Job Opportunity: Laboratory Manager at Quake Laboratory, ETH Zürich
The Quake Laboratory is set to be established at ETH Zürich in 2026 by Stephen Quake, who will transition from Stanford University. This innovative lab will operate at the intersection of physics, engineering, and biology, focusing on groundbreaking measurement and modeling techniques that enhance our understanding of individual cells and trace molecular material.
Research Programs
The lab will host three major research programs:
- Reconstructing the regulatory architecture of E. coli at high resolution to establish predictive models of gene regulation.
- Developing large-scale single-cell atlases of human and model-organism tissues, including a pioneering atlas of the human autonomic nervous system, and utilizing AI/foundation models to explore aging biology and multicellularity evolution.
- Advancing liquid-biopsy techniques to detect diseases through the analysis of cell-free nucleic acids in blood, in collaboration with external partners.
About the Role
The Laboratory Manager will play a critical role as the operational backbone of our group. You will be responsible for the day-to-day management of a complex, multi-modal wet lab, which will span tasks from bacterial molecular biology to human clinical sample processing and high-throughput sequencing. As a senior bench scientist and trusted advisor to the Principal Investigator (PI), you will contribute to the smooth functioning of a productive research environment.
This position is an excellent opportunity for an experienced research scientist who enjoys working across diverse biological systems, building infrastructure, and mentoring junior colleagues. Rather than pursuing an independent research agenda, you will empower and accelerate the work of others, becoming a vital contributor to our ambitious scientific goals.
Key Responsibilities
- Lab Operations and Infrastructure: Lead the development and ongoing management of the lab's wet-bench facilities, including equipment selection and maintenance.
- Bacterial Molecular Biology: Oversee the molecular cloning pipeline for E. coli, including plasmid design and strain construction.
- Mammalian Cell Biology: Manage mammalian cell culture and tissue dissociation workflows, ensuring high-quality preparations for single-cell genomics.
- Liquid Biopsy Workflows: Operate and refine extraction and library-preparation protocols for cfDNA and cfRNA.
- High-Throughput Sequencing: Act as the specialist for sequencing workflows, coordinating with the computational team for sample processing and quality assessments.
- People, Training, and Culture: Onboard new lab members and mentor junior staff while promoting a collaborative and psychologically safe lab environment.
- Compliance, Safety, and Ethics: Ensure adherence to biosafety regulations and oversee safety documentation.
Desired Qualifications
- Education: PhD in molecular biology, biochemistry, bioengineering, genomics, or a closely related field; or a Master’s degree with significant research experience.
- Bench Experience: Minimum of 5 years in a research lab, with substantial expertise in at least two of the core areas.
- Bacterial Cloning and Biochemistry: Proven ability to independently manage E. coli cloning and strain engineering.
- Mammalian Cell Biology: Proficient in the handling of primary and cultured mammalian cells.
- Sequencing: Direct experience with Illumina sequencing libraries; familiarity with long-read platforms is advantageous.
- Liquid Biopsy: Experience in processing blood for cell-free nucleic acids.
- Lab Leadership: Proven track record of training and supervising junior scientists.
- Operational Competence: Comfortable with budgeting and managing lab documentation.
- Communication: Strong written and spoken English skills; able to engage effectively with various stakeholders.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with single-cell genomics platforms and spatial transcriptomics.
- Familiarity with clinical or biobank sample workflows under ISO standards.
- Knowledge of Swiss research administration systems.
- German language skills.
Application Process
If you are passionate about advancing research in a multidisciplinary environment and meet the qualifications outlined above, we invite you to apply online using the form below. Please note that only applications matching the job profile will be considered.