Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia

Electron Microscopy Technician

Italy

Commitment & contract: One-year full-time technician  

Location: Electron Microscopy Facility (EMF), Center for Convergent Technologies, Genoa

Step into a world of endless possibilities, together let’s leave something for the future!

At IIT, we are committed to advancing human-centered Science and Technology to address the most urgent societal challenges of our era. We foster excellence in both fundamental and applied research, spanning fields such as neuroscience and cognition, humanoid technologies and robotics, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and material sciences, offering a truly interdisciplinary scientific experience. Our approach integrates cutting-edge tools and technology, empowering researchers to push the limits of knowledge and innovation. With us, your curiosity will know no bounds.

We are dedicated to providing equal employment opportunities and fostering diversity in all its forms, creating an inclusive environment. We value the unique experiences, knowledge, backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives of our people. By embracing diversity, we believe science can achieve its fullest potential.

THE ROLE

You’d be working in a multi-disciplinary group, where people with different backgrounds collaborate, each with their own expertise, to carry out the research.

The Electron Microscopy Facility (EMF) is coordinated by Dr. Rosaria Brescia. The EMF currently hosts: one high-resolution scanning electron microscope (SEM, Zeiss GeminiSEM 560) and one conventional SEM (JEOL JSM-6490LA), both of them equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analytical systems and provided with variable-pressure working mode; two conventional transmission electron microscopes (TEMs), one 100 kV (JEOL JEM-1011) and one 120 kV TEM (JEOL JEM-1400Plus), the latter one equipped with an EDS analytical system; two 200 kV TEMs equipped with electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) and EDS analytical systems and with direct electron detection cameras, one (JEOL JEM-2200FS) provided with an image-aberration corrector and the other one (FEI Tecnai F20) optimized for cryo-electron microscopy. Moreover, the EMF is equipped with various sample preparation tools. The EMF team is involved in research projects that span across materials science, drug discovery, nanomedicine, neuroscience, and robotics, to name a few.

Your main responsibilities will be:

  • Train and support users on EMs and related equipment.
  • Maintain and troubleshoot EMs and related equipment and sample preparation tools.
  • Help keep the facility and labs running.
  • Be involved in keeping a safe workplace for all the activities run within the EMF.
  • Communicate/liaise with national and international suppliers.
  • Analysis of inorganic samples via TEM-based techniques
  • Analysis of various types of inorganic samples by high-resolution SEM imaging and SEM-EDS
  • Collection of data and analysis for a variety of collaborations within and outside IIT, with presentation of research results in reports and meetings. This type of collaboration, if significant, often ends up in publications in international peer-reviewed journals.

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

  • A master degree in Materials Science, Chemistry, Physics or a similar discipline
  • Familiarity with the main IT software packages
  • A cooperative approach with the stakeholders
  • Accuracy and good analytical skills
  • Fluency in English and a good knowledge of Italian
  • High motivation to learn
  • Good at time and priority management
  • Ability to work in a challenging and international environment
  • Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a highly interdisciplinary and multicultural environment

ADDITIONAL SKILLS

  • Knowledge of fundamentals of electron microscopy and related techniques and dedicated software for image analysis
  • Hands-on experience in the operation of electron microscopes
  • Hands-on experience in troubleshooting and basic maintenance of vacuum instrumentation and laboratory equipment
  • Good communication skills
  • Strong problem solving attitude
  • Spirit of innovation and creativity

COMPENSATION PACKAGE

  • Competitive salary for international standards
  • Private health care coverage depending on your role and contract
  • Flexible working hours are available for certain roles
  • Meal vouchers depending on your work contract

Interested candidates should provide their CV, with two contact names for references, and detail in a cover letter their fit to the above-outlined responsibilities and qualifications (max two pages).

Deadline: June 30th, 2025

To discover more about life at IIT, visit the dedicated section here: https://www.iit.it/en/work-at-iit

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