Head of BSL-3 laboratory/Vedoucí laboratoře BSL 3

Job offer

Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague and the National Infrastructure of Chemical Biology (CZ-OPENSCREEN) invite applications for the position of Head of a newly established Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) laboratory. We are seeking a highly qualified and responsible scientist with demonstrated expertise in the operation and management of high-containment laboratories.

The BSL-3 laboratory is an integral component of the infrastructure and is dedicated to the safe handling, propagation, and characterization of Risk Group 3 biological agents for the preparation of substrates used in high-throughput and high-content screening assays to identify novel therapeutic candidates against bacterial and viral pathogens.

The successful candidate will be responsible for establishing, validating, and operating the BSL-3 facility in full compliance with national biosafety and biosecurity regulations. This includes developing and implementing standard operating procedures, conducting risk assessments, documenting activities, overseeing occupational health and safety measures, and coordinating with institutional biosafety officers and regulatory authorities.

Required skills/qualifications:

- Experience with BSL-3 laboratory environments is required
- PhD in microbiology/virology or related biomedical areas
- Proficiency in conducting pharmacology and toxicology studies
- Capacity to conduct research independently, develop new methods, and adapt new techniques
- Ability and willingness to guide the group of scientists/technicians working
in the BSL-3 laboratory
- Teamwork skills, ability to collaborate with other units in the infrastructure, and effective time management
- Ability to present and publish results of scientific work
- Independence, creativity, flexibility, abstract, and critical thinking
- Good verbal and written communication skills in English

Responsibilities:

- Organize and lead the operation of the BSL-3 laboratory
- Conduct and oversee research activities on bacterial threats under BSL-3 containment conditions
- Analyze data, prepare reports, and present research findings
- Maintain and oversee lab equipment and safety protocols
- Overseeing laboratory work and ensuring compliance with safety regulations

Salary and additional information: We offer competitive salaries depending on the candidate’s experience. The contract is initially for 1 year with the possibility of extension up to 5 years.

Unique opportunity to work at state-of-the-art infrastructure in the multidisciplinary team of biochemists, biologists, medicinal chemists, and cheminformaticians.