Postdoctoral Fellowship in Human Genetics

Do you want to help us improve human health and understand life on Earth? Make your mark by shaping the future to enable or deliver life-changing science to solve some of humanity’s greatest challenges.

The Human Genetics Programme at the Wellcome Sanger Institute is excited to announce the availability of three Postdoctoral Fellowships. These prestigious fellowships offer an unparalleled opportunity to engage in cutting-edge research within an innovative and supportive environment. We seek highly motivated individuals with a passion for genomics and a commitment to advancing human health through scientific research.

Each fellow will lead one of four research projects that have been co-developed by two Principal Investigators (PIs) from either the Institute’s core faculty or PIs from our Health Data Research UK Cambridge Associate Research Programme. As such, fellows will be members of a research group at the Sanger Institute and a second lab at either the Sanger Institute or the University of Cambridge (Department of Public Health and Primary Care). Fellows will thus benefit from the mentorship, support and broad expertise of both teams and their PIs.

The projects span the fields of genetics, genomics and population health. Some projects have a large wet lab component, while others are solely computational. The projects, and the ideal skills required for each of these, are outlined in detail in the accompanying Project Descriptions.

We ask that candidates state their project preferences in their application letter, and highlight what attracts them to the project and how they match the required skills for the project and fellowship.

Knowledge, skills and experience required: 

Technical Skills:

• PhD in relevant subject area, or on track to be awarded your PhD within 6 months of starting the role 
• Proven ability to deliver research projects 
• A track record of demonstrating research excellence and expertise in your area of research 
• Knowledge, skills and experience as appropriate to research area e.g.
• Ability to analyse and interpret data with strong quantitative/computational skills
• Programming and bioinformatics skills 
• Previous work experience in a molecular biology laboratory
• Experience with core molecular biology techniques, including sample preparation, RT, qPCR and RNA/DNA extraction

The essential skills and behaviours required of all fellows are:

• A motivation and ambition to make a personal contribution to genomic research and knowledge.
• Be an inclusive team player with the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others in a collegiate and collaborative environment.
• An ability to effectively communicate ideas, results and insights to collaborators and give oral presentations to diverse audiences.
• An ability to effectively prioritise, multi-task and work independently towards agreed goals.
• Be detailed orientated, with strong organisational and problem-solving skills.
• Be committed to professional development, ensuring that skills and knowledge are kept up to date.

There is a strong focus on professional and personal development as part of these fellowships. Fellows will have the opportunity to undertake a broad range of training programmes and professional coaching. Fellows will be supported to grow their reputation within their chosen field by developing collaborations, leading publications and presenting at international conferences. Fellows will have significant input into the overall direction of their research projects, with the opportunity to further develop these in line with their own interests.

Additional information

Salary per annum: £38,000 - £49,156 (dependent on skills and experience) 

Closing date: 6th June  

Contract: 3 years  

Hybrid Working at Wellcome Sanger:

We recognise that there are many benefits to Hybrid Working; including an improved work-life balance, with more focused time, as well as the ability to organise working time so that collaborative opportunities and team discussions are facilitated on campus. The hybrid working arrangement will vary for different roles and teams. The nature of your role and the type of work you do will determine if a hybrid working arrangement is possible.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:

We aim to attract, recruit, retain and develop talent from the widest possible talent pool, thereby gaining insight and access to different markets to generate a greater impact on the world. We have a supportive culture with the following staff networks, LGBTQ+, Parents and Carers, Disability and Race Equity to bring people together to share experiences, offer specific support and development opportunities and raise awareness. The networks are also a place for allies to provide support to others.

We want our people to be whoever they want to be because we believe people who bring their best selves to work, do their best work. That’s why we’re committed to creating a truly inclusive culture at Sanger Institute. We will consider all individuals without discrimination and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees, where everyone can thrive.

Our Benefits:

We are proud to deliver an awarding campus-wide employee wellbeing strategy and programme. The importance of good health and adopting a healthier lifestyle and the commitment to reduce work-related stress is strongly acknowledged and recognised at Sanger Institute.

Sanger Institute became a signatory of the International Technician Commitment initiative In March 2018.  The Technician Commitment aims to empower and ensure visibility, recognition, career development and sustainability for technicians working in higher education and research, across all disciplines.

Every year the Wellcome Sanger Institute supports the visits of dozens of overseas researchers from across the globe to the Genome campus to collaborate, share insights and to undertake ground-breaking scientific research. Our reliable in-house service provides expert advice and guidance to support current and prospective staff, and visitors at various points of their journey. We are able to provide guidance through your entire journey, from initial visa application through to extensions and applications of Indefinite Leave to Remain, the service is proud to support your personal applications and those of your dependants and family members. 

For more information about our immigration service visit: https://www.sanger.ac.uk/about/careers/global-mobility-and-immigration-service/