Microscopy Platform Head

The Position

In Roche’s Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development organization (pRED ), we make transformative medicines for patients in order to tackle some of the world’s toughest unmet healthcare needs. At pRED, we are united by our mission to transform science into medicines. Together, we create a culture defined by curiosity, responsibility and humility, where our talented people are empowered and inspired to bring forward extraordinary life-changing innovation at speed.

360 Labs Initiative at a Glance

The 360 Labs are a new capability that is currently being built up within the Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development organization (pRED ). The primary mission of this effort is to provide greater access and support for the use of cutting-edge biomedical research technologies by scientists across our discovery portfolio.

Operating as an integrated ecosystem, the 360 Lab environment will deliver core scientific technologies, expertise and enabling activities, as well as facilitate knowledge sharing and learning experiences in close collaboration with our therapeutic areas and functions. Together, these efforts will serve to increase the speed, enhance the robustness and improve the sustainability of our exploratory research and early discovery activities.

We are currently recruiting scientific professionals with varied backgrounds in Flow Cytometry, Genomics, Proteomics, Histopathology and Microscopy / Imaging. In these new roles, your collaborative mindset is as valued as your scientific expertise. The 360 Labs are by nature a hands-on, interactive workplace where face to face presence in our labs is a priority. Our ambition is to bring to life a thriving workplace environment, acting as an highly integrated ecosystem, supporting research and development, working collaboratively, and focused on fostering excellence and sustainability.

Job Mission and Impact

We are offering an outstanding opportunity for a highly motivated, engaged and dynamic leader to shape the strategy of a new Microscopy Core Technology Platform. You will have a proven track record of engaging with senior leaders and key stakeholders and have a strong background in biology with extensive experience in the application of advanced optical microscopy technologies and image analysis approaches in biomedical research. You will drive the early implementation and growth of the Microscopy Core Technology Platform and its support of discovery science within the pRED organization.

Your Role and Responsibilities

• Act as a strategic visionary, providing key guidance and oversight in the deployment and application of advanced optical microscopy technologies across pRED.

• Serve as a key member of the 360 Labs leadership team, working closely with the Global Head, to develop a bold vision and strategy to operationalize a cutting-edge microscopy core technology platform by close interaction with senior leaders and key stakeholders across pRED.

• Evolve and lead a matrix team with purpose, collaborating closely with our therapeutic areas and functions to prioritize and implement innovative scientific strategies to explore disease-relevant hypotheses leveraging quantitative optical microscopy techniques.

• Drive the continued evolution of the Microscopy Platform by innovating new approaches, leveraging automation to streamline workflows, staying up to date with the scientific literature, actively engaging with internal and external optical microscopy communities, and continuously evaluating new technologies in the microscopy field.

Your Profile

Required

• Proven track record of engagement with senior leaders and key stakeholders and leading cross-functional teams.

• A PhD degree in biology, chemistry, biomedical engineering or a related field with 10 years professional experience in an academic setting and / or pharmaceutical industry / biotech sector, with proven effective leadership of a microscopy-focused group.

• In depth theoretical and hands-on knowledge of optical microscopy techniques and image analysis approaches, along with their application to drug discovery research.

• Established track record of scientific accomplishments and successful collaborations documented via publications in high-impact scientific journals and presentations at international conferences.

• Expert knowledge in state of the art quantitative optical microscopy approaches, such as widefield, confocal (both fixed and live-cell), high-content imaging, two-photon, lightsheet, super-resolution (both localisation and point-spread function engineering), as well as a strong awareness of next-generation technologies in spatial biology.

• An experienced experimentalist with strong skills in sample preparation techniques such as highly multiplexed labeling, cell painting and optical clearing of tissues.

• Advanced proficiency in the use and application of commercial (eg Imaris, Amira, Visiopharm, Halo) and open-source (eg ImageJ/FIJI, napari) image analysis tools. Strong coding experience in Python is highly desired.

In addition to your scientific expertise and critical technical skills we are looking for candidates who:

• are a strategic leader that can architect a compelling vision; serve as a coach to develop and mentor junior and senior team members; and act as a catalyst by leading by example;

• are curious, have a growth mindset, are resourceful and flexible in problem solving, have excellent organizational skills, can think outside the box, and have a demonstrated ability to implement new ideas in a fast-paced research environment;

• bring excellent written communication and presentations skills with a high fluency in English;

• have a keen interest in continuously building a personal network and who will thrive in a dynamic, inclusive environment which gives you full accountability for your own contributions and development;

• have an excellent understanding of the operations processes involved in early drug discovery & development.

Your Location

This position is based in Basel.

Our commitment

Roche commits to recognizing talent and aptitude. We prioritize encouraging and supporting our employees on their personal journeys by providing a safe, creative space to help them reflect, make decisions and grow in their career.

We are confident that we find the most innovative solutions by gaining different perspectives, asking and answering hard questions, and challenging the status quo. Roche embraces diversity and equal opportunity in a serious yet enthusiastic way; we are devoted to building a team that represents a range of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.

Who we are

At Roche, more than 100,000 people across 100 countries are pushing back the frontiers of healthcare. Working together, we’ve become one of the world’s leading research-focused healthcare groups. Our success is built on innovation, curiosity and diversity.

Basel is the headquarters of the Roche Group and one of its most important centres of pharmaceutical research. Over 10,700 employees from over 100 countries come together at our Basel/Kaiseraugst site, which is one of Roche`s largest sites. Read more.

Besides extensive development and training opportunities, we offer flexible working options, 18 weeks of maternity leave and 10 weeks of gender independent partnership leave. Our employees also benefit from multiple services on site such as child-care facilities, medical services, restaurants and cafeterias, as well as various employee events.

We believe in the power of diversity and inclusion, and strive to identify and create opportunities that enable all people to bring their unique selves to Roche.

Roche is an Equal Opportunity Employer.