Senior Scientist – Protein Production (upstream)

Job Title: Senior Scientist: Protein Production (upstream)
Location: Stevenage 
Job Type: Permanent – Full Time 

At LifeArc, we want to hear from people who are as passionate as we are about making life science life changing that can improve patients’ lives.

 A bit about the role:

We are looking for a knowledgeable, enthusiastic and agile team member to be part of the core biologics platform which generates recombinant proteins for LifeArc’s translational sciences drug discovery programmes.  All our processes are conducted with a focus on high quality and reproducibility. The group works closely with project teams and provides expression, clarification, purification and quality analysis of recombinant proteins including antigens, antibodies in multiple formats, and other novel modalities.   

As a specialist in upstream processes in this role, you will support protein sciences to deliver our biologics portfolio and would be expected to work independently to perform specialised routine and non-routine experiments, contribute to the scientific rationale of any assigned projects and develop and apply your specialist knowledge of scientific techniques/experiments to further project objectives.  Specifically, you will take responsibility for maintaining upstream protein production operations, including transfections and assessment of expression levels, and support the team to ensure that materials are delivered for further downstream development within deadlines. In addition, you will take a lead on identifying ground-breaking technologies that benefit biologics drug discovery, introducing new systems and optimising processes to enhance capabilities in protein expression. Expertise in construct design, purification or protein analysis would also be valued.

 About you:
 Education & experience required: 

Essential

• PhD, or educated to BSc/MSc in Biochemistry/Biology/Biological Sciences or related subject or equivalent apprenticeship technician or other relevant experience in related field. 

• Experience with a range of mammalian expression systems, high-throughput methodologies and expression in large bench scale (e.g., Wavebag or bioreactors such as Sartorius Ambr or Applikon MiniBio)
• Experience in reagent generation, antibody expression, screening and/or characterisation 
• Practical experience within a translational or biopharma setting of protein/antibody-based research
• An extensive working knowledge across cell culture/protein expression, with evidence of process development or troubleshooting
• Experience in sourcing and bringing in new technologies or techniques

Desirable

• Experience with challenging targets or modalities (e.g., membrane proteins or nanobodies)
• Experience in other expression systems (e.g., yeast, bacterial, insect)
• Protein/antibody characterisation techniques (e.g kinetics (SPR or BLI), HPLC-SEC, light-scattering (MALS, DLS…), circular dichroism, ELISA)
• Protein/antibody purification using FPLC (AKTA) systems
• Basic molecular biology skills (DNA preparation and sub-cloning)
• Experience using in silico-based tools for construct design and/or structural analysis
• Experience in high throughput methodology with associated data capture and handling
• Supervisory experience
• Project management experience

Skills & abilities:

• Willingness to embrace opportunities to expand skills with new methods or equipment
• Attention to detail essential for adherence to protocols and recording of experimental methods and data
• Self-motivated and adaptable, with the organisational skills necessary to work to deadlines and on multiple projects
• Intellectual curiosity, critical and analytical thinker, strong problem solver
• Evidence of successful collaboration and ability to work well within a team.  This will include good communication skills, both verbal and written, and confident presentation of data

 About us:

At LifeArc, our ambition is to make life science life changing. We do this by advancing scientific discoveries beyond the lab, faster, so that they can shape the next generation of diagnostics, treatments, and cures. 

Working at the cutting edge of translational science and as the early-stage translation specialists, we progress scientific discoveries on their journey to becoming a medicine, diagnostic or intervention that can improve patients’ lives. Our work begins by seeking out innovative science, then helping to develop this to a point where there is a clinical and commercial pathway for others to invest the time and money to take it further forward. 

 What we can offer you:

Salary will be determined by qualifications and experience along with other exceptional benefits. Because we understand everyone has different requirements, our flexible benefits allow you to choose those which are important to you. Our pension scheme offers employer contributions of up to 12%, private health insurance, and annual leave of 31 days PLUS bank holidays. 

Join us, and you’ll have the scope to be creative and take measured risks. You’ll be rewarded for your curiosity, for working as one team, and for learning fast. And you’ll have everything you need to be your best every day. 

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people from minority ethnic backgrounds, for example, are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At LifeArc we are dedicated in building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so whatever your background or lived experience, if you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. Our top priority is finding the best candidate and you may be just the right candidate for this or other roles. 

We all have potential. At LifeArc, you’ll discover what you can really do with it.

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