Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology

DNA Sequencing Specialists

The Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST; see www.oist.jp) is a dynamic new graduate university of science and technology in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The university is located on 85 hectares of protected forestland overlooking beautiful shoreline and coral reefs. The campus is striking architecturally, and the facilities are outstanding (OIST campus video tour). There are no academic departments, which facilitates multidisciplinary research. Outstanding resources and equipment are provided and managed to encourage easy access and collaboration. English is the official language of the University, and the university research community is fully international, with more than 50 countries represented. OIST is rapidly gaining recognition in the worldwide academic community as a model for excellence in education and research.

Working Location:

1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son, Okinawa, Japan 904-0495

Report To: DNA Sequencing Section Leader

Division Function/Position summary:

The Research Support Division (RSD) contributes to research and education by providing excellent common research facilities and research support services for the researchers and students at OIST. Technical sections of RSD shall provide maintenance of common equipment/facilities, operation training, fair access, consultation on experimental design and choice of methods/instruments, and technical support on data acquisition and analysis. Administrative sections of RSD shall provide support on grant applications, collaborations, health and safety and other support to research activities.

As one of the technical sections of RSD, DNA Sequencing Section provides support to researchers in promoting advances in biological science by providing genomic analyses services. Services offered include next-generation sequencing (NGS) support in a wide range of NGS applications, such as de novo genome sequencing, re-sequencing, RNA sequencing, and ChIP sequencing, etc. Currently, the section has seven NGS sequencers: Illumina NovaSeq6000, Illumina Hiseq4000, Illumina HiSeq2500, Illumina MiSeq, PacBio RSII, Oxford Nanopore MinION and Oxford Nanopore PromethION. In addition, the section owns capillary sequencers, realtime PCR, microarray and etc. for common use.

*We are looking to hire two DNA Sequencing Specialists. Responsibilities and qualifications differ based on the job class.

Responsibilities:

1. Support OIST researchers in their DNA sequencing to include:
2. Provide consultation to researchers on experimental protocols and sequencing strategies based on their research purposes.
3. Accept and prepare DNA, RNA and various tissue samples for sequencing library
4. Operate the latest DNA sequencers and submit collected data to researchers
5. Collect and share the latest IT and biological trends to section members to improve the Section’s service quality.
6. Carry out routine cleaning and maintenance of sequencers and tools within the sequencing facility.
7. Other duties as assigned by the DNA Sequencing Section Leader.
8. Standardization of the existing experimental protocols for the team.
9. Networking with external specialists for improvement and enhancement of the Section’s operations.
10. Spearhead a selection of new equipment and reagents.
11. [RS3]* Improve existing work processes by proposing, developing and implementing new operating workflows.

Qualifications:

1. An undergraduate degree or higher in a scientific or technical field and experience with scientific research.
2. A minimum of 3 [RS2]* or 5 [RS3]* years of experience in using the latest sequencing technologies either as a researcher or research support staff.
3. Ability to think logically and work systematically and accurately.
4. Ability to effectively communicate and provide customer-oriented service to researchers in both written and spoken English (TOEIC 850 or higher).
5. Good team player with fairness, sincerity, and honesty.
6. Ability to mentor and coach less experienced members.
7. Ability to judge priorities and run multiple tasks and projects in parallel under minimum supervision by the section leader.
8. [RS3]* Strong problem-finding and solving skills in core facility operations and research support.

Starting Date:

As early as possible

Term & Working hours:

Term: Full-time, fixed term appointment for 2 years. Contract initially with 3-month probationary period (inclusive). This contract may be renewed. 

Working hours: 9:00-17:30 (Discretionary)

Compensation & Benefits:

Compensation in accordance with the OIST Employee Compensation Regulations

Annual salary:

[RS2] 4.5 million ~ 8.4 million yen (Job class: Research Support Specialist I)

[RS3] 5.8 million ~ 10.8 million yen (Job class: Research Support Specialist II)

Benefits:

• Relocation, housing and commuting allowances
• Annual paid leave and summer holidays
• Health insurance (Private School Mutual Aid http://www.shigakukyosai.jp/ )
• Welfare pension insurance (kousei-nenkin)
• Worker’s accident compensation insurance (roudousha-saigai-hoshou-hoken)

How to Apply:

How to Apply:

Apply by uploading your submission documents through the following link*.

https://asp.gigacc.com/user/~sa/rp1ktrp0gi1emmmi503md6h1mg

*This is a secure file uploading system for handling confidential materials.

Submission documents:

• Letter of intent in both English (and Japanese if available)
• Curriculum vitae in both English (and Japanese if available)
• Names and contact information of 3 referees, one of which should be a previous employer

or send by post to the following address:

HR Recruiting Support Section

Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University

1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan

If you have any questions, please contact us at recruiting@oist.jp.

Application Due Date:

March 15, 2019 (Applications will be screened upon arrival)

*　OIST Graduate University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action educator and employer and is committed to increasing the diversity of its faculty, students and staff. The University strongly encourages women and minority candidates to apply.

*　Information provided by applicants or references will be kept confidential, documents will not be returned. All applicants will be notified regarding the status of their applications.

*　 Please view our policy for rules on external professional activities

(https://groups.oist.jp/acd/information-disclosure/).

*　Further details about the University can be viewed on our website (www.oist.jp).