Jobs in Structural Biology and Related Fields

Director of Instruct-ERIC

Instruct

Instruct-ERIC, Oxford, United Kingdom

Application deadline: 15 Oct 2020

Application deadline: 15 October 2020

Proposed start date: late 2020

Term: 5 years (renewable)

The Director will be appointed by the Council for a five-year term (including an initial 6 months probationary period), renewable based on performance.

Compensation: competitive and commensurate with experience.

Employer: Instruct-ERIC

Location: at the Instruct Hub

Reporting to: Instruct-ERIC Council

 

Responsibilities:

S/He will perform the day-to-day management of Instruct-ERIC, including staff management at the Hub and compliance with all relevant regulation. S/He will be responsible for the strategic development and elaborate proposals for the Instruct-ERIC Council. S/He will represent Instruct-ERIC in committees, meetings, and other venues. S/He will lead interface with other RIs, EC, ESFRI, and other consortia. S/He is the legal representative of Instruct-ERIC.

 

General summary:

The Integrated Structural Biology — European Research Infrastructure Consortium (Instruct-ERIC) is a pan-European distributed infrastructure whose principal task is to facilitate access to state-of-the-art research facilities and expertise across Europe in order to support excellent science that integrates an understanding of biological structure with cellular function. Part of the ESFRI roadmap since 2006, it has been constituted as a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) by the Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2017/1213, of 4 July 2017.

Instruct-ERIC aims to promote innovation in biomedical science and operates on a not-for-profit basis within the scope of the ERIC Regulation. Instruct-ERIC provides open access to cutting edge structural biology, specifically supporting research that uses integrated approaches and technologies. It adheres to the following principles: a) scientific excellence of research is a requirement for providing services and support; b) legal, transparent and non-discriminatory proceedings are cornerstones of the operational model.

Instruct-ERIC is comprised of 15 Members: Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, EMBL, Finland, France, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain and United Kingdom and one Observer: Greece.

The governing body of Instruct-ERIC is the Council.

 

Role of the Director:

The Director is the legal representative of Instruct-ERIC according to Article 12 of ERIC Regulation No 723/2009 and executes contracts and other legal and administrative tasks called for by Instruct Council.

The Director adheres to the ambitions of Instruct-ERIC and brings visionary leadership. He/she is responsible for the long-term strategic development and elaborate proposals for the Instruct-ERIC Council that aligns with community needs, positions Instruct within the European Research Infrastructure landscape and maximises the value of the Instruct-ERIC partnership.

The Director is responsible for preparing and submitting full reports of past achievements and future plans as required by the Council to elevate the overall quality, impact, and productivity of Instruct-ERIC.

The Director implements Council decisions and reports on their execution to the Council.

The Director is responsible for identifying additional funding sources to support Instruct Activities, within the framework of the scope outlined in Article 4.

The Director is responsible for promoting Instruct-ERIC to the wider community and for attracting new Members that can contribute scientifically and financially to the research infrastructure.

 

Required qualifications & competences:

• at least five years of project and management experience in science and technology, preferably in an international context;
• demonstrated leadership in a professional setting, broad and effective management skills to guide a broad spectrum of individuals;
• recognised international leader in the field of structural biology or related discipline.
• evidence of strategic vision;
• experience in international interdisciplinary science and stakeholder networks;
• extensive knowledge of funding programmes, especially EU programmes, and a track record in attracting funding;
• proven record of fundraising and demonstrated experience in managing budgets (research grants, contracts with the private sectors, etc);
• demonstrated ability of collaborating with and bringing together diverse stakeholders;
• excellent communications and public relations skills;
• willingness to travel.

 

Desired competences:

• familiarity with the European research framework, ideally EC, ESFRI and other European and international research infrastructures
• broad knowledge of the policy landscape in structural biology and related fields within Europe;
• knowledge of international (integrated) structural biology research institutions, organisations, infrastructures and other relevant bodies;
• experience in preparing and managing of European Commission funded projects.

 

Responsibilities and Duties:

• represent Instruct-ERIC;
• manage the infrastructure, both operationally and administratively;
• act as the legal representative of Instruct-ERIC;
• act as Chair to the Executive Committee and participate as appropriate in other committees or working groups;
• ensure that Instruct-ERIC operations at all times complies with requirements from statutes and relevant national and international regulations;
• engage and build strong links with existing and future Instruct-ERIC members, including their ministries, funding bodies, policy makers and other key opinion leaders
• ensure that the scientific excellence, legal compliance and ethical values of Instruct-ERIC are adhered to by all Members and third parties;
• engage in frequent interactions with European and international bodies and initiatives such as the EC, ESFRI, OECD and any others;
• develop a yearly operational plan, including a draft budget and staffing plan;
• execute the yearly plan within the approved budget;
• assess, prioritise and manage risks in the operation of Instruct-ERIC;
• plan and prepare the annual report to the European Commission;
• provide operational and budget information to Council and prepare the agenda for Council meetings;
• implement decisions taken by the Council in consultation with the Executive Committee and the Instruct centres;
• seek out opportunities for Instruct-ERIC participation in additional programmes and projects;
• identify additional sources of funding to support Instruct-ERIC Activities;
• prepare and submit yearly annual reports
• prepare yearly future plans for enhancing quality, impact, and productivity of the Instruct-ERIC investment;
• manage recruitment for further expansion of Instruct activities;
• represent Instruct-ERIC in committees, meetings and other events.

 

Location and Benefits:

• The Director will be located at the Hub;
• Duties will include extensive travel within Europe and some travel outside Europe;
• Occasionally an extended work schedule is necessary due to travel, meeting attendance, and other time sensitive activities.

 

Working benefits:

• A generous benefits package, including pension, will be offered.

 

Selection procedure:

• Applications should be addressed to the Chair of the Instruct-ERIC Council, Eric Guittet (Eric Guittet, Chair of Instruct-ERIC Council, Ministère de l’enseignement supérieur, de la recherche et de l’innovation, 1, rue Descartes F 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France) and submitted by email to recruitment@instruct-eric.eu as a single pdf file (max 4 MB) including CV, evidence of meeting the required and desirable competences, a letter of intent including a presentation on how the candidate plans to manage and develop Instruct-ERIC;
• The deadline for applications is 15 October 2020;
• All enquiries about this job posting should be sent to recruitment@instruct-eric.eu

 

Shortlisted applicants will be notified by 30 October 2020 and interviews will be conducted by 15 November 2020. The proposed start date is late 2020.

An international Instruct-ERIC Director Search Committee has been established that will advise Council in the selection of the candidate.

Instruct-ERIC is an inclusive, equal opportunity and non-discrimination employer, offering a challenging and attractive work environment.

Applications are encouraged from citizens of the European Union and associated countries.