Senior Imaging Applications Scientist

Biohub is leading the new era of AI-powered biology to cure or prevent disease through its 501c3 medical research organization, with the support of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

Biohub is a group of nonprofit research institutes that bring together scientists, engineers, and physicians with the goal of pursuing grand scientific challenges on 10- to 15-year time horizons. Biohub focuses on understanding underlying mechanisms of disease and developing new technologies that will lead to actionable diagnostics and effective therapies.

Our Vision

• We pursue large scientific challenges that cannot be pursued in conventional environments
• We enable individual investigators to pursue their riskiest and most innovative ideas
• The technologies developed at Biohub facilitate research by scientists and clinicians at our home institutions and beyond

Diversity of thought, ideas, and perspectives are at the heart of Biohub and enable disruptive innovation and scholarly excellence. We are committed to cultivating an organization where all colleagues feel inspired and know their work makes an important contribution.

Biohub seeks an experienced Senior Imaging Applications Scientist to bridge cutting-edge imaging technology development and transformative biological research. This role combines technical expertise, scientific consultation, and collaborative leadership to advance the frontiers of biological imaging.

You will translate novel imaging technologies from prototype to production, ensuring robust delivery of biological breakthroughs. Working at the intersection of optics, biology, and computation, you will provide expert consultation on experimental design, develop and optimize advanced imaging workflows, and empower researchers to extract maximum biological insight from state-of-the-art microscopy systems.

Technical Leadership

• Serve as expert for advanced light microscopy systems including light-sheet, super-resolution (STED, SIM, SMLM), multiphoton, and custom research instruments.
• Lead implementation, optimization, and maintenance of complex optical systems through alignment, calibration, and troubleshooting.
• Collaborate with optical engineers to commission new imaging modalities, validate performance, and transition prototypes to robust research tools.

Scientific Consultation

• Provide high-level consultation across biological disciplines, and guidance in modality selection, fluorescent probe strategies, sample preparation, and acquisition parameters.
• Troubleshoot complex imaging challenges and implement creative solutions.
• Develop customized protocols for novel biological applications.

Method Development

• Lead implementation and optimization of FLIM, FRET, FCS, fluorescence anisotropy, and time-resolved techniques.
• Help develop novel imaging approaches combining multiple modalities.
• Support applications of emerging technologies to challenging biological systems.

Workflow Development

• Coordinate scheduling and equitable access to shared microscopy resources and efficient budget management.
• Design sophisticated acquisition workflows including automated multi-dimensional imaging and adaptive strategies.
• Collaborate with software developers on user interfaces, data management, and analysis pipelines, and implement available open source tools (ImageJ/Fiji, napari, CellProfiler, Python based software) and commercial software.
• Provide training in quantitative image analysis from basic processing to machine learning approaches.

Community Building

• Organize hands-on workshops, seminars, and microscopy training courses.
• Create comprehensive documentation, tutorials, and best-practice guides. 
• Represent Biohub at select conferences and contribute to workshops, community engagement activities promoting adoption and dissemination of advanced imaging methods.

Essential -

• Ph.D. (or equivalent) in Physics, Chemistry, Biophysics, Bioengineering, Cell Biology, or related field.
• 8+ years progressive hands-on experience with advanced light microscopy supporting diverse users.
• Deep expertise in optical microscopy fundamentals: optical design, fluorescence photophysics, laser systems, optical alignment, system characterization.
• Demonstrated mastery of multiple advanced imaging modalities, particularly light-sheet microscopy (SPIM, lattice light-sheet) and quantitative fluorescence techniques (FLIM, time-resolved methods).
• Strong knowledge of fluorescent probe chemistry and photophysics.
• Proficiency with image analysis software and programming (ImageJ/Fiji, Python, MATLAB, R) and metadata standards (OME-TIFF, OME-ZARR) and imaging data management.
• Outstanding communication skills across diverse audiences from undergraduates to senior investigators.
• Demonstrated success in highly interdisciplinary environments bridging physics, engineering, computer science, and biology.
• Strong teaching and mentoring abilities.
• Track record of scientific publication contributions.

Nice to have - 

• Experience managing core facilities or shared research instrumentation.
• Hands-on experience with super-resolution (STED, STORM, PALM, SIM), multiphoton imaging, or adaptive optics.
• Experience with modern scientific cameras (sCMOS, EMCCD), detectors (PMTs, SPADs, hybrid detectors), and data acquisition electronics.
• Expertise in high-content screening, automated imaging, or image-based phenotyping.
• Machine learning/deep learning experience for image analysis.
• Proficiency with microscope control software and hardware APIs (Micro-Manager, Python-microscope, instrument SDKs).
• Track record developing and teaching microscopy courses.
• Familiarity with correlative microscopy (CLEM, multi-modal imaging).
• Contributions to open-source microscopy projects.

The   San Francisco, CA base pay range for a new hire in this role is $193, $265,000.00, New hires are typically hired into the lower portion of the range, enabling employee growth in the range over time. Actual placement in range is based on job-related skills and experience, as evaluated throughout the interview process. 

As we grow, we're excited to strengthen in-person connections and cultivate a collaborative, team-oriented environment. This role is a hybrid position requiring you to be onsite for at least 60% of the working month, approximately 3 days a week, with specific in-office days determined by the team's manager. The exact schedule will be at the hiring manager's discretion and communicated during the interview process.

We're thankful to have an incredible team behind our work. To honor their commitment, we offer a wide range of benefits to support the people who make all we do possible. 

• Provides a generous employer match on employee 401(k) contributions to support planning for the future.
• Paid time off to volunteer at an organization of your choice. 
• Funding for select family-forming benefits. 
• Relocation support for employees who need assistance moving

If you're interested in a role but your previous experience doesn't perfectly align with each qualification in the job description, we still encourage you to apply as you may be the perfect fit for this or another role.

#LI-Hybrid #LI-Onsite