EMBL Rome Administration & Operations Manager

The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) is a world-leading international life sciences research organization with its main laboratory situated in Heidelberg, Germany and five laboratories at other sites in Europe. In Italy, EMBL employs approximately 90 people involved in fundamental research and service activities in the area of Epigenetics and Neurobiology. EMBL shares the Monterotondo Campus with the Italian National Research Council (CNR) Institute for Biochemistry and Cell Biology (IBBC).

As our new Administration & Operations Manager you will lead a dedicated team of ten persons and ensure the smooth running of all administrative and support services. You will play a key role in shaping how we work, nurturing a positive, solution-focused culture, and building strong connections within EMBL and with our Italian partners.

You will oversee a broad portfolio — from human resources, finance and purchasing, to events, communications, and campus relationships — always with an eye on efficiency, fairness, and wellbeing. Working closely with the Head of EMBL Rome, you will also contribute to strategic decisions and represent our site with local and national authorities.

Your role

Inspire, guide and support our administrative team in their daily work and career development.

Provide trusted advice to leadership on administrative, policy, and legal matters.

Oversee budgets, finances and grants, ensuring transparency and compliance.

Act as a bridge with EMBL’s central services in Heidelberg, and with the Italian authorities, to safeguard EMBL staff privileges and support our international community.

Help shape partnerships by negotiating new contracts and fostering collaborations with other research institutes.

Ensure our workplace is safe, welcoming and well-managed.

Be our voice: Represent us in internal and external working groups and committees, and build lasting partnerships with other international organizations.

Support our people: Guide HR processes, help resolve staff issues, coordinate recruitment and contracts, and devise local HR initiatives and training. You’ll also liaise with government bodies for staff privileges, visas, and accreditations.

Oversee purchasing: Supervise purchasing and commercial contracts to keep our operations compliant and efficient.

Co-manage our facilities: Advise on space planning, office moves, maintenance, and anything that helps our workplace stay efficient and comfortable.

You have

A degree in Business Administration, Public Management, or a related field, or

At least 7 years’ experience in administration, including 3 years in a leadership role, ideally in an international or multicultural setting.

A positive, forward-thinking approach, with the ability to solve problems creatively and communicate with empathy and clarity.

Fluent English and Italian.

You might also have

In addition to having the competence and stature to direct all aspects of the work, you would ideally have specific knowledge and experience in at least one of the following fields:

human resources management

negotiating and drafting contracts

finance and budget control

Contract length: 3 or 5 years (renewable up to 9 years)

Salary: Grade 8 monthly salary from 4.385,39 EUR (after tax, and before 12.05% EMBL social security deductions) plus other paid benefits

Interviews: we plan to hold interviews in late October / early November. Details will be confirmed with selected candidates.

Why join us

EMBL is curiosity-driven, community-oriented and international. As an inclusive, equal opportunity employer, we believe that diversity enables us to collaborate more effectively and be innovative in our approaches. We are, therefore, committed to creating an inclusive and flexible culture - one where everyone can realise their full potential and make a positive contribution to our organisation.

We encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing team – we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and personal experiences reflect the diversity of the populations that our science serves. We actively encourage applications from all genders and cultures, ethnic groups and all demographics to help us avoid perpetuating biases and oversights at this transformational point in our people strategy.

Enjoy lots of benefits:

Financial incentives: Salary free of income tax, Monthly family, child and non-resident allowances, annual salary review, pension scheme, death benefit, long-term care, accident-at-work and unemployment insurances

Flexible working arrangements

Private medical insurance for you and your immediate family (including all prescriptions and generous dental & optical cover)

Generous time off: 30 days annual leave per year, in addition to public holidays

Relocation package including installation grant (if applicable)

Campus life: Free shuttle bus (select sites), on-site library, subsidised on-site gym and cafeteria, casual dress code, extensive sports and social club activities (on campus and remotely)

Family benefits: Kindergarten (Heidelberg), 10 days of child sick leave, generous paid maternity/parental leave and monthly family & child allowances

Benefits for international newcomers: Visa exemption, education grant for private schooling, financial support to travel back to your home country every second year and a monthly non-resident allowance.

For detailed information please visit our employee benefits page here

What else you need to know

International applicants: We recruit internationally and successful candidates are offered visa exemptions. Visit our International Applicants page, to find out more.

EMBL is a signatory of DORA. Find out how we apply DORA principles to our recruitment and performance assessment processes here.

Diversity and inclusion: At EMBL, we strongly believe that inclusive and diverse teams benefit from higher levels of innovation and creative thought. We encourage applications from women, LGBTQ+ & individuals from all nationalities.

How to apply: To apply please submit a cover letter and a CV through our online system. Applications will close at 23:59 CET on the date shown below. We aim to provide a response within two weeks after the closing date.

Closing Date29/09/2025

JR2343