / Sensitivity

QUALIFICATIONS

Multiple faculty positions in bioinformatics are open, at the rank of Teaching fellow / Assistant professor / Associate professor / Senior associate professor / Part-time lecturer.

The successful applicant will establish and lead a productive research program in the areas of bioinformatics/computational biology that provides research opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students. Specific research areas of interest for this position include but are not limited to medical/health informatics, artificial intelligence in biomedicine, genomics and systems biology, sequence analysis, network topology, structural modelling, phylogenetics, genome expression, evolution, population genetics, and microbiome. Analysis of other datasets such as genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, transcriptomics, epigenomics, etc. and experience of developing and applying mathematical & statistical theory, models, techniques and other analytical methods as appropriate to the field of research are also of interest. Applicants should demonstrate good teaching experience/potentials and evidence of the ability to produce high quality research publications and obtain research grants from funding agencies or industry.

Candidates for the position of Associate Professor or above should also have a strong track record in teaching and academic supervision, as well as an international research profile in their fields and a successful record of research funding.

Teaching fellows generally focus on university teaching only, and there is no (or only minimal) expectations on their research performance.

COMPENSATION PACKAGE:

In addition to the base salary, members of Academic Staff are entitled to subsidies for accommodation, travel, children’s education, medical insurance, and a one-time relocation allowance is provided. Overseas staff may receive a tax “holiday,” depending on nationality and personal circumstances. 

COMPENSATION PACKAGE

Range of Annual Base Pay:

Lecturer:  280k-320k RMB
Assistant Professor: 360k-400k RMB
Associate Professor: 450k-490k RMB
Senior Associate Professor: 540k-580k RMB
Professor: Above 620k RMB, negotiable

Members of Academic Staff are entitled to subsidies for accommodation, travel, and children’s education, medical insurance, and a one-time relocation allowance is provided. Overseas staff may receive a tax “holiday,” depending on nationality and personal circumstances.

CITIZENSHIP AND VISA REGULATIONS:

Employment at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University is regulated by Chinese Labour Laws, and must comply with the regulations of the provincial government. These regulations stipulate who is eligible for legal employment with regard to obtaining work permits and visas.  Please be advised candidates over 65 may be not eligible for a work visa from the PRC.

TO APPLY

Please submit your applications online
https://career15.sapsf.cn/sfcareer/jobreqcareer?jobId=1927&company=xjtlu

Applications must be submitted in a single pdf file that includes the following three parts in the order:

• A cover letter 
• A current CV, including date of birth, country of citizenship, and highest degree level
• Contact details for three referees 

For specific enquiries relating to the position, please email Acting Head of Department, Dr. Jia Meng, [email protected] . Informal enquiries may be addressed to HR at Ms Lidan Yang, [email protected] Please quote the position and job ID in your enquiry.