Introduction to the vacant position:
The Nonlinear Photonics for Neuroscience (NPN) group is seeking a talented and innovative Computer Science Technician to lead the development of robust data management systems, acquisition protocols, and advanced analysis pipelines critical for neuroscience research.
The NPN group is dedicated to advancing state-of-the-art microscopy techniques, allowing for high-precision imaging and manipulation of neuronal activity. As part of this new interdisciplinary team at IBEC, the successful candidate will work at the intersection of neuroscience, photonics, and computational science, developing optimized software strategies to interface and synchronize complex hardware systems for data acquisition as well as dedicated analysis pipelines to treat the large datasets produced. The candidate will play a key role in ensuring the efficiency of data storage, backup, and analysis, thus helping the NPN team deciphering the complexities of brain activity. The contract will be within the framework of the 2P-BRAINSCOPY ERC-Starting grant, whose objective is the development of advance optical techniques for the study of the brain.
Main tasks and responsibilities:
- Pipeline Development: Design and implement robust, scalable data acquisition, storage, and backup solutions, optimizing for large image datasets and high-throughput analysis.
- Device Interface Optimization: Develop and enhance a unified Python (or LabVIEW) interface to control and synchronize various high-tech devices (e.g., lasers, scanners, detectors, spatial light modulators) used to capture images of neuronal activity.
- Custom Hardware Communication: Customize and optimize device-specific interfaces to enable seamless, rapid communication with complex hardware systems.
- Data Sharing & Backup: Create automated backup solutions and establish a platform for remote data access and sharing, enabling wider dissemination of results within the scientific community, including the creation of public data repositories post-publication.
- Data Analysis: Refine Python-based data analysis pipelines to extract functional data from neuronal images (i.e. the activity of neurons), ensuring the highest levels of accuracy and performance.
- Team Expertise & Support: Serve as the NPN group’s go-to expert for all software development, data handling, and hardware interface-related inquiries, collaborating closely with photonics experts and neuroscientists to translate research needs into practical technical solutions.
Requirements for candidates:
Essential:
- Educational Background: A degree in Computer Science or a related field (or equivalent experience).
- Technical Expertise: Proven experience in software development (Python or LabVIEW), especially in data-heavy environments.
- Data Management Focus: A strong interest and experience in handling large-scale datasets and creating efficient data workflows.
- Hardware Integration: Passion for building and optimizing hardware/software interfaces, with a focus on real-time data acquisition systems.
- Interdisciplinary Curiosity: Genuine interest in neuroscience and a desire to contribute to cutting-edge research on brain function.
- Key Competencies: Proactive, collaborative, with excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to communicate effectively within a multidisciplinary team.
- Language Skills: Proficiency in English (both written and spoken).
Advantageous:
- Domain Expertise: Previous experience in neuroscience-related research or large-scale data handling in scientific contexts is a significant advantage.
- International Experience: Global perspective and experience working in international research teams or institutions.
We Offer:
- Number of available positions: 1
- Starting date: 01/02/2025
- Working conditions:
- 3-year full time contract.
- Very competitive salary.
- Measures to reconcile work and family life (parental leave, flexible schedule working hours, 23 working days of paid holidays, 9 leave days for personal matters, among others).
- IBEC ensures equality of access to professional development opportunities irrespective of employment status, length at IBEC or other factors. The IBEC’s yearly training catalogue offers a wide range of training in technical and transferable skills including mobility grants and a Mentoring programme for predoctoral and postdoctoral researchers.
- Stimulating, interdisciplinary research and high-quality international scientific environment.
- Induction programme to facilitate incorporation at IBEC and additional support is provided for foreigners to obtain Visa-working permit and to install in Barcelona.
How to apply:
Until 20/12/2024 an online application form is available through IBEC dedicated site: https://careers.ibecbarcelona.eu/
Only those applications submitted before the deadline will be evaluated.
Reference: IT-NA.
If you have any further question regarding your application, please contact us at jobs@ibecbarcelona.eu
Principles of the selection process:
IBEC is committed to the principles of the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers of the European Commission and the Open, Transparent and Merit based Recruitment principles (OTM-R) https://ibecbarcelona.eu/careers-at-ibec/jobs/
IBEC´s Commitment on equal opportunity:
Our strength and excellence as an international transdisciplinary Research Institute are based on diversity. Being an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to diversity and inclusion, so that we support employees irrespective of their gender, nationality, religion, disabilities, age, sexual identity or cultural and socioeconomic background.”
IBEC actively looks for female candidates for Senior positions ensuring that at least 40% of shortlisted applicants invited to interview have to be women with comparable level of CVs as the male candidates. At the end of the evaluation process, in case of equal merit, priority will be given to female candidates.
For candidates with children that come from outside Barcelona, we offer babysitting services during the interview, so you don’t have to worry about anything else than doing a good interview. Contact us if you are interested in this service.
IBEC, as a signatory of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), will consider, especially for early-stage investigators, much more the scientific content of research outputs, than publication metrics or the identity of the journal in which it were published.
Protection of personal data:
IBEC guarantees that candidates’ personal data are processed in accordance with the requirements of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Law 3/2018 on Data Protection.
Personal data will be processed solely for the purposes of the selection process.
Who we are?
The Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, IBEC is an interdisciplinary research center focused on Bioengineering and Nanomedicine based in Barcelona. IBEC is one of the top research institutions named as a Severo Ochoa Research Centre by the Ministry of Science, Universities and Innovation, which recognizes excellence at the highest international level in terms of research, training, human resources, outreach and technology transfer.
IBEC’s mission is to develop international high-quality interdisciplinary research that, while creating knowledge, contributes to making a better quality of life, improving health and creating wealth. A close link with key universities, reference hospitals and corporations, are assets that facilitate achieving the mission.
IBEC was established in 2005 by the Generalitat de Catalunya (Autonomous Government of Catalonia), the University of Barcelona (UB) and the Technical University of Catalonia (UPC).
IBEC is located within the Barcelona Science Park and is managing 3.800 square meters facilities, with an annual budget of 22 Mio€; 4.150 square meters of facilities; 21 research groups and a team of researchers and support services of 400 people from 35 different countries. www.ibecbarcelona.eu
