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Seeking a Deputy Team Leader, Senior Scientist or Scientist (CSRS-2402)

Laboratory

RIKEN-Cambridge Joint Crop Symbiosis Research Team,
RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science
(Laboratory head: Uta Paszkowski)

Research Field

Symbioses are fundamental to life on Earth. The most ancestral association between plants and fungi emerged around 450 mya and is now so widespread among terrestrial plant species that it fundamentally supports global ecosystems, as well as crop productivity and sustainability.
Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi belong to the Glomeromycotina subphylum, and facilitate plant mineral uptake from the soil in exchange for plant-derived organic carbon. The establishment of functional symbioses relies on the fine-tuned orchestration of signals to achieve coordination of the two interacting organisms. While considerable understanding of plant signalling mechanisms have been gained in recent years, we know near to nothing about fungal signalling components. To close this gap in knowledge, we wish to reciprocally elucidate how the fungus undergoes reprogramming to engage with its host rice.
We will use ‘omics’ approaches to comprehensively characterise transcriptional and translational activities of different functional units of the fungal mycelium in asymbiosis and symbiosis; we also aim to establish a stable transformation protocols to enable functional studies of gene leads. The rice blast fungus Magnaorpthe oryzae will be used as a genetically tractable, comparative root-fungal system.

Job title and Job description

Job title, available positions

Deputy Team leader, Senior Scientist or Research Scientist 1 position

Job description

Detailed job description Deputy Team Leader:
The successful candidate will have three tasks, (1) leading a competitive research programme, (2) managing the Team duties and ensuring the continuous communication with the Team Leader, and (3) co-supervising the research activities and lab management duties of the Senior Lab Technician together with the Team Leader (UP).
  • (1)The successful candidate is required to have a strong background in molecular biology, in particular genomics and ‘single cell’ type of analyses of fungi and/or plants. The aim of this research is to determine the transcriptional and translational activities of functional units of the Rhizophagus irregularis mycelium during asymbiosis and symbiosis, the latter extending to the holistic understanding of the corresponding plant responses. Magnaporthe oryzae will be used as a comparative biotrophically infecting rice-root fungal system. The candidate is expected to independently work towards the establishment of protocols for spatial transcriptomics and proteomics.
  • (2)The successful candidate is required to have sufficient seniority to adopt managerial responsibility for the running of the lab. They will be charged with managing the Team regarding the daily functioning of the lab, including communication with RIKEN administration, exchange and coordination with other Team Leaders, ensuring compliance with health and safety rules, supervising the Technical Staff for the ordering of consumables and organizing of the daily lab routines, etc. Prior experience in Team/Lab management is advantageous.
  • (3)The successful candidate is required to have sufficient seniority to supervise the Technical Staff’s project on establishing a transformation protocol for Rhizophagus irregularis. Prior experience in mentoring is advantageous.
Detailed job description Senior Scientist:
  • (1)The successful candidate is required to have a strong background in molecular biology, in particular genomics and ‘single cell’ type of analyses of fungi and/or plants. The aim of this research is to determine the transcriptional and translational activities of functional units of the Rhizophagus irregularis mycelium during asymbiosis and symbiosis, the latter extending to the holistic understanding of the corresponding plant responses. Magnaporthe oryzae will be used as a comparative biotrophically infecting rice-root fungal system. The candidate is expected to independently work towards the establishment of protocols for spatial transcriptomics and proteomics.
  • (2)The successful candidate is required to have sufficient seniority to supervise the project on establishing a transformation protocol for Rhizophagus irregularis. Prior experience in mentoring is advantageous.
Detailed job description Research Scientist:
  • (1)The successful candidate is required to have a strong background in molecular biology, in particular genomics and ‘single cell’ type of analyses of fungi and/or plants. The aim of this research is to determine the transcriptional and translational activities of functional units of the Rhizophagus irregularis mycelium during asymbiosis and symbiosis, the latter extending to the holistic understanding of the corresponding plant responses. Magnaporthe oryzae will be used as a comparative biotrophically infecting rice-root fungal system. The candidate is expected to independently work towards the establishment of protocols for spatial transcriptomics and proteomics.
Deputy Team Leader:
Assists the Team Leader and carries out research while also managing team duties.
Senior Scientist:
Assists the Research Scientist and conducts laboratory research programs and others along with providing guidance to researchers and others attached to laboratories.
Research Scientist:
Conducts laboratory research programs and others.

The job description may be changed during the contract period or upon contract renewal to the extent described above.

Qualification

Deputy Team Leader
A person who has obtained a PhD five or more years ago, and has expertise in molecular biology, genetics or genomics preferentially in botany or mycology, or, someone with similar qualifications.
Senior Scientist, Research Scientist
A person who has obtained a PhD five or more years ago, or, someone with similar qualifications.

Work location

RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science
(Yokohama Campus)
1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan

RIKEN has implemented a work-from-home system. Employees can work from home in accordance with the prescribed procedures.
RIKEN may order the employee to change work locations, if necessary.

Salary and benefits

Those who will be re-contracted from the next fiscal year

  • 1.A one-year fixed-term employment contract, renewable based on evaluation, to a maximum of the end of the fiscal year (March 31) in which the employee completes 7 years of employment.
  • 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 70 years.
  • 3.In principle, the center is set to continue its research to the end of the Mid- to Long-term Plan (7 years from April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2025).
    However, if it is decided that the research project with which the Employee is involved will not be continued, the above provision on continuation of the “research center, laboratory or project” applies and there will be no re-employment for FY 2025 (from April 1, 2025)

In principle, the first two months of employment is considered a trial period.
Salary will be an annual salary based on experience, ability, and performance, and will consist of a base salary and a variable salary. The variable salary will be determined each fiscal year based on experience, ability, and performance. The monthly base salary is 426,500 JPY for Deputy Team Leader and Senior Scientist, 355,000 JPY for Research Scientist as of April 1, 2024. The monthly base salary and variable salary are subject to change due to amendments to RIKEN regulations.

Discretionary work, commuting and housing allowances will be provided. Social insurance will be applied.

The approximate amount of annual salary at the time of employment:

Deputy Team Leader
The monthly salary including discretionary work allowance at the time of employment will be 600,000 JPY - 650,000 JPY or more.
Senior Scientist
The monthly salary including discretionary work allowance at the time of employment will be 470,000 JPY - 550,000 JPY or more.
Research Scientist
The monthly salary including discretionary work allowance at the time of employment will be 390,000 JPY - 430,000 JPY or more

Mandatory membership in the RIKEN Mutual Benefit Society (RIKEN Kyosaikai).
This position falls under the specialized duties discretionary work system; one working day will be calculated as 7 hours and 30 minutes.

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 depending on the month of employment), special paid leave (childcare, family nursing care, etc.), and work life balance holidays (up to 7 days depending on the month of employment).
There are also additional leave systems such as maternity leave, childcare leave, and family nursing care leave.
Smoking will be entirely prohibited on site from April 2024.
These and other provisions are in accordance with RIKEN regulations.

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.

The childcare facility, RIKEN Kids Yokohama, is on the Yokohama Campus.
For details, please contact the Welfare Group in the Human Resources Section, Administrative Division, Yokohama Campus at: kids-yk-hr [at] ml.riken.jp.

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

*RIKEN has a work-from-home system, but this position requires attendance at the work location. Therefore, the work-from-home system is not available for this position. For more information, please get in touch with the hiring staff at csrs-hr [at] riken.jp.

Application and required documents

Required documents

[Deputy Team Leader, Senior Scientist]

[Research Scientist]

How to apply

The above documents except the recommendation letters combined into a single ZIP file should be uploaded to the following website:

For Deputy Team Leader, Senior Scientist or Research Scientist position, RIKEN-Cambridge Joint Crop Symbiosis Team, RIKEN CSRS

The file name of the ZIP should contain your contact email address.
After you uploaded the ZIP file, please let us (csrs-hr [at] riken.jp) know the file name of the uploaded file.

Recommendation letters must be directly submitted from the referees to the following website with the file name "RIKEN-Cambridge Joint Crop Symbiosis Team, Deputy Team Leader, Senior Scientist or Research Scientist [applicant’s name] (Recommendation letter)". Please specify the applicant's name, referee's name and contact information in the recommendation letter.

For Deputy Team Leader, Senior Scientist or Research Scientist position, RIKEN-Cambridge Joint Crop Symbiosis Team, RIKEN CSRS

After the referees uploaded the recommendation letter, please let us (csrs-hr [at] riken.jp) know the file name of the uploaded file.
If a confirmation email is not received within 7 days after submission, please contact: csrs-hr [at] riken.jp.

If the submission requirements are not met, your application will not be received.

Deadline

Open until the position is filled

  • *Application documents will not be returned.
  • *Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted via email after document screening.

Handling Personal Data

Submitted documents are strictly protected under the RIKEN Privacy Policy and will be used only for the purpose of applicant screening at RIKEN. Personal information will not be disclosed, transferred or loaned to a third party under any circumstances without just cause.

Selection process

Application screening and interview for selected applicants (face-to-face or remote).

Start of Employment

June 1, 2024 (Negotiable)

Contact Information

RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science
RIKEN-Cambridge Joint Crop Symbiosis Research Team
Email: csrs-hr [at] riken.jp
For inquiries, please send an email.

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