Scientific Associate - 100%

Company Description ##

With more than 13'000 employees representing 160 professions, the Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève are a reference institution at the national and international level. To learn more about our institution, take a few minutes to consult our 2025 retrospective by clicking here.

The-Department of surgery-ensures the care of female and male patients-24h/24, both in elective and emergency cases-requiring surgical intervention. It represents a center of excellence, not only Swiss, but also European in several fields and in several of its surgical specialties.---

Within this department, the-Transplantation Service-has the mission of ensuring the assessment, treatment, and medico-surgical follow-up of solid organ transplant recipients (liver, kidney, pancreas, islets of Langerhans, small intestine, multi-visceral transplantations). In 2024, the service performed 95 organ transplantations, including 50 livers, 38 kidneys, 3 pancreases, and 4 islets of Langerhans transplantations. Within the service, the Laboratoire d'isolement et de transplantation cellulaire (LITC) is the only isolation center for human pancreatic islets in Switzerland. Clinically active since 1992, it prepares islets intended for transplantation in compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP/cGMP) and applicable-Swissmedic-and OFSP authorizations, and constitutes a hospital-university platform for research, innovation, and training in the fields of cellular transplantation and beta cell replacement.-

Job Description ##

As a scientific associate within the LITC, you contribute to the clinical activities of preparation and transplantation of-islets of Langerhans as well as to the laboratory's translational and clinical research projects.

You exercise your missions in strict compliance with standard operating procedures, the LITC quality system, applicable GMP/cGMP requirements, and rules of traceability, biosafety, and aseptic handling in controlled zones. Your activities are carried out in accordance with the responsibilities, delegations, and authorizations defined in the quality system.

After having completed the required training and obtained the corresponding documented authorizations, you participate in the on-call service and islet isolation procedures. As part of your duties, you review information relating to the donor and the pancreas and contribute to their verification. You ensure the technical management of the-organ and carry out the different stages of isolation: preparation of solutions and equipment, dissection, enzymatic perfusion, digestion, harvesting, centrifugation, purification, counting, purity assessment, and culture.

You perform and document the planned quality controls, contribute to the evaluation of their results, and ensure the packaging as well as the preparation of the islets for transport and transplantation. Final decisions regarding organ acceptance and batch release fall to formally authorized persons in accordance with the quality system.

You complete and verify preparation, batch, and traceability files, and ensure their accuracy and completeness. You report any deviation or non-conformity without delay and contribute to investigations, corrective and preventive actions, change management, and risk assessment.

You participate in the development, revision, and improvement of standard operating procedures. You also contribute to qualification, validation, training, audit, and inspection activities, in compliance with the separation of duties applicable in a regulated environment.

You contribute to the LITC research projects in the fields of beta cell replacement, insulin-secreting implants, biomaterials, organoids, preclinical models, immunoprotection, and regenerative medicine. You participate in the planning and execution of experiments, data analysis and traceability, as well as the preparation of scientific reports and publications.

Finally, you participate in the supervision of students and interns, scientific colloquia, and knowledge dissemination activities.

Qualifications ##

You hold at least a university or HES Bachelor's degree in biology, biomedical sciences, cell biology, biotechnology, or a scientific field deemed equivalent. A Master's or a doctorate (PhD) in one of these fields is an asset.

Previous experience in the isolation of human pancreatic islets intended for clinical transplantation in a GMP/cGMP environment is an important asset.

You have participated in scientific research projects, from their experimental realization to the analysis and presentation of results. A contribution to scientific publications is an advantage.

You demonstrate proven teamwork spirit and great autonomy. You have a marked interest in clinical and translational research. You are capable of working in a multidisciplinary environment and managing urgent activities requiring precision and self-control.

You possess good English skills, both oral and written.

Additional Information ##

The function requires availability to participate in the on-call service, including outside regular hours, nights, weekends, and public holidays.

• Start date: 01.11.2026
• Number of positions: 1
• Activity rate: 100%
• Function class: 17
• Contract type: CDI
• Application deadline: 02.10.2026
• Request for information: Pre. E. Berishvili Berney,