The Cori Institute of Molecular and Computational Metabolism is a new research institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, being established in Graz in close partnership with the University of Graz, the Medical University of Graz and Graz University of Technology. Its mission is to decode, model and engineer human metabolism and its interaction with the environment, bringing together experimental biology, medicine, computation, AI, engineering and translational thinking.
We are recruiting three founding colleagues for one of the first experimental research teams at Cori: one Laboratory Manager / Senior Research Technician and two Research Technicians. Together, they will help build the laboratory and establish the experimental foundation for our work on metabolism in the central nervous system, with a focus on organoids, cell biology, membrane transporters, mitochondria, neurodegeneration and ageing.
We are looking for three motivated colleagues who want to help build this environment from the beginning.
The positions:
- Laboratory Manager / Senior Research Technician
This is a key founding role for a highly organised, hands-on person who wants to help create a first-class experimental laboratory from scratch.
The successful candidate will help set up the laboratory in Graz, coordinate the transfer of equipment, materials, protocols and working practices from Vienna, organise new equipment procurement, support installation and maintenance, establish workflows, support safety and documentation, and make sure that scientists have what they need to work efficiently.
The role will also include helping with onboarding of new lab members, supporting the move into the temporary Cori laboratory and then in the new purpose-made buildings, and acting as an important interface between scientists, administration, vendors and institutional services. As new junior PIs and research groups join Cori, this role may grow beyond one laboratory and become an important operational anchor for the developing institute.
We are looking for someone who enjoys responsibility, has excellent organisational skills, understands laboratory life, and takes pride in making science work smoothly.
- Research Technician – CNS Organoids and Cell Culture
We are looking for a careful and enthusiastic research technician to work on human CNS organoids and advanced cell culture models.
Prior organoid experience is welcome but not essential. More important is a genuine love of cell culture, patience, precision, cleanliness, curiosity and the desire to master demanding biological systems. The work will involve maintaining human cell models, supporting differentiation protocols, monitoring organoid quality, helping with perturbation experiments, preparing samples for molecular and imaging analyses, and contributing to a collaborative research programme on brain metabolism.
This position is ideal for someone who enjoys hands-on experimental work, likes living biological systems, and wants to become highly skilled in modern CNS cell culture technologies learning from very experienced scientists some of the most fascinating contemporary biological technologies.
- Research Technician – Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology
We are also looking for a research technician to support experimental work in general biochemistry, molecular biology and cell biology.
The role will include work with mammalian cell culture and organoids, protein and metabolite-related assays, molecular biology, microscopy, sample preparation, perturbation experiments and quantitative analysis of cellular phenotypes. The work will contribute to projects investigating membrane transporters, mitochondrial function, metabolic regulation, neurodegeneration and ageing.
This position is suitable for someone with a solid experimental background, great manual skills, reliability, attention to detail, and enthusiasm for mechanistic biology.
General requirements for all positions
We are looking for candidates who bring:
- strong motivation to contribute to the founding phase of a new research institute and want to establish excellence from the onset
- reliability, precision and a high sense of responsibility
- enthusiasm for experimental biology and for understanding metabolism in the nervous system
- willingness to work in an international, collaborative and fast-developing environment
- good organisational skills and attention to detail
- ability to communicate well with scientists, technicians, students and administrative staff
- openness to learning new methods and adapting to changing needs during the institute-building phase
- good command of English; German is useful but not essential
Candidates should enjoy working in a team, take pride in high-quality experimental work, and be willing to contribute to a generous, rigorous and efficient laboratory culture.
Specific requirements
For the Laboratory Manager / Senior Research Technician
Required or highly desirable:
- substantial experience in a biomedical, molecular biology, cell biology or biochemistry laboratory
- strong organisational and coordination skills
- experience with laboratory setup, equipment procurement, maintenance, documentation or safety procedures
- ability to interact confidently with suppliers, institutional services and administrative units
- willingness to coordinate the practical aspects of moving laboratory activities, equipment and materials from Vienna to Graz
- ability to support onboarding and day-to-day needs of new lab members
- readiness to act as a central problem-solver during the founding phase of the laboratory and, later, possibly for additional junior research groups
- digital lab Notebook and modern inventory tracking database like Quartzy.
- Material Transfer Agreement (MTA)
- handling the digital and operational infrastructure of high-tech workflows (e.g. for collaboration with the core facilities)
This role is particularly suited to someone who combines scientific understanding with practical intelligence, calmness, initiative and a talent for making complex things work.
For the Research Technician – CNS Organoids and Cell Culture
Required or highly desirable:
- experience with mammalian cell culture
- excellent sterile technique or strong willingness to master it
- interest in stem cells, differentiation systems, neural cells or organoids
- patience and consistency in long-term culture work
- careful documentation of protocols, culture conditions and experimental outcomes
- willingness to work with delicate and sometimes demanding biological systems
- enthusiasm for brain biology, metabolism, development, ageing or disease mechanisms
Previous experience with iPS cells, neural differentiation, CNS, organoids, transduction/transfection and genetic manipulation protocols, downstream processing e.g. cryosectioning, imaging or high-content assays would be an advantage, but is not required.
For the Research Technician – Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology
Required or highly desirable:
- practical experience in molecular biology, biochemistry or cell biology
- familiarity with standard techniques such as cell culture, western blotting, PCR/qPCR, cloning, immunostaining, microscopy, protein work or cellular assays
- interest in mitochondrial biology, transporters, metabolism, neurodegeneration or ageing
- ability to perform experiments reproducibly and document them clearly
- willingness to support different projects and experimental workflows
- comfort with quantitative thinking and data organisation
Experience with metabolic assays, mitochondrial bioenergetic assays, transporter biology, quantitative preparation for proteomics and metabolomics extraction pipelines ,flow cytometry or imaging-based phenotyping would be a plus.
What we offer
These positions offer the rare opportunity to join a new institute at its very beginning. You will not enter a fully finished structure; you will help build it. This means responsibility, variety and the chance to shape how a modern research environment works.
You will be part of a scientifically ambitious, international and collaborative team, working at the interface of metabolism, neuroscience, cell biology and disease mechanisms. The work will take place in Graz, one of Austria’s most attractive university cities, within a new institute designed to become a leading European centre for quantitative and experimental metabolism research.
For research technicians, these positions offer the opportunities for professional development and continuous training (e.g. mastering cutting-edge CNS organoid and omics technologies) from the beginning, rather than simply executing established routines in an already fixed environment. The successful candidates will work closely with the founding scientific leadership and with the first members of the experimental team, helping to establish both the scientific workflows and the laboratory culture.
Employment conditions
The positions are based in Graz, Austria, and are expected to start in September 2026.
Excellent employee benefits including full insurance coverage (health, accident, retirement), health care
Starting monthly gross salary of at least EUR €3.370,00-3.900,00 (Laboratory Manager and €2.839,00-€3.500,00 (Research Technicians) paid 14 times yearly ,following the recommendations of FWF.
Support for relocating to Graz is provided (relocation reimbursement, visa support, etc.)
Applications
The Cori Institute and the Austrian Academy of Sciences are committed to equality of opportunity, diversity and an inclusive working environment. Applications from qualified candidates of all backgrounds are welcome. We especially encourage applications from candidates who will contribute to the diversity of the institute.
We look forward to receiving your application. Please submit the following documents as a single PDF using the following link: https://cori-institute.onlyfy.jobs/job/3854x2fr
- Cover Letter: Explaining your motivation, your specific strengths in relation to the chosen role, and which position(s) you wish to be considered for.
- Curriculum Vitae (CV): Detailing your education, comprehensive laboratory/technical experience, and relevant method skills.
- References: Contact details for two professional referees.
Candidates may also indicate whether they would like to be considered for more than one of the three roles. Applications received before July 31 will be accepted.
Additional information
City Graz
Position type Full-time employee
Start of work 01.09.2026
Responsible
Memo Mokhles
