Research Associate in Advanced Cryo-Imaging (Maternity Cover 12 Months)

The Rosalind Franklin Institute (the Franklin) is a technology institute established by the UK Government as a unique centre committed to advancing tools that are needed to transform healthcare in the future.

The Institute brings together researchers in life and physical sciences, and engineering, to develop a spectrum of tools which we will use to image, interpret and intervene in biological systems. These insights will speed up the discovery of new medicines, help find new diagnostics and contribute to a deeper understanding of human health and disease. Our Science Strategy seeks to focus the Franklin’s research and unite our researchers around our Technology Innovation Challenges and Life Science Challenges. For more information on the Franklin’s Challenges click here.

As a Research Associate at the Franklin, you will bring scientific knowledge and skills to deliver a specific research project and/or you will bring independent, creative science, or specific skills to a team delivering a project or program. Through this work, you will build scientific independence, develop new science and leadership skills, and establish a growing reputation externally.

The successful candidate will exploit advanced cryogenic correlative imaging approaches to dissect the molecular, structural, and biophysical mechanisms governing HIV maturation and early entry. In collaboration with the group of Sergi Padilla at Kings College, you will combine time-resolved FLIM/FRET measurements employing custom-engineered biosensors with cryo-electron tomography and high-resolution structural analysis to resolve dynamic conformational and assembly processes during viral maturation, thereby delivering new mechanistic insights into HIV infectivity. The direction of the project will be to push this nascent correlative technique into the cell, potentially into tissues, to enable lifetime-based correlation of features within the cell.

Key Responsibilities

As a Research Associate you will:

• * Scientifically lead the understanding of molecular mechanism by which HIV mature before entry.
• * Develop novel correlative methods for cryogenic workflows.
• * Plan and conduct experiments, analyse and interpret results and supervised delivery of outputs (e.g. research reports, patent applications) in a scientific area of interest.
• * Work within a project team, contributing to wider projects around Franklin’s key Challenges.
• * Lead major contributions to outputs from research including papers, patents and both internal and external presentations.
• * Support and develop others including day-to-day supervision of students or visitors in areas related to own research.
• * Have supervised, staged progression to first stages of scientific independence with opportunities to further develop science and your skills/experience.
• * Enhance your research through collaboration with other researchers and make active contributions to exchanging of ideas through your own network.
• * Be able to understand, interpret, create and communicate appropriately within a research context.
• * Develop search and discovery skills and techniques.
• * Be supervised by a Scientist/Senior Scientist in delivery of research outputs, either in the context of a project or Challenge or as an early career development fellow.

Before submitting your application please ensure you read the Job Information Pack for full details of this role.  This can be found at the bottom of the page. 

This job description set outs the skills and experience we believe are needed to be able to do this job but, research also tells us women are much more likely than men to take this list of requirements as absolute and self-select out of the process. If you think you can deliver this role then we want to hear from you, regardless of the boxes you did not tick.

Whilst the role requires candidates to hold a PhD/DPhil (or equivalent), we may consider candidates who are close to completion of their PhD/DPhil qualification, in which case the initial appointment will be made at £37,500 per annum (to be increased on completion of the PhD/DPhil qualification).

In return we offer:

• * 25 days holidays plus bank holidays and Christmas holiday shutdown
• * Generous pension scheme (employer’s contribution currently up to 18%)
• * Group Life Assurance (also known as Group Life Insurance or Death in Service)
• * Hub building with state-of-the-art laboratories
• * Hybrid and flexible working
• * Training and development opportunities for staff at all levels
• * Bus pass discount scheme and good transport links to Oxford and surrounding areas
• * Cycle to Work Scheme
• * Access to employee discount platform (Perkbox)
• * Occupational Health and wellbeing support including Employee Assistance (24/7 support and counselling)
• * Health Cash Plan
• * Subsidised canteen and food outlets on campus
• * Free on-site parking
• * Campus location in beautiful countryside with social and sports clubs open to staff

The Franklin’s underlying aim is to produce the best science for research today, and this means resolutely embracing a diverse team, who have a wide range of experiences, skills and knowledge to push forward on the innovative work our institution delivers. Both our work and our institution are better for it. For further information, view our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy. 

We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where every applicant has an equal opportunity to showcase their talents and abilities. This includes making adjustments for candidates with specific needs. Please contact us at recruitment@rfi.ac.uk to discuss your requirements confidentially.

At the Rosalind Franklin Institute we also welcome applications from all around the world!

To be considered for this role, please submit a CV and cover letter explaining why you think you are the right person for this job. Please include information about your education and work experience.

Closing date: The closing date for applications is 23:59 on Sunday 1st February 2026.

Applicants should refer to our Candidate Privacy Policy