About the position

A two year position as a Principal Engineer/ Head Engineer is available at The Norwegian Sequencing Centre (NSC).

The Norwegian Sequencing Centre (NSC) is a national core facility offering sequencing services on the Illumina (short read) and Pacific Biosciences (long read) instruments. NSC has two nodes; one at the Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES) at the Department of Biosciences (UiO) offering long read sequencing, and another at the Department of Medical Genetics (DMG) at Oslo University Hospital offering Illumina sequencing. NSC is the hub within the national network of NorSeq platforms. The position will be affiliated with the CEES node of NSC.

Job description

The tasks are varied and consist of, among others, isolation of nucleic acids for sequencing, preparing libraries for the PacBio and Illumina technologies, handling of automation equipment, implementation of new protocols, quality control, consultation services and communication with users of the NSC. The candidate will work as part of a multidisciplinary team consisting of molecular biologists and bioinformaticians. The position is a full-time lab position, however, some tasks will involve bioinformatics. Training in needed lab-methods and bioinformatics will be provided. The candidate will also work in close interaction with the newly established biodiversity genomics projects Earth BioGenome Project Norway (EBP-Nor) and Biodiversity Genomics Europe (BGE), which are both affiliated to the European Reference Genome Atlas and Earth BioGenome Project.

A particularly high degree of initiative, independence and responsibility within the various work areas will be required from a Head Engineer.

Qualification requirements

The following qualifications are required:

• Education: The candidates must hold a Bachelor’s degree in biology, molecular biology, genomics or equivalent fields (such as bioengineer/engineering). Other relevant competence may replace the educational requirement. It is an advantage if a candidate has a PhD.
• Documented experience with molecular techniques and experience within the lab
• Experience with extraction and analyses of nucleic acids
• Good verbal and written proficiency in English
• Norwegian or Scandinavian language knowledge is preferred

The following qualifications will be an advantage:

• Experience with PacBio, Oxford Nanopore and Illumina sequencing platforms
• Experience with PacBio and Illumina library preparation
• Experience with robotic operations

Ideally, we would like someone with experience with PacBio, Oxford Nanopore or Illumina sequencing. However, we may consider applicants with a solid molecular lab experience who will then have to go through a training program.

For qualification and employment as a Head Engineer, extensive experience and competence in the various work tasks are required.

Personal skills

We are seeking a team player and a service-minded candidate, with good interpersonal skills, who has experience with- and are enjoying team work.

We offer

• Salary as a Principal Engineer (position code 1085) is determined after individual assessment within a range between NOK 501 200 - 553 500 per annum, depending on competence.
• Salary as a Head Engineer (position 1087) is determined after individual assessment within a range between NOK 544 400 - 615 000 per annum, depending on competence.
• A professionally stimulating working environment
• Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement, in addition to Oslo’s family-friendly environment with its rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities

How to apply

The application must include:

• A cover letter including a statement of interest, describing your experience and a personal assessment focusing on how you fit the description of the person we seek
• CV (summarizing education, positions, work experience and other qualifying activity).
• Copies of educational certificates, transcript of records and letters for recommendation
• Names and contact details of 2-3 references (names, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number)

The application with attachments must be delivered in our recruiting system. Please note that all documents should be in English (or a Scandinavian language).

Formal regulations

Interviews with the best qualified candidates will be arranged.

According to the Norwegian Freedom of Information Act (Offentleglova) information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.

Inclusion and diversity are a strength. The University of Oslo has a personnel policy objective of achieving a balanced gender composition.Furthermore, we want employees with diverse professional expertise, life experience and perspectives.

If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, employment gaps or immigrant background, we will invite at least one applicant from each of these categories to an interview.

Contact information

• Kjetill S. Jakobsen, phone: +47 22854602, e-mail: k.s.jakobsen@ibv.uio.no
• Ave Tooming-Klunderud : +47 22854578, e-mail:ave.tooming-klunderud@ibv.uio.no

For technical questions regarding the recruitment system, please contact HR adviser Nina Holtan, phone: +47 22 85 44 24, e-mail: nina.holtan@mn.uio.no.

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