Electron Microscopy Technician Chief, Cell Biology

Electron Microscopy Technician Chief, Cell Biology

With over 75 years of excellence in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, UT Southwestern is committed to excellence, innovation, teamwork, and compassion. As a world-renowned medical and research center, we strive to provide the best possible care, resources, and benefits for our valued employees. Ranked as the number 1 hospital in Dallas-Fort Worth according to U.S. News & World Report, we invest in you with opportunities for career growth and development to align with your future goals.

Our highly competitive benefits package offers healthcare, PTO and paid holidays, on-site childcare, wage, merit increases and so much more. We invite you to be a part of the UT Southwestern team where you'll discover a culture of teamwork, professionalism, and a rewarding career!

Works independently with full technical authority to direct electron microscopy core-facility operations. Serves as the institutional subject-matter expert for electron-microscopy methods, instrumentation, and workflows. Establishes facility-wide technical standards, oversees advanced research and clinical EM services, and ensures alignment with institutional research priorities. Serves as the core facility authority for electron microscopy services. Operates fully independently to manage instrument suites, develop facility-wide protocols, and drive innovation in sample preparation and imaging.

Provides strategic technical consultation to internal and external stakeholders, ensuring the core meets both research and clinical objectives.

The Electron Microscopy Core Facility at UT Southwestern Medical Center is seeking a Chief Electron Microscopy Technician to support and oversee advanced electron microscopy operations within a dynamic, research-focused core facility. The EMCF provides high-quality electron microscopy services to investigators across UT Southwestern, including transmission electron microscopy of cells and tissues, whole-mount scanning electron microscopy, negative staining, correlative light and electron microscopy, immunogold labeling, high-pressure freezing, freeze substitution, array tomography, and volume EM imaging.

The facility supports a broad range of biological and biomedical research projects using advanced EM platforms and sample-preparation workflows. The Chief Electron Microscopy Technician will play a key role in the daily operation, technical development, and user support activities of the Electron Microscopy Core Facility. The successful candidate will work with researchers to prepare samples, acquire high-quality EM data, troubleshoot technical issues, maintain instrumentation, and train users in EM-related workflows.

This position is ideal for an experienced electron microscopy professional with strong technical skills, excellent organizational ability, and a commitment to supporting innovative biomedical research.

Key Responsibilities:

• Perform and oversee electron microscopy sample preparation for TEM, SEM, negative staining, immunolabeling, CLEM, and volume EM projects.
• Operate and support advanced EM instrumentation, including TEM, SEM, FIB-SEM, high-pressure freezing, freeze substitution, ultramicrotomy, coating, and critical-point drying systems.
• Support imaging workflows using instruments such as FEI Tecnai G2 Spirit Bio Twin, JEOL 1400 Plus, Zeiss Sigma VP, and Thermo Scientific Hydra Bio Plasma FIB-SEM.
• Train and assist researchers in TEM operation, SEM operation, sample processing, and negative staining workflows.
• Coordinate project workflow, sample intake, scheduling, and communication with facility users.
• Troubleshoot sample-preparation and imaging problems and recommend appropriate EM approaches for research questions.
• Help maintain facility protocols, quality standards, equipment readiness, and safe laboratory practices.
• Contribute to the continued growth of advanced EM capabilities, including volume EM, CLEM, high-pressure freezing, and immunogold labeling.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Strong hands-on experience with biological electron microscopy.
• Experience with TEM and/or SEM sample preparation and imaging.
• Knowledge of ultramicrotomy, resin embedding, negative staining, immunogold labeling, high-pressure freezing, freeze substitution, or volume EM.
• Ability to work collaboratively with researchers from diverse scientific backgrounds.
• Strong communication, documentation, organization, and troubleshooting skills.
• Prior experience in a core facility, academic research environment, or biomedical imaging facility is highly desirable.

Benefits:

• PPO medical plan, available day one at no cost for full-time employee-only coverage
• 100% coverage for preventive healthcare-no copay
• Paid Time Off, available day one
• Retirement Programs through the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS)
• Paid Parental Leave Benefit
• Wellness programs
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Qualified Employer

Experience and

Education:

• Required
  
  Education:
  
  Master's Degree in a relevant scientific,…