Confocal Microscope Quality Control Specialist

Reports to Head of Crick Advanced Light Microscopy

This is a full-time permanent position on Crick Terms and Conditions of Employment.

Summary

This role is an excellent opportunity for someone with good technical skills to support exiting research at the Francis Crick Institute. We maintain over 20 fluorescence microscopes within the core facility and around the building. To keep these instruments in top working order we have created a position to perform regular quality control testing. The successful candidate will work with local “super-users” to understand performance issues, coordinate service engineer visits for repairs when required, and follow-up to ensure that repairs have been successful.

Quality control is an important aspect of the service provided by any research facility. This helps to ensure the reproducibility of results and avoid wasting precious resources, including staff time and lab consumables. The Confocal QC Engineer will regularly inspect each confocal microscope under our care. They will perform a standard series of tests on these instruments to assess system performance using criteria including instrument sensitivity, resolution, and precision of movement. Inspections will also entail cleaning each instrument and updating software and service packs as required. If significant performance issues are detected, or if local users report problems, the Confocal QC Engineer will liaise with service engineers from the relevant microscope company to arrange for repairs. Following service engineer visits, the Confocal QC Engineer will test equipment to ensure that repairs have been completed to an acceptable standard and record the system performance to use as a reference for future tests. Finally, the Confocal QC Engineer will serve as a first point of contact, linking local “super-users” of each instrument to the support team of the light microscopy core facility.

Key responsibilities

These include but are not limited to:

• Acquire and analyse images of test samples, designed to capture key features of instrument performance
• Maintain a record of system performance for each confocal microscope under our care
• Coordinate with local users to understand instrument performance issues
• Coordinate with service engineers to arrange equipment repairs and follow up to ensure these are done correctly
• Evaluate new methods for routine microscope maintenance
• Inspect and clean microscope components, including objectives, eyepieces, and peripherals
• Replenish lab consumables, including lens tissues and immersion oil.
• Install and update software.

Key experience and competencies

The post holder should embody and demonstrate our core Crick values: Bold, Imaginative, Open, Dynamic and Collegial, as well as the following:

Essential

• A degree in physics, engineering, or a related subject
• Some experience working with technical instruments
• Familiarity with basic statistics
• Ability to work effectively within a team and to work independently
• Project management skills, including the ability to prioritise work
• Effective written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to think creatively and problem-solve

Desirable - experience in any of these areas would be advantageous

• Training and/or teaching experience
• Familiarity with a programming language such as Java, C, or Python

Please note: all offers of employment are subject to successful security screening and continuous eligibility to work in the United Kingdom.