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Seeking a Deputy Team Director (25-652)

Laboratory

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

Outline of Laboratory

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.

For more information, please refer to the following link:
RIKEN-Cambridge Joint Crop Symbiosis Research Team

Job title and Job description

Job title, available positions

Deputy Team Director 1 position

Job description

Detailed job description Deputy Team Director:
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 Director, and (3) co-supervising the research activities and lab management duties of the Lab Technician together with the Team Director (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 Directors, 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.

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

The difference in positions is as follows:
Deputy Team Director: Assists the Team Director and carries out research while also managing team duties.

Qualification

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.

Work location

RIKEN Yokohama Campus(1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan)
RIKEN may order the employee to change work locations, if necessary.

Salary and benefits

  • 1.A one-year fixed-term employment contract, renewable based on evaluation to a maximum of March 31, 2031.
  • 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.

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 458,500 JPY. 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.
The monthly salary including discretionary work allowance at the time of employment will be 560,000 JPY or more.

RIKEN has implemented a telecommuting system that allows employees to work from home or other locations permitted by RIKEN.

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 (caring for a sick child, 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 is entirely prohibited on site.
These and other provisions are in accordance with RIKEN regulations.

Mandatory membership in the RIKEN Mutual Benefit Society (RIKEN Kyosaikai).

  • *Eligible for an exemption from repayment for category 1 scholarship loans provided by the Japan Student Services Organization before fiscal year 2003
  • *Eligible to apply for the MEXT Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (Kakenhi).

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 General Administration Section, Yokohama Operations Division, Safety and Campus Operations Group at: kids-yk-hr@ml.riken.jp.

Application and required documents

Required documents

  • 1.Complete CV or CV
    • *Please write Open-call ID [25-652] and the position you are applying for.
    • *Please use the format above.
  • 2.List of research achievements (Publications, Presentations, awards and others.) (including ResearcherID or Google Scholar ID, if available)
    • *Please submit the PDF of three papers related to this application.
  • 3.Previous research and future research plan
  • 4.Two letters of recommendation
    • *The letter should be addressed to the Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Director.
    • *One to be obtained from the PI of applicant's current laboratory. It is desired that the other is from a researcher who is neither a Japanese citizen nor resident
    • *Please specify the referee’s contact information (Name, affiliation, job title, phone number, and email address)
  • 5.Certificate of graduation of the most recent education, or a copy of Diploma
  • 6.Consent form for handling personal information based on GDPR
    • *If you are a resident of the European Economic Area (EEA) or UK, you are required to submit the document, " Consent form for handling personal information based on GDPR and Regulation of the European Parliament and of the council of on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data (UK General Data Protection Regulation)" with your signature.

How to apply

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

For Deputy Team Director position, RIKEN-Cambridge Joint Crop Symbiosis Research Team, RIKEN CSRS

The file name of the ZIP should contain your contact email address.
After you uploaded the ZIP file, please let us (cropsymbiosis-recruit@ml.riken.jp) know the file name of the uploaded file.

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

For Deputy Team Director position, RIKEN-Cambridge Joint Crop Symbiosis Research Team, RIKEN CSRS

After the referees uploaded the recommendation letter, please let us (cropsymbiosis-recruit@ml.riken.jp) know the file name of the uploaded file.

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

Deadline

Open until the position is filled

  • *Note: Application documents will not be returned.
  • *Note: Only those candidates who pass the document screening will be notified by e-mail after the submission of the documents.

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).

Notification of hiring decision

The notification of hiring decision (conditional offer of employment) regarding this selection shall be carried out through the presentation of an Employment Contract or a Conditional Offer of Employment issued by RIKEN.

Start of Employment

October 1, 2025

Contact Information

RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science
RIKEN-Cambridge Joint Crop Symbiosis Research Team
Email: cropsymbiosis-recruit@ml.riken.jp
For inquiries, please send an email.

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