Research Assistant/ Associate - in high-throughput mass spectrometry in drug discovery.

Salary: 

Research Assistant: £32,296 to £33,882 per annum

Research Associate: £34,866 to £45,163 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 30 October 2024

The Role

We are seeking a talented Research Assistant/Associate with a strong background in mass spectrometry and drug discovery to facilitate support for method development in high-throughput mass spectrometry and drug discovery. 

You will be working as member of the Laboratory for Biomedical Mass Spectrometry in the Newcastle University Biosciences Institute under the guidance of Professor Matthias Trost.

Your project will focus on developing MALDI-TOF MS based screening methods and LC-MS based proteomics methods for drug discovery. 

The successful candidate will be part of the Laboratory for Biomedical Mass Spectrometry responsible for:
 

• Developing high-throughput mass spectrometry approaches for drug discovery including evaluation of sample preparation, acquisition, and analysis methods (including statistical analysis and data visualisation). 
• Application of DDA and DIA methods for analysing various complex biological samples via proteomics.
• The calibration and maintenance of various MS systems in the lab (MALDI-TOF MS, Bruker timsTOF HT, Thermo QExactive HF, Fusion Lumos Orbitrap, Exploris 480), as well as associated LC systems.

This post is fixed term with an anticipated start date in January 2025 ending on 5th January 2026.

For informal enquiries contact: Matthias Trost at matthias.trost@newcastle.ac.uk.

Find out more about the Faculty of Medical Sciences here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/

Find out more about our Research Institutes here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/research/institutes/

As part of our commitment to career development for research colleagues, the University has developed 3 levels of research role profiles.  These profiles set out firstly the generic competences and responsibilities expected of role holders at each level and secondly the general qualifications and experiences needed for entry at a particular level.

Please note that if you are successful to this role, you will require medical clearance before you can commence in the role.

Key Accountabilities

• Although working under the general guidance of an academic or Principal Investigator, the postholder will contribute ideas, including enhancements to the technical or methodological aspects of their studies, thus providing substantial 'added value' 
• Develop and carry out the specified project using appropriate techniques and equipment as outlined in the personal requirements 
• Determine appropriate methodologies for research, with advice and support where required
• Contribute to grant applications submitted by others and in time develop own research objectives and proposals for funding 
• Begin to write, with appropriate support, proposals for individual research funding or, where funders do not permit this, contribute to the writing of collective bids
• Assess research findings for the need/scope for further investigations
• Contribute to the writing up of their research for publication and dissemination, either through seminar and conference presentations or through publications
• Present research findings, either at conferences or through publications in reputable outlets appropriate to the discipline
• May be involved in the supervision, with guidance, of final year undergraduate research projects and in providing support to postgraduate research students or Research Assistants 
• Will need to work with the support staff and, on occasions, with undergraduate and postgraduate students, and interact intellectually with other academic members of the Institute
• May contribute to events celebrating the public engagement of science/social sciences/humanities
• Develop an awareness of University structures, policies and procedures and relevant issues in the higher education, research, social and political environment

The Person 

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Ability to work well as part of a team and rapidly acquire new skills
• Hands-on experience with mass spectrometry platforms (MALDI-TOF MS and timsTOF MS)
• Significant experience in using mass spectrometry in the drug discovery space
• Significant experience with software used in the analysis of proteomics data (FragPipe, DIA-NN, etc.) and statistical computing environment (Perseus, R, etc.)
• Likelihood of advanced skills directly related to the research projects 
• High level of analytical and problem-solving capability 
• Ability to communicate complex information with clarity and to encourage the commitment of others 
• Experience of research with clear transferable skills and some experience or awareness of the research environment 
• Presentations at conferences and/or high-quality publications 

Desirable

• Ability to plan and carry out analytical procedures related to preparing complex biological samples for MS analysis
• Familiarity with industrial drug discovery workflow

Attributes and Behaviour

• Advanced skills directly related to the research projects
• High level of analytical and problem-solving capability
• Ability to communicate complex information with clarity and to encourage the commitment of others
• Good time management and ability to prioritise to meet deadlines

Desirable

• Enthusiastic, hardworking and able to take initiative

Qualifications

• A PhD (or close to finishing a PhD) in Proteomics, Mass Spectrometry or similar. Those nearing completion of a PhD will be offered the role as Research Assistant and those with a PhD will be offered the role as Research Associate

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.  As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.  We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.  We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe. 

Requisition ID: 27681