Electron Microscopy Technician Chief, Cell Biology

WHY UT SOUTHWESTERN?
With over 75 years of excellence in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, UT Southwestern is committed to excellence, innovation, teamwork, and compassion. As a world-renowned medical and research center, we strive to provide the best possible care, resources, and benefits for our valued employees. Ranked as the number 1 hospital in Dallas-Fort Worth according to U.S. News & World Report, we invest in you with opportunities for career growth and development to align with your future goals. Our highly competitive benefits package offers healthcare, PTO and paid holidays, on-site childcare, wage, merit increases and so much more. We invite you to be a part of the UT Southwestern team where you'll discover a culture of teamwork, professionalism, and a rewarding career! 

JOB SUMMARY
Works independently with full technical authority to direct electron microscopy core-facility operations. Serves as the institutional subject-matter expert for electron-microscopy methods, instrumentation, and workflows. Establishes facility-wide technical standards, oversees advanced research and clinical EM services, and ensures alignment with institutional research priorities. Serves as the core facility authority for electron microscopy services. Operates fully independently to manage instrument suites, develop facility-wide protocols, and drive innovation in sample preparation and imaging. Provides strategic technical consultation to internal and external stakeholders, ensuring the core meets both research and clinical objectives. 

The Electron Microscopy Core Facility at UT Southwestern Medical Center is seeking a Chief Electron Microscopy Technician to support and oversee advanced electron microscopy operations within a dynamic, research-focused core facility.

The EMCF provides high-quality electron microscopy services to investigators across UT Southwestern, including transmission electron microscopy of cells and tissues, whole-mount scanning electron microscopy, negative staining, correlative light and electron microscopy, immunogold labeling, high-pressure freezing, freeze substitution, array tomography, and volume EM imaging. The facility supports a broad range of biological and biomedical research projects using advanced EM platforms and sample-preparation workflows.

The Chief Electron Microscopy Technician will play a key role in the daily operation, technical development, and user support activities of the Electron Microscopy Core Facility. The successful candidate will work with researchers to prepare samples, acquire high-quality EM data, troubleshoot technical issues, maintain instrumentation, and train users in EM-related workflows.
This position is ideal for an experienced electron microscopy professional with strong technical skills, excellent organizational ability, and a commitment to supporting innovative biomedical research.

The Electron Microscopy Core Facility at UT Southwestern Medical Center is entering an exciting stage of growth and innovation. As a central research resource, EMCF partners with investigators across the institution to provide expert electron microscopy support, from project planning and sample preparation to high-resolution imaging, training, and data acquisition.

Our Core supports a wide range of biological EM applications, including TEM of cells and tissues, SEM of whole-mount samples, negative staining of macromolecules and microorganisms, correlative light and electron microscopy, immunogold labeling, high-pressure freezing, freeze substitution, array tomography, and volume EM.
We are actively expanding our instrumentation and technical capabilities. The recent addition of the Thermo Scientific Hydra Bio Plasma FIB-SEM brings powerful new opportunities for volume EM, plasma FIB milling, correlative imaging, and advanced biological sample analysis. A new JEOL 120 kV JEM-120i TEM is also coming soon, further strengthening our TEM capacity and supporting the continued growth of the Core.

Joining EMCF means becoming part of a collaborative, research-driven environment where technical excellence directly supports scientific discovery. The selected candidate will have the opportunity to work with advanced electron microscopy platforms, contribute to the development of new workflows, support investigators across diverse research areas, and play an important role in the continued growth of one of UT Southwestern’s key research core facilities. For more information about the Electron Microscopy Core Facility, visit the EMCF website.

Key Responsibilities
· Perform and oversee electron microscopy sample preparation for TEM, SEM, negative staining, immunolabeling, CLEM, and volume EM projects.
· Operate and support advanced EM instrumentation, including TEM, SEM, FIB-SEM, high-pressure freezing, freeze substitution, ultramicrotomy, coating, and critical-point drying systems.
· Support imaging workflows using instruments such as FEI Tecnai G2 Spirit BioTwin, JEOL 1400 Plus, Zeiss Sigma VP, and Thermo Scientific Hydra Bio Plasma FIB-SEM.
· Train and assist researchers in TEM operation, SEM operation, sample processing, and negative staining workflows.
· Coordinate project workflow, sample intake, scheduling, and communication with facility users.
· Troubleshoot sample-preparation and imaging problems and recommend appropriate EM approaches for research questions.
· Help maintain facility protocols, quality standards, equipment readiness, and safe laboratory practices.
· Contribute to the continued growth of advanced EM capabilities, including volume EM, CLEM, high-pressure freezing, and immunogold labeling.

Preferred Qualifications
· Strong hands-on experience with biological electron microscopy.
· Experience with TEM and/or SEM sample preparation and imaging.
· Knowledge of ultramicrotomy, resin embedding, negative staining, immunogold labeling, high-pressure freezing, freeze substitution, or volume EM.
· Ability to work collaboratively with researchers from diverse scientific backgrounds.
· Strong communication, documentation, organization, and troubleshooting skills.
· Prior experience in a core facility, academic research environment, or biomedical imaging facility is highly desirable.

BENEFITS
UT Southwestern is proud to offer a competitive and comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees. Our benefits are designed to support your overall wellbeing, and include:

• PPO medical plan, available day one at no cost for full-time employee-only coverage
• 100% coverage for preventive healthcare-no copay
• Paid Time Off, available day one
• Retirement Programs through the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS)
• Paid Parental Leave Benefit
• Wellness programs
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Qualified Employer
• Learn more about these and other UTSW employee benefits!

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION

Required

• Education
  Master's Degree in a relevant scientific, engineering, or biomedical field or 
  Bachelor's Degree in a relevant scientific, engineering, or biomedical field 
   

• Experience
  3 years of progressively responsible electron microscopy experience, demonstrating increasing leadership over EM operations, instrumentation, and service delivery with a Master's Degree or 
  5 years of progressively responsible electron microscopy experience, demonstrating increasing leadership over EM operations, instrumentation, and service delivery with a Bachelor's Degree 
   

JOB DUTIES

• Directs day-to-day operations of the electron microscopy laboratory, ensuring reliable, efficient, and high-quality delivery of EM services in alignment with the Director's scientific vision and priorities.
• Provides advanced technical and operational leadership for electron microscopy workflows, instrumentation, and service offerings; oversees EM personnel to ensure consistent execution of approved methods and standards.
• Applies deep expertise in TEM/SEM systems and advanced EM modalities, to guide operational decisions, assess technical feasibility, and support implementation of new methods and protocols developed under the Director's direction.
• Coordinates laboratory duties, schedules, project activities, instrument usage, operating time, billing, and space utilization to support multiple concurrent research and/or clinical projects.
• Oversees readiness and availability of EM instrumentation and technical resources, including coordination of service, maintenance, calibration schedules, and downtime planning to minimize disruption to users.
• Supervises laboratory and administrative personnel, and support staff; manages staffing levels, assignments, onboarding, and professional development in accordance with institutional guidelines.
• Operationalizes new electron microscopy methods and protocols by coordinating staffing, training logistics, documentation/SOP finalization, safety review, and compliance requirements in collaboration with scientific leadership.
• Orders and allocates laboratory supplies, materials, and equipment; manages inventory, vendor relationships, service contracts, warranties, licenses, and permits to ensure continuity of operations.
• Ensures compliance with safety, regulatory, and institutional requirements; oversees training programs, documentation systems, audits, and corrective actions related to EM laboratory operations.
• Monitors and reports laboratory performance metrics, including utilization, turnaround time, staffing efficiency, and operational costs; supports budgeting, forecasting, and resource planning.
• Identifies operational risks and technical bottlenecks; escalates scientific decisions to the Director while independently resolving administrative, staffing, and operational issues.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

SECURITY AND EEO STATEMENT

Security
This position is security-sensitive and subject to Texas Education Code 51.215, which authorizes UT Southwestern to obtain criminal history record information.

EEO
UT Southwestern Medical Center is committed to an educational and working environment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the University community. As an equal opportunity employer, UT Southwestern prohibits unlawful discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or veteran status.