Starting immediately or as per agreement

The Biozentrum of the University of Basel is one of the leading life sciences institutes in the world. It consists of 32 groups and 500 employees that research how molecules and cells create life, spanning the scale from atom to organism. Founded in 1971, the Biozentrum has been the birthplace of many fundamental discoveries in biology and medicine, spawning several Nobel Laureates.

The Research IT technology platform is the primary contact point for scientific IT projects at the Biozentrum. Our group supports scientists and staff of the Biozentrum with expertise, services and custom software development. We facilitate management and analysis of research data and provide ICT tools for digital collaboration and communication in our research institute.

The Imaging Core Facility (IMCF) at the Biozentrum is a state-of-the-art platform for highly developed light microscopes. Our services range from initial advice in microscope selection to experiment set up and final analysis of the imaging data. We aim to support research groups in their work, with the latest microscopy techniques and software solutions.

Your position
We are looking for an IT Specialist to administer and expand IT services for our research institute’s scientific community. The position bridges the Research IT and Imaging Core Facility platforms, where you will collaborate on projects like developing and deploying web-based tools (e.g. OMERO), designing and supporting specialized virtual desktop infrastructures for bioimage analysis and set up specific software/hardware to process and analyze instrument data.

Your duties include maintaining existing services and applications while improving and creating new ones with our cross-functional teams. To excel in this position, you must be agile, creative and dedicated to ensuring reliable services. Most importantly, you are a good communicator and like to engage with scientists, technical and domain experts. This position offers a wealth of opportunities for satisfying work and learning opportunities within a unique and exciting scientific environment.

Your responsibilities

• Planning, design, administration and monitoring of infrastructure (Linux, Windows, Citrix/Xen and VMware environments), software (application software, web servers) and databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL, MS-SQL)
• Supporting research groups, technology platforms and administrative units with requirements analysis, planning and implementation of IT projects
• Contributing to the development of custom software, scripts and web applications

Your profile
We are looking for an enthusiastic person with a Master’s degree in Computer Science, Bioinformatics or biology/natural sciences with equivalent demonstrated experience. You are passionate to work in small cross-functional teams in an academic environment, where your contribution makes a real impact.

You know how to set up and operate reliable servers and services. Moreover, you bring analytical and programming skills to the table that you apply in project teams. 

• Very familiar with operation of Linux web stacks, MySQL, PostgreSQL, familiar with other setups (Windows, MS-SQL). Experience with virtualization, containers, orchestration a definite plus.
• Experienced in web application development using at least one of the following: PHP/Zend Framework/Laminas), Python/Django, other frameworks a plus. Other coding and data management experience highly welcome.
• Comfortable applying software development best practices and documenting your work reliably (source code versioning, unit testing, continuous integration, wiki for documentation, etc.)

Communication is key in our team, and a successful candidate must not only be technically skilled, but also have excellent interpersonal skills to work with our diverse stakeholders effectively. An ability to effectively communicate technical concepts clearly and concisely is essential, and you should be comfortable presenting your ideas and solutions also to non-technical audiences across the organization.

We offer
The Biozentrum offers a cutting-edge research infrastructure, a highly international environment that provides numerous opportunities to learn more, and excellent working conditions, such as individual and personal onboarding, a modern and ergonomic workplace, including the possibility to partially work from home. We live an open communication culture and flat hierarchies with many opportunities to bring on your own ideas.

The University of Basel provides in-house sports programs and fitness facilities and is a certified family-friendly university (Zertifikat berufundfamilie) with established services to help balancing career and family.

The position is initially for 2 years with the possibility of extension. Salary and benefits according to University of Basel standards.

Application / Contact
Please apply online with a CV, letter of motivation, links to relevant prior work/projects, as well as the name/address of three references: https://biped2.biozentrum.unibas.ch/apply/devops_specialist

Please note that only online applications will be accepted. Reviewing of applications will start on 3 April 2023 and continue until the position is filled.

For specific questions, feel free to contact Michael Podvinec, PhD, Head of Research IT (michael.podvinecunibasch).