EMBL Laboratory Officer Position in Heidelberg | Apply Now
A rare chance has emerged for motivated molecular biologists to join the Dorrity group at EMBL Heidelberg as an EMBL Laboratory Officer. This role focuses on cutting-edge single-cell genomic techniques and offers a collaborative environment for those eager to advance their careers in molecular biology.
- Position: Laboratory Officer
- Location: Heidelberg, Germany
- Job Requisition ID: JR4462
- Contract Duration: 3 years
About EMBL
The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) is a renowned intergovernmental organization dedicated to molecular biology research. With its headquarters in Heidelberg, Germany, EMBL operates multiple sites across Europe and is committed to advancing scientific knowledge through innovative research and collaboration. The organization fosters a diverse and inclusive environment, encouraging applications from individuals of various backgrounds to enhance its scientific community.
EMBL Laboratory Officer Job Description
The Dorrity group at EMBL Heidelberg is seeking a motivated and skilled molecular biologist to join as an EMBL Laboratory Officer. The position primarily focuses on wet lab work, including maintaining and engineering mammalian cell culture systems and developing novel low-input sequencing protocols adapted from state-of-the-art single-cell genomics approaches. An interest in learning basic programming or bioinformatics is a plus, but not required.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility Criteria for EMBL Laboratory Officer include:
- Advanced degree from an accredited university or technical school, or multiple years of experience in molecular biology or a related discipline.
- Hands-on experience with mammalian cell culture, including maintenance of cell lines and standard tissue culture techniques.
- Experience in standard genomics techniques (RNA-seq, library preparation) and familiarity with next-generation sequencing workflows.
- Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot experimental protocols independently and systematically.
- Independent work ethic and genuine curiosity to learn new methods and push them beyond their original design.
- Ability to manage contributions across multiple collaborative experiments simultaneously.
- Ability to speak and write fluently in English, which is the working language at EMBL.
Required Skills
- Experience with stable cell line generation, including selection and validation of genomic integrations.
- Familiarity with single-cell genomic lab techniques.
- Interest or experience in bioinformatics or basic programming skills (Unix shell, R, or Python).
- Experience with CRISPR-based genomic engineering in mammalian cells.
EMBL Laboratory Officer – Key Responsibilities
- Establishment, maintenance, and engineering of mammalian cell culture systems, including generation of stable cell lines using plasmid transfection and genomic integration approaches.
- Troubleshooting and adapting single-cell RNA sequencing protocols for low-input samples, including systematic optimisation of lysis, reverse transcription, and library preparation conditions.
- Preparation and quality control of next-generation sequencing libraries.
- Performing single-cell combinatorial indexing experiments (e.g. sci-RNA-seq). No prior experience required.
- Cloning and engineering constructs in microbial systems (E. coli) for downstream mammalian applications.
- Design and execution of mammalian cell perturbation experiments in collaboration with other group members.
- Using CRISPR/Cas systems for genomic engineering of mammalian cell lines.
Salary: Grade 5, monthly salary starting from EUR 4.147,92 (after tax, and before 12.99% EMBL social security deductions) plus other paid benefits.
Why Join EMBL
EMBL is curiosity-driven, community-oriented, and international. As an inclusive, equal opportunity employer, it believes that diversity enables more effective collaboration and innovation. EMBL is committed to creating an inclusive culture where everyone can realize their full potential and make a positive contribution to the organization.
The EMBL Laboratory Officer position at EMBL Heidelberg presents an exciting opportunity for qualified candidates to engage in innovative research in molecular biology. Interested individuals are encouraged to apply before the closing date.
Application Deadline: 30 September 2026
