Operations Director of DCI

EPFL, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, is one of the most dynamic university campuses in Europe and ranks among the top 20 universities worldwide. The EPFL employs more than 6,500 people supporting the three main missions of the institutions: education, research and innovation. The EPFL campus offers an exceptional working environment at the heart of a community of more than 18,500 people, including over 14,000 students and 4,000 researchers from more than 120 different countries.

Operations

Director of DCI-Lausanne Description

The Dubochet Center for Imaging (DCI) is a research infrastructure created in 2021 as a joint initiative of the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), the University of Lausanne (Unil), the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and the University of Bern (UNIBE). It operates centers in Lausanne, Geneva and Bern. The DCI-Lausanne is located on the campuses of the University of Lausanne and the EPFL, benefiting from the research excellence of both institutions and offering cryo-EM service to the entire Lake Geneva region.

The two institutions contribute equally to the DCI-Lausanne. UNIL is a leading international teaching and research institution, with over 5,000 employees and 17,000 students split between its Dorigny campus, CHUV and Epalinges sites. EPFL is one of the most dynamic university campuses in Europe and ranks among the top 20 universities worldwide. EPFL employs 6,000 people supporting the three main missions of the institutions: education, research and innovation.

The EPFL campus offers an exceptional working environment at the heart of a community of 16,000 people, including over 10,000 students and 3,500 researchers from 120 different countries.

Mission Your mission is to manage the existing team of cryo-EM experts running the DCI-Lausanne and to ensure the operational and administrative management of the platform to guarantee effective services to researchers from various neighboring universities. You will contribute to the development of state-of-the-art methodologies and new approaches in high-resolution cryo-EM and cryo-ET. You will be responsible to maintain and develop the excellence of service in sample preparation, data acquisition, and data analysis.

You will benefit from the support of the Academic Director of the DCI-Lausanne, the CEO of the DCI, and the administration of UNIL and EPFL. You will organize workflows, define priorities, and ensure that training, project follow-up, and user support run smoothly. You will represent DCI-Lausanne in institutional discussions, contribute to planning and reporting, and contribute to the platform’s technical and strategic development.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Lead and manage the existing expert teams in cryo-EM
• Organize and supervise daily operations, focusing on user support, project coordination, and training.
• Ensure the satisfaction of the platform’s users, through the availability of high-performance, customer-oriented equipment and services, including standard procedures and documentation
• Implement the strategy and improvement measures defined periodically with the Academic Director, the CEO and DCI board
• Manage budgets, service revenues, and resource allocation
• Contribute to outreach activities
• Participate in teaching and training activities provided by the DCI
• Plan and request equipment acquisition, upgrades and maintenance
• Foster collaboration between the DCI-Lausanne and other core facilities and research infrastructures
• Represent and promote the DCI-Lausanne at the local, national and international level

Profile

• A PhD in structural biology, or a related field relevant to cryo-EM.
• At least 5 years of extensive managerial experience leading a technical platform in an academic or industry setting, with a proven ability to lead a diverse team of scientists, technicians, and IT specialists.
• Extensive experience in cryo-EM/ET with a track record in high-resolution structural biology.
• Solid knowledge of cryo-EM microscopy technologies and platform operations. Familiarity with cryo-EM microscopes such as Titan Krios and Glacios as well as experience with modern cryo-EM software,…