Research Engineer (Academic Staff - Research)

This position has been deemed critical by the School of Humanities and Sciences Dean's Office and is exempt from the hiring freeze.

The School of Humanities and Sciences (H&S) is the foundation of a liberal arts education at Stanford. The school encompasses 24 departments and 25 interdisciplinary programs. H&S is home to fundamental and applied research, where free, open, and critical inquiry is pursued across disciplines. As the university's largest school, H&S serves as the foundation of a Stanford undergraduate education no matter which discipline students pursue as a major. Graduate students work alongside world-renowned faculty to pursue and shape foundational research that leads to breakthroughs and discoveries that shed new light on the past, influence the present, and shape the future. Together, faculty and students in H&S engage in inspirational teaching, learning, and research every day.

Department/Program Description:

The Structural Molecular Biology (SMB) Division at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL), Stanford University, a national user research facility and a Directorate of the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, has an immediate opening for a highly motivated Ph.D. scientist with a strong experimental background in physicochemical studies of biological macromolecules using synchrotron x-ray scattering techniques. We are seeking a highly self-driven individual who will be expected to play a key role in methodology and instrumentation developments, daily operation of a small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) beam line as well as collaborative research under supervision of a senior scientist. The successful candidate will join the BioSAXS team which supports and further develops the SAXS instrument at the beam line 4-2 at SSRL to provide access to state-of-the-art experimental facilities for biological small angle x-ray scattering to a large national and international scientific user community.

For additional information on our research activities, please visit https://www-ssrl.slac.stanford.edu/smb-saxs/ or contact Dr. Thomas Weiss at weiss@slac.stanford.edu.

This is a 100% FTE, 3-year fixed term exempt position. This position will be based at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.

If you believe this opportunity matches your knowledge, skills, and abilities, we encourage you to apply by submitting a cover letter and resume in addition to the online application. Thank you for considering employment opportunities with the School of Humanities and Sciences.

CORE DUTIES:

• Play a key role in new methodological and technological developments in structural biology and biophysics using small- and wide-angle x-ray scattering techniques
• Engage in collaborative research projects that take advantage of the instrumentation available at BL4-2
• Participate in the daily operation and maintenance of an insertion-device small angle x-ray scattering facility dedicated to structural studies on mostly non-crystalline biological systems
• Engage in user support and training at the beamline and actively participate in scientific workshops and outreach programs organized by the BioSAXS team at SSRL
• Other duties may also be assigned.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Ph.D. in biophysics, physical biochemistry, biophysical chemistry, structural biology or a closely related field and 5 years of relevant post Ph.D. experience.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Considerable experience in instrument development
• Ability to work in a team environment
• Demonstrated experimental skills in protein or nucleic acid physical chemistry and x-ray scattering/diffraction techniques.
• Possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills to work effectively with a diverse group of scientists, technical staff as well as external users

In addition, preferred requirements include:

• Postdoctoral research or comparable training in a related field
• Familiarity with standard analysis software packages and methods for biological small angle scattering data analysis
• Prior experience with Python programming for data analysis and instrument control

The expected pay range for this position is $105,000 to $135,000 per annum.