Research Technician II​/III - PTR-BioImage Analysis

Primary Work Address: 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA, 20147

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Janelia Research Campus is a pioneering research center in Ashburn, Virginia, where scientists pursue fundamental questions in the life sciences. Our integrated teams of biologists, computational scientists, and tool-builders innovate research practices and technologies to solve biology’s deepest mysteries. HHMI launched Janelia in 2006, establishing an intellectually enriching environment for scientists to do creative, collaborative, hands‑on work.

We share our methods, results, and tools with the scientific community.

The PTR‑Bio Image analysis team within Project Technical Resources (PTR) is seeking a full‑time technician to work on annotation and image analysis projects in collaboration with Team Projects, laboratories, and computational groups. The selected individual will work closely with the team manager and other scientists to develop and implement procedures to accomplish research goals. This job is ideal for someone who likes working with images and enjoys manual annotation, as well as establishing standard protocols and interacting with peers and collaborators.

Our current work includes voxel‑level segmentation of 3D microscopy volumes, segmentation of lightsheet images of expanded tissues, cell tracking in 4D light microscopy videos, and behavioral labeling from animal experimental video. The combination of projects and emphasis changes over time, requiring agile adaptation to specific requirements. Annotations typically serve as ground truth for automated image processing pipelines established for AI@HHMI projects, and in some cases are used to answer biological questions directly.

Examples of related work can be explored at the Bio Image Analysis page. This position will be filled at Research Technician level II or III depending on the candidate’s experience.

• On‑the‑job training on current tools, protocols, and techniques
• Competitive compensation with comprehensive health and welfare benefits
• Amenities that enhance work‑life balance such as on‑site childcare, a free gym, social and dining spaces, convenient shuttle bus service from the Washington D.C. metro area, on‑campus housing, and options for education assistance
• A diverse team looking forward to exploring how your unique background, talents, and interests could contribute to PTR’s ability to support science at Janelia

• Gain in‑depth knowledge of commercial and custom annotation software
• Collect relevant data from multidimensional images and videos
• Review and correct automatically or manually generated annotations
• Perform quality control on large datasets, including screening work produced by other team members
• Provide feedback on image quality, software performance, and annotation challenges
• Report biological observations arising from the data
• Communicate effectively with the team manager, project leads, researchers, and support groups at Janelia
• Prepare datasets for annotation, contribute to protocol development and documentation, and serve as a point of contact for collaborating researchers

• Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of two years of experience in cellular biology, neuroscience, or related field
• Demonstrated proficiency with computers
• Ability to mentally visualize complex three‑dimensional structures
• Ability to perform detailed, repetitive work while sustaining close attention
• Ability to understand and apply written guidelines consistently
• Good organizational skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills to communicate efficiently with team members and collaborators
• Work experience in a team‑oriented environment and skills to be a good team player
• Interest in engaging in…