Laboratory

Laboratory for Infectious Diseases Research (tentative)
RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences

Research Field

The laboratory for Infectious Diseases Research aims to elucidate the pathogenesis of infectious diseases caused by highly pathogenic microorganisms and develop therapeutic agents and vaccines. The successful candidate will be expected to identify biomarkers that contribute to the prevention of serious diseases and target molecules that lead to the development of therapeutic agents and vaccines by carrying out research on the pathogenicity of pathogens and host immune responses. The team should contribute to the development of next-generation infectious disease research by conducting basic research to prepare for pandemics such as COVID-19.

Job Title and Job Description

Available Positions

One opening for Team Leader position (Principal Investigator position)

Job Description

• Team Leader will oversee and smoothly manage the research team.
• Team Leader provides accurate instructions, guidance, and advice to researchers and technical staff, etc. and promote research by the research team at a high level.
• Team Leader has responsibility to operate the BSL3 facilities in IMS.
• Team Leader will earn external research funding.
• Team Leader will promote research that leads to the establishment of next-generation infectious disease research.

Qualifications

• Applicants must have earned a Ph.D. or equivalent degree and have substantial postdoctoral training with a record of excellent research accomplishments suitable to conduct the projects explained above.
• Applicants must have research achievements in the relevant field.
• Applicants must be those who operate a research team consisting of researchers, etc., and have the ability to lead and promote research.
• Applicants are expected to be experts in microbiology, immunology and/or infectious disease biology.
• Applicants must be familiar with the handling of pathogenic microorganisms and have considerable experience with experimental studies in a BSL3 facility.

*The successful applicant will be requested to work full-time in RIKEN.

Work Location

RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences
1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa 230-0045 Japan

RIKEN has implemented a work-from-home system. Employees can work from home in accordance with the prescribed procedures.

Salary and Benefits

Terms of contract

• 1.A fixed-term employee with a single-year contract and can re-contract up to the end of the fiscal year, which marks 7 years from the date of employment by evaluation.
• 2.RIKEN may adjust the above maximum period of renewability based on a) the employee’s abilities, workload at the time of contract completion, performance and work attitude and b) the continuation of the employee’s center, laboratory, or project and RIKEN’s management situation and budget at the time. In principle, employment contracts will not be renewed for individuals older than 65 years.
• 3.In principle, the Center's operation period will end as of March 31, 2025. If the project is discontinued after March 31, 2025, the period of your contract may be subject to change at the time of its renewal.

RIKEN has indefinite-term Team Leader positions, which are subject to the mandatory retirement age of 60. There is a subsequent re-employment program allowing hiring until age of 65. Any scientists, including fixed-term Team Leaders of RIKEN, are eligible to apply to open calls for indefinite-term positions.

[Salary]・[Holidays]・[Other provisions]

There will be a trial period of employment (in principle, 2 months).
Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. Commuting and housing allowances will be provided. Social security insurance will be applied. Mandatory membership in the RIKEN Mutual Benefit Society (RIKEN Kyosaikai) is required.
Work hours: 9:00 to 17:20 (lunch break 12:00 to 12:50). However, the employee may change starting and ending times at their own discretion if it does not interfere with work performance.

The approximate amount of annual salary at the time of employment:
The annual salary at hire will be more than 8.4 million yen/year.

Days off include public holidays, New Year's holidays (Dec. 29 - Jan 3), and RIKEN Foundation Day.
Paid leave includes annual paid leave (up to 20 days per year depending on the month of employment), special paid leave (childcare, family nursing care, etc.), and work-life balance holidays (up to 7 days per year depending on the month of employment).
There are also additional leave systems such as maternity leave, childcare leave, and family nursing care leave.

Smoking is prohibited on the premises except in smoking areas. Smoking will be entirely prohibited on site from April 2024.
These and other provisions are in accordance with RIKEN regulations.

The Yokohama Campus has an on-site daycare, RIKEN Kids Yokohama. For details, please send an email to the HR at kids-yk-hr [at] ml.riken.jp.

RIKEN is actively undertaking initiatives to promote gender equality and diversity, and moving forward with the establishment of a diverse and vibrant research environment. If multiple candidates are found to have the same aptitude following a fair assessment, active efforts will be made to recruit female candidates.

Also, the employee is eligible for an exemption from repayment for category 1 scholarship loans provided by the Japan Student Services Organization before fiscal year 2003 and is eligible to apply for MEXT Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (Kakenhi).

Documents to Submit

Prepare the documents below as PDF files and follow the instructions [How to Apply] to submit them:

• 1.CV or CV with photograph and email address.
  • *In the top right-hand corner of the CV, please indicate open-call IMS701-2301
  • * Using the RIKEN format above is appreciated.
• 2.List of publications (primary publications, reviews, and books), patent list, etc. in the past ten years.
• 3.Major publications. [Up to five. Indicate the papers that will be submitted on the list of publications (#2).]
• 4.Future research plans and research philosophy/vision (Up to five A4-size pages) including;
  • Abstract of your research plans and vision.
  • Specific description of your near-term (5-year) research plans - their significance, originality, novelty, and expected impact. Include a brief description of previous research and achievements that form the basis of your plans.
  • List of competitive external funding awarded currently and in the last 5 years as well as currently-submitted / under-review proposals (e.g. Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research [KAKENHI]; indicate
    whether you are the primary investigator or a collaborator)
• 5.One letter of recommendation from your current supervisor, as well as letters of recommendation from two researchers not affiliated with RIKEN.
  • *Recommendation letter should be addressed to “President of RIKEN, Dr. Makoto Gonokami” and include the recommender’s name, affiliation, position and email address.
  • *If it is difficult to obtain a recommendation letter from your current supervisor, a recommendation from a third party will be accepted.
  • *The signature (or seal) of the person providing the recommendation is required.
  • *Recommendation letters must be directly submitted from the referees to the below website with the subject line "IMS701-2301_ TL _[applicant’s name] (Recommendation letter)".
• 6.Certificate of graduation or copy of diploma for the highest degree obtained (photocopy acceptable).
• 7.Consent form for handling personal information based on GDPR
  If you are a resident of the European Economic Area (EEA), you are required to submit the document, "Consent form for handling personal information based on GDPR" with your signature.

  *You will find detailed information about General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) on the following website:
  Data protection | European Commission

Note: Application documents will not be returned.

How to apply

The above documents except the recommendation letters should be converted to PDF and uploaded to the following website after these files are combined into a single ZIP file:
RIKEN/IMS Application Box

The file name of Zip file: IMS701-2301 _TL_Applicant’s name
The file name of each PDF file : IMS701-2301_TL_Applicant’s name_submitted document No.

Notes:
When you upload your application documents by a ZIP file via BOX, please make sure to input your contact email address.

Recommendation letters must be directly submitted from the referees to the following website with the subject line "IMS701-2301_[applicant’s name] ". Please specify the applicant's name, referee's name and contact information in the recommendation letter. Before uploading the recommendation letter, please make sure to check the letter is addressed to “President of RIKEN, Dr. Makoto Gonokami”

RIKEN/IMS Submission Box

Note:
The referees need to input own contact email address when they upload their recommendation letters to the above Link.

Deadline

June 6, 2023 by noon ( Japan Standard Time)

*All required documents must be submitted by the deadline.

Handling of Personal Data

All private data sent to RIKEN in the application for employment is handled in strict confidentiality, and such data is not utilized for any other purpose or disclosed to any third party.

Selection Process

Applicants who pass the initial document screening will be invited for an interview.
During the interview, you will be asked to give a presentation on your work plan and future aspirations.

Start of Employment

September 1, 2023, or the earliest date possible (negotiable)

Contact Information

Any questions about this position should be sent to the appropriate email address below.

For application documents and general questions

Recruiting Staff for RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences
Administrative Division, RIKEN Yokohama Branch
Email: IMS-recruit [at] riken.jp

For research-related questions

Integrative Medical Sciences and Sustainable Resource Sciences Promotion Office
Email: ims-planning [at] ml.riken.jp

Note

Updated as of June. 1, 2023:　"Work location" and "Salary and benefits"