Flow Cytometry Facility Manager

Competition 1378

This position is a part of the Association of the Academic Staff of the University of Alberta (AASUA).

In accordance with the Faculty Service Officer Agreement, this position offers a comprehensive benefits package found at Faculty & Staff Benefits with an annual salary range of $80,635 to $112,111.

Location - Work primarily takes place at North Campus Edmonton. This role is in-person.

Working for the University of Alberta

The University of Alberta acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 6 territory, and respects the histories, languages and cultures of First Nations, Métis, Inuit and all FirstPeoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community.

The university of Alberta is a community of knowledge seekers, change makers and world shapers who lead with purpose each and every day. We are home to over 14,000 faculty and staff, more than 40,000 students and a growing community of 300,000 alumni worldwide.

Your work will have a meaningful influence on a fascinating cross-section of people — from our students and community members, to our renowned researchers and innovators, making discoveries and generating solutions that make the world healthier, safer, stronger and more just. Learn more.

Working for the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry (FoMD)

The Flow Cytometry Facility is a Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry (FoMD) core research facility providing services and infrastructure access to over 100 research groups (250+ users) annually across the University of Alberta and externally. The Facility currently houses ten diverse instruments to support advanced cell analysis and sorting, including state-of-the-art spectral analyzers, an imaging flow cytometer, and infrastructure for studying small particles. The Facility has been recognized by the International Society for the Advancement of Cytometry for best practices in a shared-resource laboratory. The Flow Cytometry Facility enables faculty members and researchers to access expertise and innovative technologies that individual laboratories cannot otherwise support.

Position 

Reporting to the Vice Dean of Research (Basic Sciences), the Manager is the Faculty’s expert in the rapidly changing field of flow cytometry, a critical platform in biomedical research. The Manager is the point of contact for the Flow Cytometry Facility and oversees the operations of this facility. The Manager trains users, collaborates with faculty members in research projects, teaches undergraduate and graduate courses and provides expert scientific advice to the administration. Within the core facility, the Manager is responsible for the smooth operations of the facility, the supervision of technical staff, and adherence to biosafety procedures.

The Manager assists the Vice Dean of Research and the Manager, Core Research Facilities in policy development and implementation. The Manager advises and consults with other members of the academic user committee on strategic decisions that impact the effectiveness, efficiency and/or ultimate capacity of the core to remain operationally viable or to provide teaching support. The Manager oversees the technical training of undergraduate students, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and other new users in the facility. The Manager provides teaching support for flow cytometry modules in undergraduate and graduate courses as needed and may also give guest lectures and seminars. The Manager facilitates research through collaboration with researchers for project design and creating novel assays and protocols tailored to research needs.

Finally, the Manager counsels the administration scientifically regarding the need and utility of new instrument grants, requests and purchases.

Duties 

1.     Operation of the Flow Cytometry Core Facility (40%)

• In cooperation with the Vice Dean of Research, the Flow Cytometry Core Facility Academic Lead, and the Manager, Core Research Facilities, develops strategies and policies for the safe and sustainable operation of the facility; and informs strategic planning to maintain a facility that has instruments which match the needs of its users.
• Takes the lead role in writing grants to acquire funds to replace aging equipment, upgrade infrastructure for emerging technologies and/or assay development as needed.
• Monitors infrastructure usage to ensure the facility is being efficiently utilized and matches user needs to equipment.
• Provides advice to the Vice Dean of Research and the Manager, Core Research Facilities regarding infrastructure grant applications: indicates where infrastructure exists currently in the core or where requested infrastructure could have a wider application.
• Provides advice to the Manager, Core Research Facilities on facility budget decisions regarding equipment maintenance or renewal.
• Oversees PPMS-Stratocore implementation including confirming equipment bookings and maintenance of accurate user information. Creates monthly facility invoices in PPMS.
• Liaises with IST and the Manager of Core Research Facilities to ensure that the facility’s information technology needs are met.
• Holds the facility biosafety registry.                                       
  • Liaises with Principal Investigators to learn of all potential biohazards.
  • Liaises with the Biosafety Officer, HSE, and the Faculty Safety Advisor to ensure all SOPs are acceptable and the facility is compliant.
  • Informs all users regarding biosafety regulations and SOPs.
• Liaises and negotiates with vendors and service providers when required to ensure equipment is maintained and serviced.
• Conducts tours and promotes the facility internally and externally.
• First point of contact for the CFI Navigator and the CoreMarketplace, online research facilities directories.

2.     Education and Training (20%)

• Designs modules and teaches the theoretical basis of flow cytometry for credit undergraduate/graduate courses in the FoMD.
• Designs and provides training for users at all levels including basic training and advanced workshops and/or summer courses for multiparametric analysis and emerging technologies.
• May give guest lectures and seminars to departments, institutes, and other research groups.
• Arrange timely and appropriate seminars from vendors and others to further educate user base.
• Writes letters of reference, on request, as appropriate, for students.

3.     Research Facilitation (30%)

• Assists advanced users with multi-parameter and multiplex flow cytometry techniques.
• Provides consultation for individual users with experimental design and suggests appropriate instrument choice.
• Maintains expertise in emerging technologies.                                      
  • Identifies emerging technologies through ongoing literature searches.
  • Attends national/international flow cytometry conferences to interact with other experts and to promote facility.                                    
  • Stays abreast of software analysis tools.
• Collaborates with researchers (students, postdoctoral fellows and faculty) to develop novel assays and extend research capabilities.
• Interfaces with researchers to build awareness of technical advances and possibilities.
• Provides expertise and support as co-applicant on research grant applications requiring technical innovation.
• Works in collaboration with other core facility managers to facilitate integration and complementation of research capabilities, especially for emerging high throughput capabilities.

4.     Supervision of Technical Staff (10%) 

• Ensures technical staff maintain instruments in good working order, including performing instrument calibration and arranging for instrument repairs.
• Assign facility duties as required (for example, user requests for cell sorting).
• Encourages professional development and training of technical staff.
• Performs annual review of technical staff.  

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in life sciences
• Demonstratable expertise in advanced flow cytometry and cell sorting
• In-depth knowledge of flow cytometry theory and practical applications of flow cytometry are required
• General knowledge of cell and molecular biology
• Good management skills
• Superior communication skills
• Ability to adapt to changing priorities
• Experience in teaching
• Ability to write grant applications

Interested candidates are invited to submit the following in one PDF document: a cover letter and curriculum vitae outlining their education, qualifications and experience as it relates to the role and responsibilities as well as the qualifications defined above.

The posting will remain open until filled. The Hiring Committee will begin reviewing applications on September 26, 2024.