Scientific Training Lead (Core Programme) at European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)

Location:

EMBL-EBI, Hinxton near Cambridge, UK

Contract Duration-Length of Time (years/months):

3 years

Advertised Grade-Grading:

Grade 7 or 8 depending on experience (monthly salary starting at £3,577 or £4,103 after tax) plus benefits

About the team/job

Training is a core activity across EMBL-EBI, involving almost every part of the organisation and coordinated by a team of ~30 people. The Training Team delivers a world-recognised programme that encompasses courses delivered virtually and face-to-face to a global audience alongside self-paced online learning, up-skilling of trainers and secondments.

The team’s ability to deliver high-quality training content with proven impact and global reach, using a versatile set of delivery mechanisms, is a major asset to EMBL-EBI. EMBL-EBI’s training programme puts the service teams directly in contact with their users, and enables research groups to establish a global reputation; it is a key means of upholding EMBL’s mission.

Your role

This is an exciting opportunity for a scientific training professional with experience delivering short, advanced training courses, to help deliver and shape the content of EMBL-EBI’s world-leading training for external users.

Together with another Scientific Training Lead (Grants), you will co-lead the Scientific Officers in the Training team (~8 in total) to manage the delivery of EMBL-EBI’s contribution to the EMBL course and conference programme as a primary focus.

Working closely with others you will also have the opportunity to ensure that EMBL-EBI courses reflect and contribute to the full spectrum of EMBL-EBI’s science, evolve in a timely manner, meet the needs of participants, and uphold the FAIR principles (findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable) as they apply to training content. You will work closely with the Head of Training and colleagues at other EMBL sites to deliver EMBL-EBI’s significant contribution to the EMBL course and conference programme.

The post reports to the Head of Training. It involves substantial autonomy and requires extensive interactions with others at and beyond EMBL-EBI. The role normally involves international travel, mainly in Europe.

Additionally, the role involves:

  • Working closely with the Head of Training and others to ensure that EMBL-EBI’s training programme is scientifically balanced, reflects the full spectrum of services offered by EMBL-EBI, and evolves in line with users’ needs. This will require familiarity with EMBL-EBI’s major resources and tools, keeping up to date with current trends in the molecular life sciences, and an understanding of how life scientists use bioinformatics resources and tools to solve research problems.
  • Proactive management of the programme, including forward planning, ensuring appropriate processes for course development and delivery are in place and adhered to, and keeping the wider team informed of progress and bottlenecks, to ensure that EMBL-EBI’s busy programme of live, on-demand and trainer-support activities is organised and delivered to the highest standard with maximum impact.
  • Significant involvement in the recruitment of training staff – for the team and more broadly throughout EMBL.
  • Keeping up with the latest learning methodologies and how they are applied to professional development in a scientific setting
  • Regular interactions with the training staff at the other EMBL sites and in other organisations with which EMBL-EBI collaborates – locally, nationally and internationally – where appropriate, developing new training courses in collaboration with them.
  • Working closely with other members of the training team to ensure that individual courses and the programme as a whole are promoted effectively, run to budget and provide a convivial and collaborative environment in which to learn.
  • Representing EMBL-EBI and the EMBL-EBI Training Programme internally and externally.
  • Overseeing, leading and contributing to the writing of deliverable reports and other publications
  • Contributing to the accurate capture, monitoring and dissemination of data on training quality and impact, and its interpretation for the continuous improvement of the EMBL-EBI training programme and collaborative projects where appropriate.
  • Working closely with the team’s Finance Officer to ensure successful budget forecasting and reporting of spending
  • Proactively seeking and following up on opportunities to exploit synergies between related activities

You have

  • A PhD or equivalent in the field of life-science or another scientific, technical or engineering discipline
  • At least five years’ experience in developing and delivering advanced scientific education and/or training, including experience in course evaluation and impact analysis
  • Strong facilitation skills
  • Experience of having applied successfully for funding (not necessarily as the PI) and of competently delivering your contribution to funded projects
  • Previous line management experience
  • A thorough understanding of the principles behind adult learning and an ability to coach others to deliver high quality, advanced scientific training
  • Excellent interpersonal skills, and experience of applying these to working effectively with others spanning different cultures, sectors and career stages 
  • A strong service ethic and a professional attitude to internal and external clients and collaborators. 
  • Self-motivation, resilience and flexibility, demonstrated by the ability to independently manage delivery in a multi-disciplinary, collaborative team environment
  • Leadership skills, including the ability to lead others outside of the organisation, convince others and set realistic expectations
  • An aptitude for  accuracy and attention to detail, even when juggling multiple projects
  • A high level of integrity, able to build trust and mutual understanding
  • Good working knowledge of office applications (e.g. Microsoft Office or Google Workspace), and communication tools (email, Slack or equivalent), online tools for virtual delivery, and a willingness to learn other tools as needed to manage your projects effectively.

You might also have

  • Working knowledge of learning management systems
  • A well-developed network of contacts with experience of advanced scientific training and education and/or instructional design
  • An educational qualification
  • Experience of using project management tools such as Trello or Jira and/or Agile Project Management methodology
  • Experience in developing surveys, organising interactive workshops and face-to-face consultations

Why join us

Do something meaningful
At EMBL-EBI you can apply your talent and passion to accelerate science and tackle some of humankind’s greatest challenges. EMBL-EBI, part of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, is a worldwide leader in the storage, analysis and dissemination of large biological datasets. We provide the global research community with access to publicly available databases and tools which are crucial for the advancement of healthcare, food security, and biodiversity.

Join a culture of innovation
We are located on the Wellcome Genome Campus, alongside other prominent research and biotech organisations, and surrounded by beautiful Cambridgeshire countryside. This is a highly collaborative and inclusive community where our employees enjoy a relaxed atmosphere. We are committed to ensuring our employees feel valued, supported and empowered to reach their professional potential. 

Enjoy lots of benefits:

  • Financial incentives: Monthly family, child and non-resident allowances, annual salary review, pension scheme including 17% employer contribution, death benefit, long-term care, accident-at-work and unemployment insurances
  • Flexible working arrangements
  • Private medical insurance for you and your immediate family (including all prescriptions and generous dental & optical cover)
  • Generous time off: 30 days annual leave per year, in addition to eight bank holidays
  • Relocation package including installation grant (if required)
  • Campus life: Free shuttle bus to and from work, on-site library, subsidised on-site gym and cafeteria, casual dress code, extensive sports and social club activities (on campus and remotely)
  • Family benefits: On-site nursery, 10 days of child sick leave, generous parental leave, holiday clubs on campus and monthly family and child allowances
  • Benefits for non-UK residents: Visa exemption, education grant for private schooling, financial support to travel back to your home country every second year and a monthly non-resident allowance.

For more details please see our employee benefits page.

What else you need to know

  • Contract duration: This position is a 3-year contract, renewable to a maximum of 9 years. 
  • International applicants: We recruit internationally and successful candidates are offered visa exemptions. Read more on our page for international applicants
  • Diversity and inclusion: At EMBL-EBI, we strongly believe that inclusive and diverse teams benefit from higher levels of innovation and creative thought. We encourage applications from women, LGBTQ+ and individuals from all nationalities. 
  • Job location: This role is based in Hinxton, near Cambridge, UK. You will be required to relocate if you are based overseas and you will receive a generous relocation package to support you.
  • How to apply: To apply please submit a cover letter and a CV through our online system. We aim to provide a response within two weeks after the closing date. 


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