Macromolecular X-ray Crystallography Facility Manager (Research Associate; 50%25)

University of Colorado•Aurora, CO

1d•$40,000 - $50,000•Onsite

About The Position

A part-time (0.5 FTE) Research Associate position is available for a Facility Manager in the Macromolecular X-ray Crystallography Core Facility within the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. The X-ray facility is jointly operated by the School of Medicine Structural Biology and Biophysics Core Facilities and the University of Colorado Cancer Center, and serves a broad community of biomedical researchers across campus. The Facility Manager will be responsible for the scientific, technical, and operational oversight of the X-ray Crystallography Core Facility. This role combines hands-on expertise in biomolecular crystallography with responsibility for day-to-day facility operations, including instrument functionality, user support, scheduling, data management, and billing. The position focuses on enabling high-quality structural biology research by supporting crystallization, data collection, data processing, and structure determination efforts for funded research projects. The successful candidate will work closely with faculty, trainees, and research staff to facilitate effective use of the facility, provide training and scientific guidance, and ensure reliable and safe operation of specialized instrumentation. The Facility Manager will report to and receive guidance from Prof. Mair Churchill, Director of the X-ray facility, and may also interact with and help facilitate activities within related structural biology core facilities, including cryo-electron microscopy and NMR. Experienced crystallographers and individuals with backgrounds in structural biology, chemistry, or physics are encouraged to apply. Our department conducts research across a wide biological scale for fundamental scientific understanding with applications to many disease contexts. The overarching goal is to reach a level of molecular insight that helps develop therapeutic approaches to disease. As biochemists and molecular geneticists, we are amid an unprecedented time of discovery - our conception of the molecular biology of cells is going from the equivalent of grainy black-and-white to high-resolution technicolor. From deciphering the choreography of transcription complexes, chromosomes, and RNA molecules within cells to developing novel approaches to 3D molecular structure determination to understanding how viruses hijack a cell’s machinery and alter its metabolome, the researchers in Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics (BMG) are at the forefront of their fields, conceptually and technologically.

Requirements

PhD in Structural Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Physics, or a closely related field
Demonstrated hands-on experience in macromolecular X-ray crystallography, including crystallization, data collection, and data processing
Knowledge of X-ray crystallography techniques, and use of highly specialized equipment
Ability to interact well with faculty, students, postdoctoral fellows, and staff.
Excellent organizational skills
Ability to operate, maintain, and support shared scientific instrumentation in a research or core facility environment, including training and supporting multiple users

Nice To Haves

Advanced experience with macromolecular X-ray crystallography instrumentation, including diffraction systems, detectors, cryogenic equipment, and crystallization robotics
Experience supporting or working in a shared core facility environment, including user training, scheduling, or instrumentation coordination
Proficiency with computational tools for data analysis and management in a structural biology setting (e.g., Linux-based systems, data processing pipelines)

Responsibilities

Manage and operate the Macromolecular X-ray Crystallography Core Facility, including day-to-day oversight of X-ray diffraction instrumentation, crystallization robotics, and ancillary equipment to ensure safe, reliable, and efficient facility operations
Provide hands-on scientific expertise in biomolecular crystallography, including crystallization, crystal screening, X-ray data collection, data processing, structure determination, and model building in support of funded biomedical research projects
Maintain and coordinate instrumentation and service needs, including routine instrument care, coordination with service engineers, and management of service contracts for highly specialized X-ray and crystallization equipment
Train, supervise, and support facility users, including onboarding and instruction in the safe and effective use of X-ray diffraction and crystallization robotics, and providing scientific guidance on experimental design and data interpretation
Manage facility data, computing, and administrative operations, including data storage and backup, basic computer systems administration (LINUX-based systems), maintenance of user records, scheduling, and chargeback/billing processes
Contribute to the broader structural biology research environment, including assisting with reports and grant applications, facilitating collaborations, and interacting with related core facilities such as cryo-EM and NMR