Staff Scientist

Staff Scientist Position

The Chen Lab at the Pritzker School for Molecular Engineering is looking for a highly motivated Staff Scientist to work closely with faculty and researchers at the University of Chicago. The successful candidate will play a key role in characterizing tissue engineering and stem cell biology by working with the Chen Lab and in collaboration with researchers and clinicians at the University of Chicago and beyond.

Emphasis will be to (i) understand how cancers initiate and progress using various stages of human cells derived from pluripotent or adult stem cells, and design strategies to diagnose, categorize, and treat the diseases more effectively; (ii) maintain, upgrade, and train users on existing pipelines in the lab; and (iii) develop new pipelines as needed.

• Facilitates and promotes advanced technical/scientific research projects, including simulations and data analysis. Recognizes the need for innovation and develops or incorporates advances in research concepts to help disseminate results.
• Develops, applies, documents, and maintains computational tools, both for use and to support analysis by biologist colleagues without formal computational training. Critically evaluates computational solutions.
• Develops customized computational solutions supporting new kinds of assays and experiments. Understands the analytical needs of new experiments, working closely with wet-lab experimental biologists.
• Implements and optimizes successful algorithms and methods to be shared for use by the broader community.
• Develops figures and reports that provide transparency into the data quality and characteristics, and automates the production of such reports as routine components of computational analysis pipelines.
• Reports data to supervisor and team, attends team meetings to share results, plans projects and experiments, and ensures that projects support current team goals.
• Maintains and organizes computational infrastructure and resources.
• Contributes to the generation of protocols, publications, and intellectual property.
• Reviews laboratory protocols and training on new techniques. Manage complex data sets for research.
• Trains new laboratory personnel.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Education:

Minimum requirements include a PhD in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Education:

• Doctoral degree in biology, immunology, chemistry, or related field.

Experience:

• Significant work experience after the doctorate; postdoc experience.
• Possess experience in a research laboratory, preferably in an independent project.
• Conducting wet or dry lab work in a research laboratory, preferably in an independent project.
• Practical experience in data analysis, preferably in an independent project in an academic research laboratory setting.
• Background in statistics and machine learning.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Basic knowledge of biology or immunology is preferred. An inclination to acquire such knowledge is required.
• Knowledge of SLURM or other job scheduler, and/or bioinformatics tools preferred.
• Fluency in Unix, standard bioinformatics tools (Python, R, or equivalent), and a programming language (C/C++, Java) required.
• Strong computer skills, including calendaring, document management (e.g., Dropbox, Box, etc.), word processing, database management, and spreadsheet skills.
• Knowledge of statistical/analytical software.
• Advanced knowledge of computer programming and coding languages.

• Excellent communication skills to interact professionally with all levels of staff and external contacts in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent organization and time management skills.
• Problem-solving, organization and coordination skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Excellent time management skills and handle multiple, concurrent tasks within deadlines with minimal supervision.
• Prioritize urgent tasks while ensuring established deadlines are met.
• Flexible and adaptable to changes in workflow and procedures.

• Resume/CV (required)

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Research

Individual Contributor

40

$70,000.00 - $80,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University's good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual…