The world is changing at an ever-faster pace. At the Johannes Kepler University Linz, we work on technologies and the ideas of tomorrow on a daily basis. At the same time, we educate over 27,000 young people to meet the demands of today’s job market. In short, we are Upper Austria’s largest institution for education and research. Are you interested in being a part of shaping the future of Austria’s most attractive campus university? We currently have a job opening for a:

Research Project Associate with a Diploma or Master’s degree for a 30 - 40 hour/week (part-time or full-time), two-year position 

Organizational unit:

Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology

Entry date:

09/01/2026

Term from

09/01/2026

Temporary employment to:

08/31/2028

Job Reference Number:

61060-2026-002001

The Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology is seeking to fill a position as a Research Assistant (project-based) for the following diverse and exciting range of responsibilities.

Job Duties:

• Cell culture: growth, expansion, and quality control of human primary cell types, iPSCs; differentiation into pre-somitic/somitic structures using established signaling inducers; establishment of 3D somites in hydrogels (e.g., Matrigel, collagen)
• Establish the differentiation into endothelial lineages and to vascularization workflows
• Quantify cell lineage development (e.g., immunostaining, qPCR); contribute to imaging analyses (e.g., confocal microscopy, STED microscopy)
• Prepare, load, and handle PDMS-based 3D culture chips (microchannel/micropillar chambers) for structured microtissue cultures and vascular embedding
• Documentation, sample and data management

Your Qualifications:

• The successful candidate must hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in biology, stem cell biology, biotechnology, or a related field
• Practical experience in sterile cell culture is mandatory
• 3D cell culture/organoid culture in hydrogels is of advantage
• Experience in working with iPSCs and human primary material is of advantage
• Experience in immunostaining and confocal imaging is of advantage
• Careful working style, team spirit, and enthusiasm for interdisciplinary collaboration
• Proficiency in English and German (English: B2 level, German: A2 level)
• Basic knowledge of data analysis and statistics

What We Offer:

• On the basis of full-time employment (40 hours/week) the minimum salary in accordance with the collective agreement is € 3,776.10 gross per month (14 x per year, CA Job Grade: B1)
• Stable employer
• Attractive campus environment with good public transportation connections
• Attractive continual educational opportunities
• State-of-the-art research infrastructure
• Dynamic research environment
• Exercise and sports classes (USI)
• …and much more

Application due date:

07/01/2026

The Johannes Kepler University wishes to increase the proportion of academic female faculty and, for this reason, especially welcomes applications by qualified women. If applicants are equally qualified, a woman will be given preference for this position. The university welcomes applications from qualified applicants with disabilities. These applications will be given special consideration. 

Space for your future? We look forward to receiving your application via our job portal. For further information, please contact: Dr.in Andrea Malandrino, PhD, E-mail: andrea.malandrino@jku.at.

Location:

Krankenhausstraße 5, 4020 Linz