Faculty Positions – Parasites and Microbes

Faculty Positions – Parasites and Microbes

Grade – Faculty – All levels

Full Time, Part Time, Flexible Working – Full Time/Flexible working considered

Contract Type – Various

Closing Date – 30 November 2021

Job Reference – 84419

 

The Wellcome Sanger Institute is seeking exceptional scientists to join its Core Faculty to lead a research team in Parasites and Microbes Programme (PaM) and contribute to the Institute’s scientific portfolio. Positions carry a significant core package of salaries and support backed by rewarding and flexible employment terms including excellent benefits and relocation support. 

Faculty positions in Parasites and Microbes

PaM is built on a strong foundation of world-leading genomics of bacteria, viruses, parasites and their vectors, at the Wellcome Sanger Institute over the past 25 years. During this time we positioned ourselves as a global hub for pathogen and vector genome research and, more recently, as a world leader for metagenomics and culturing of complex microbial communities. 

By working with research labs and public health bodies around the world we undertake prospective longitudinal analyses to better understand the evolutionary biology and transmission dynamics of individual microbial species and whole communities. Conducting studies over a timeframe of decades and at global scales, we assess historical patterns of microbial diseases and analyse how these patterns are likely to change in the future,  driven by the use of drugs, vaccines, insecticides, or by anthropogenic factors including population expansion, migration or climate change. Understanding these patterns will be increasingly vital to ensuring the effectiveness of strategies for tackling infectious disease and promoting health.

Our cutting-edge science is built on a platform of established long term national and international partnerships, developing open data tools and resources relevant to basic science and disease control as well as close links with local and international health organisations. In particular, we are committed to investing in the development of people to share our expertise, especially in low and middle income countries (LMICs). We achieve this through exchange of personnel, long term mentorship as well as structured learning and training programmes developed with our partners in Wellcome Connecting Science.

To find out more about the programme, visit www.sanger.ac.uk/programme/parasites-and-microbes/ 

Global collaboration

Our work has a strong emphasis on low and middle income countries and working with partners around the world to generate large open datasets of longitudinal genomic and metagenomic data on microbes, parasites and vectors of global health importance. 

We have leading roles in establishing global data sharing networks, with a strong emphasis on endemic diseases afflicting the most impoverished, and a long-term commitment to research training and capacity building in these communities. 

 We benefit from close collaborative ties and strategic links with world-class scientists and clinicians through our:

• New Associate Faculty Programme in global pathogen surveillance and linked SEED Fellowship Programme designed to build on the close ties we have between Associate and Core Faculty
• International Faculty scheme enabling us to reinforce our networks and overseas research links
• A vastly experienced cohort of Honorary Faculty 
• Links to leading research institutions, in all settings, as well as international bodies responsible for global public health.

Support available in Parasites and Microbes

We have a programme support team that underpins our scientific strategy, which is structured into the following primary areas:

• Research support – day to day administrative support as well as pre- and post-award management of grants.  
• Sample management and Governance – from partner management to compliance e.g. Nagoya protocol
• Laboratory support and management – at all levels of biological containment.
• Informatics – from analytical support to sample to data processing pipelines.
• Advanced Imaging facility – supporting sample processing and analysis for wide-field, confocal and electron microscopy.

These teams work collaboratively to enable and help deliver the science done within Parasites and Microbes Programme Faculty and our partners overseas, allowing our Faculty to focus on delivering cutting-edge research.

The operations teams also provide a key interface with central Institute functions including the core Sanger pipelines within Scientific Operations and the Management Operations teams. 

Roles available in Parasites and Microbes

Parasites and Microbes is seeking to recruit two exceptional scientists in any of the levels of our Faculty model to build a new research area and team within the programme, and develop the Institute’s scientific portfolio. These Faculty positions carry a significant core package of salaries and support, which are backed by rewarding and flexible employment terms including excellent benefits and relocation support. Our exceptional core funding combined with our core facilities and long term links into international networks enables Faculty to focus their energy delivering impactful science at scale.

Our Levels of Faculty are:

Group Leader 1 (GL1)

GL1 Faculty positions are designed to be a researcher’s first or second group leader role and are the equivalent of a Lecturer at a UK University or Assistant Professor at a US University. They are focused on developing new and complementary areas of research within a Programme, and individuals at this level will have already contributed to research in an independent, original, and significant way with a strong trajectory and developing publication record. They should have an understanding and have contributed to the development and delivery of a coherent Programme strategy, and will have built up networks of research contacts and be confident in giving findings at conferences. Forward planning the work of their own group including how they will mentor and motivate their line reports must also be present. These positions are six year posts.

Group Leader 2 (GL2)

During the course of their tenure, these Faculty roles become equivalent of an Associate Professor and are intended to provide opportunities to develop an internationally competitive research portfolio and will have a track record of scientific publication, evidence of external recognition and other outputs leading to scientific impact and advancement of their discipline nationally and/or internationally. They will be able to reflect on and influence the Programme strategy; contributing to its development and delivery, coherence and agility. They will be able to show effective management of a research team, including planning at a larger scale and higher level of complexity. This will include leadership of a team including the development, proactive mentoring and motivation of colleagues and line reports. These positions are for eight years with a promotional review during the sixth year.

Group Leader 3 (GL3) 

GL3 Faculty positions are the equivalent of a Professor at a UK university or a Full Professor  at a US University. These positions provide significant internal and external leadership, scientifically and institutionally and are designed to lead and develop Sanger’s long term research strategy and play a central role in the development of the Institute’s five year research plans. Our GL3 Faculty have an outstanding international research profile and reputation and are leaders of a major research field or group. They provide strategic research leadership, making a significant contribution to the delivery, coherence and continuous development of the Programme to become a world-class research unit. They are thought-leaders used to contributing to peer review bodies/committees, professional organisations, learned societies, Government committees etc and will be experienced in leading a team including mentoring and motivation of colleagues and line reports with evidence of impact. These positions have a rolling tenure but have a review every six years.
 

For further information about our Faculty Model, please visit https://www.sanger.ac.uk/about/careers/faculty-recruitment 

Opportunity and selection criteria

The Parasites and Microbes Programme is seeking Faculty with research interests in the two following strategic areas.

Firstly, in using population genomics to characterise malaria biology and improve malaria control. A major area of interest is producing data on the spatiotemporal patterns of genome variation in parasite and/or mosquito populations, and analysing this with innovative statistical and computational methods to address fundamental questions concerning parasite transmission dynamics, mosquito population dynamics and the evolutionary dynamics of drug and insecticide resistance. 

Secondly in the area of respiratory metagenomics, with a focus on how interactions between viruses, bacteria, fungi and human hosts can combine to cause disease, and in defining the ecological concepts shaping microbiome assembly, stability and variability.  Here we are also interested in data-driven discovery using advanced statistical and computational methods, as well as the incorporation of clinical and patient metadata to identify beneficial and detrimental lifestyles and clinical factors impacting disease susceptibility.

Candidates will be considered across the three different Faculty levels and in assessing the best qualified applicants, we will focus on strategic fit, scientific achievement, experience, leadership and personal suitability in line with our core behavioural competencies; collaboration, communication, leadership, integrity, results-driven, and innovation. 

As a programme, we seek to increase diversity in our Faculty to create a more inclusive environment underpinned by our core values of teamwork and cooperation, and ultimately aimed at enriching our science.

About the Institute

The Wellcome Sanger Institute is a world-leading genomics research centre, based on the Wellcome Genome Campus, arguably the largest single-site community worldwide of expertise in Genomes and BioData.

We undertake large-scale research that forms the foundations of knowledge in biology and medicine. We are open and collaborative; our data, results, tools and technologies are shared across the globe to advance science.

Our ambition is vast – we take on projects that are not possible anywhere else.

The high-throughput, large-scale biological research undertaken at the Institute is a central defining characteristic distinguishing our science from that of most research institutes and universities.

It’s an exciting time to join the Sanger Institute as we recruit exceptional scientists in all five of our research programmes: Cancer, Ageing and Somatic Mutation, Cellular Genetics, Human Genetics, Parasites and Microbes, and Tree of Life, spanning all levels of our Faculty model. You’ll join a unique, vibrant and interactive research environment with an internationally outstanding genomic research centre at the heart, as a Core Faculty member to lead a research team in one of the five programmes, and contribute to the Institute’s scientific portfolio

For further information about joining the Institute as a member of our faculty, visit https://www.sanger.ac.uk/about/careers/faculty-recruitment  

Other information

Application Process

Applications should be accompanied by:

• Curriculum vitae, complete list of publications and details of three referees
• A two-page cover letter summarising:

–  your scientific and leadership achievements to date, 

– your contribution to the wider research community and society, you may wish to include diversity and inclusion initiatives and public engagement events.

– which Faculty level you wish to be considered for and why; and

• A three-page outline of future research plans indicating how these fit with the research areas, the chosen Programme, and the wider Institute. Please include a short abstract at the start of this document (no more than 250 words) summarising your plans. 

We understand that the global impact of COVID-19 and the lockdown period may have negatively impacted your research, as you may have had to adjust your working pattern, had reduced access to research facilities, and/or taken on additional responsibilities, such as childcare or caring for others. As part of our recruitment process we would like to better understand your experiences and how COVID-19 has impacted on your research progress and any research outputs, so that we can take this into consideration when we review your application. Please use the application form to tell us more.

Interviews will be held in January/February 2022

For an informal conversation about the positions, before submitting an application,
please contact Dr Nicholas Thomson. Further information regarding the Institutes science, Faculty and building a career at the Institute can be found at Our Science, Faculty teams and Faculty careers. 

If you have any questions about the application process or have any informal enquiries about working at and moving to the Sanger Institute, please contact Sam Bowker, Head of Recruitment and Immigration.

The Sanger Institute is an Equal Opportunity employer. We aim to attract, recruit, retain and develop talent from the widest possible talent pool, thereby gaining insight and access to different markets to generate a greater impact on the world. Our global reputation for excellence is strengthened by our commitment to developing and maintaining an organisation where staff from all backgrounds can thrive.

Our global reputation for excellence is strengthened by our commitment to developing and maintaining a positive, fair and healthy working environment – our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Programme is about valuing our people and supporting them to be their best. Our leaders play a key role in nurturing a positive and inclusive culture where everyone can thrive and diversity is celebrated.

We provide a range of progressive policies which support everyone to achieve a positive work life balance. Our innovative and flexible approach within our scientific leadership model for Faculty who have taken parental leave, includes extending tenure by up to an additional 18 months to support the transition back to research; access to a flexible returners’ grant scheme when returning from parental leave and access to a carers’ grant that offers financial support. In considering candidates for a Faculty position, if an absence or career break may have impacted on scientific outputs, this will be taken into consideration.

We strive to be an inclusive and dynamic research environment, and encourage applications from those wishing to work flexibly to meet personal responsibilities. We are committed to providing equal opportunities for everyone, regardless of their background. Acknowledging that people from certain backgrounds are under-represented at this level, we are especially interested in receiving applications from women and people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds.