SC-islet Specialist - College of Medicine and Health - 107911 - Grade 7

Position Details

College of Medicine and Health

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

As this vacancy has limited funding the maximum salary that can be offered is Grade 7, salary £36,636 (pro-rata for part time)

Grade: 7

Part Time, 0.5 FTE (18.75 hours per week)

Fixed Term contract up to February 2027 

Closing date: 9^th September 2026

Our offer to you

People are at the heart of what we are and do.

The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university. We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.

We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide-range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to be able to develop your career at the University.

We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate. We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work.

Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working. In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.

The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site. On campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.

Find out more about the benefits of working for the University of Birmingham

Background

The University of Birmingham is a global institution working within a diverse and vibrant City, offering an inspiring education to our students, and undertaking critically important research. We are a place of open, critical thinking, and the creation, sharing and dissemination of knowledge. Professional Services put students at the heart of all they do and enable an exceptional educational experience. They provide outstanding support to our researchers and help the University to grow its influence regionally, nationally, and globally. They ensure the University’s resources are used wisely, manage, and improve the infrastructure which sits at the heart of the institution, and support decisions to be made quickly and based on sound evidence. Our Birmingham Professional programme operates across the University, supporting colleagues to network and collaborate, offering opportunities to learn and develop, contributing to the delivery of the University’s objectives, and helping everyone to understand the broader context within which we work.

Department Overview

BetaCell Birmingham is part of the Technology Hub, a series of research facilities available to users across colleges (https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/university/colleges/mds/facilities). The facility provides specialist expertise in human pluripotent stem cell culture, precision CRISPR-Cas9 genome engineering, stem cell differentiation, and the generation of stem cell-derived pancreatic beta cells and islets. The facility offers state-of-the-art capabilities including genome editing, reporter cell line generation, disease modelling, stem cell differentiation, organoid technologies, and functional characterisation of stem cell-derived islets, and it is constantly undertaking horizon scanning to incorporate new innovative technologies into its offering. The facility supports users across campus and externally through training, technical support, and bespoke project delivery.

The facility has strong links with regional specialist groups, stem cell research communities, diabetes research networks, and industrial partners. The success of this facility is due to the large number of users having easy access to powerful and relevant stem cell and genome engineering technologies and the technical specialists who provide training and support for users.

Role Summary

The SC-islet specialist will plan and coordinate multiple initiatives concurrently and have in depth understanding of SC-islet generation and their applications. The SC-Islet Specialist will provide a full stem cell engineering and differentiation service, including implementing and delivering training and access for users, user support and advice, precision CRISPR-Cas9 genome engineering support, and management of the delivery of stem cell-derived beta cell and islet production services, including co-ordination of similar activities across the College and Technology Hub facilities.

The post holder will play a key role in ensuring the facility delivers a high-quality, responsive service that meets the diverse requirements of academic and external users. They will anticipate customer needs, provide expert technical advice, evaluate existing workflows and recommend improvements to enhance quality, efficiency and capacity. The role requires the ability to plan, prioritise and coordinate multiple projects simultaneously, working closely with users and stakeholders to ensure successful delivery from project conception through to completion. In particular, the post is focussed on precision CRISPR-Cas9 genome engineering and stem cell differentiation to pancreatic beta cells and islets.

In particular, the post is particularly focussed on precision CRISPR-Cas9 genome engineering and stem cell differentiation to pancreatic beta cells and islets. The candidate will require substantial in-depth knowledge of these technologies, and they will be pivotal in ensuring a high level of service provision. Specifically, for genome engineering and stem cell differentiation projects, the facility provides bespoke support as each user has different experimental requirements. The ability of the candidate to provide expert advice on standard techniques but to also develop and optimise novel approaches will be critical. The successful candidate will incorporate new technological developments as they become available which will require skills in continuous optimisation, improving, and implementing of new workflows.

The specialist will work closely with the Facility Manager and the Academic Lead on the development and implementation of management processes to ensure the facility works effectively for the users. The candidate will need to develop constructive working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders (both internal and external) and use project management skills to coordinate projects from initial plans to delivery, including quotation provision, communicating during the project as needed, and seeing the workflow through to delivery of engineered stem cell lines, differentiated stem cell-derived beta cells and islets, data interpretation advice, plus reporting and invoicing.

The post-holder will supervise and mentor support staff and ensure compliance with local standard operating procedures, and all Health and Safety policies.

Main Duties

1. Provide a professional specialist service for BetaCell Birmingham which will include:

• Providing expert advice for internal and external customers wishing to use the service, providing expert advice, assistance, and guidance in establishing customer requirements, resolving high-level problems with stem cell culture, genome engineering and differentiation workflows, answering queries and providing quotes for the use of the service.
• Providing a full and bespoke service for precision CRISPR-Cas9 genome engineering in human pluripotent stem cells, including experimental design, guide RNA selection, editing strategy development, clone isolation and validation.
• Providing a full and bespoke service for stem cell differentiation to pancreatic beta cells and stem cell-derived islets using the Akerman differentiation protocol (Fiancette, Huang et al 2026), including consultation with users on experimental design and optimisation strategies to ensure successful outcomes.
• Training users in stem cell culture, genome editing, and stem cell differentiation methodologies and curating competency training records to enable users to undertake procedures independently where appropriate. Providing professional assistance, supervision and guidance to users to effectively use facility methodologies for their experimental needs.
• Providing professional specialist feedback on results to users, identifying and advising on enhancements to procedures and protocols which may elicit improvements in editing efficiency, differentiation performance, reproducibility and cellular function.
• Implementing, optimising and standardising stem cell differentiation protocols in multiple human pluripotent stem cell lines, specifically H1, H3 and iPSC11, ensuring robust and reproducible generation of stem cell-derived islets.
• Ensuring the service always operates in an effective and efficient manner and that all equipment, procedures and quality control processes are maintained to optimal standards. Ensuring all necessary documentation pertaining to these activities is stored appropriately for review by the Research Facilities Manager.
• Organising and attending, together with the Research Facilities Manager and Academic Lead, user group meetings to review new technologies and developments in stem cell biology, genome engineering and cell therapy manufacturing, as well as explaining the capabilities of current facility services.
• Coordinating the organisation and delivery of Continuous Professional Development activities for internal and external stakeholders.
• Promoting the services offered by BetaCell Birmingham and the Technology Hub.
• Managing data storage, file transfer, scheduled back-ups and long-term archiving of experimental records and datasets.

2. Health and Safety Management

• Responsible for ensuring all facility users, working within the area of responsibility, comply with all University and College Health and Safety policies. This will include compliance by all staff with current rules governing work with COSHH, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), human pluripotent stem cells, viral vectors, biological samples and human tissue, and ensuring all required assessments are in place, approved and up to date.
• Reporting any breaches or non-compliance with Health and Safety procedures to the Research Facilities Manager and/or College Health and Safety Manager.
• Ensuring the correct waste disposal protocols are complied with for laboratory, recycled and general waste.
• Proactively assisting with the implementation of carbon reduction and energy saving measures.
• Carrying out regular maintenance processes as appropriate and ensuring records are maintained.

3. Facilities Management

• Using facility management systems to control and monitor users' training records, project delivery and access to equipment, reviewing information to ensure its accuracy and identify future planning requirements.
• Assist in the development and upkeep of the BetaCell Birmingham and Technology Hub websites.
• Maintaining stocks of consumables, generating purchase order requisitions for the College finance office or via web-based ordering systems. When required, engaging with the Procurement team to deliver tenders.
• Receiving and correctly storing consumables, media, growth factors, reagents and other materials required for stem cell culture and differentiation.
• Ensuring that the facilities are maintained in a clean, functional and safe condition, reporting any problems through the appropriate channels.
• Assisting the Research Facilities Manager in identifying and tracking items held on the University Asset Register.

4. Finance, Procurement and Purchasing

• Day-to-day management of facility budgets, monitoring expenditure, identifying any issues with orders, invoices and suppliers and taking appropriate corrective action on own initiative.
• Ensuring all financial rules and procedures are followed.
• Assisting the Research Facilities Manager, when required, with invoicing and recharging users for facility services.

5. People Management

• Ensuring (working with your manager) that the goals and objectives which are set for staff support the development and delivery of a quality, customer-focused service.
• Prioritising and allocating work to meet day-to-day needs.
• Checking on quality of work and customer feedback.
• Undertaking supportive interventions where staff are not meeting objectives.

6. General

• Representing the team as required at a variety of College and University meetings.
• Acting as a main contact for emergency call-outs.
• Developing and maintaining collaborative working relationships with a wide variety of colleagues internal and external to the College, including contractors, suppliers and commercial partners.
• Promoting equality and valuing diversity, acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.
• Supporting the University's sustainability agenda through resource-efficient working.
• Any other duties commensurate with the grade.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

• Educated to Degree level (or equivalent qualification) in a relevant biological discipline, or significant relevant practical experience and expertise gained through progressively more demanding roles. A PhD is desirable but not essential.
• A minimum of two years' hands-on experience performing the Akerman stem cell differentiation protocol for generation of stem cell-derived islets. This is an essential requirement.
• Demonstrable experience of precision CRISPR-Cas9 genome engineering in human pluripotent stem cells. This is an essential requirement.
• Demonstrable experience culturing, maintaining and differentiating the H1, H3 and iPSC11 human pluripotent stem cell lines. Experience with these specific cell lines is an essential requirement.
• Extensive practical experience of human pluripotent stem cell culture, quality control, clonal expansion and characterisation.
• Experience implementing, optimising and troubleshooting stem cell differentiation workflows.
• Experience validating genetically engineered stem cell lines using molecular and cellular biology techniques.
• Extensive experience of similar laboratory-based work and Good Laboratory Practice by experience or formal qualification.
• Positive service attitude and courtesy in dealing with users.
• Proven ability to develop constructive working relationships across a range of stakeholders.
• Proven ability to organise and manage own workload and demonstrate flexibility in terms of work practices and requirements.
• Proven ability to work independently but function as part of a team.
• Ability to conceptualise user requirements and interpret experimental data.
• Must be able to communicate effectively with all levels of users and stakeholders.
• Knowledge of current relevant Health and Safety policies.
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day-to-day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly.

Further particulars can be found here

Informal enquiries to Adriana Flores-Langarica, email: [email protected] 

View our staff values and behaviours here

Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website.