Senior Scientist: Protein Production (downstream)

Location: Stevenage

Job Type: Permanent

Agencies: We will only work with recruitment partners on our preferred supplier list and will not engage with speculative CVs submitted.

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 protein production scientist with extensive experience and a passionate interest in protein and antibody purification and in line management. This is an opportunity for a knowledgeable and enthusiastic person to join our core biologics discovery team which sits within translational therapeutic platforms. The team 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, purification and quality analysis of recombinant proteins including antigens, antibodies in multiple formats, and other novel modalities.

As a specialist in downstream processes, you will support protein sciences to deliver our drug discovery portfolio. You will be expected to work independently to perform specialised routine and non-routine experiments, and to successfully line manage 1-3 scientists. You will contribute to the scientific rationale of any assigned projects and further project objectives by developing and applying your specialist knowledge of scientific techniques/experiments. Specifically, you will take responsibility for managing and maintaining downstream protein production operations, including protein purification at varying scales, and support the matrix team to ensure that materials are delivered within deadlines. In addition, you will take a lead on identifying ground-breaking technologies that benefit LifeArc’s platform technology, introducing new systems and optimising processes to enhance capabilities in protein expression. Expertise in the structural design of molecules and constructs, protein expression, or analysis would also be valued.

About you:

Essential

• Extensive knowledge of protein purification technologies and applications
• Experience of AKTA purification systems and creation of bespoke purification programs, ideally using AKTA avant, autosampler (e.g. Alias, Teledyne) and Unicorn 7
• Experience of purifying from mammalian cell lines, especially antibodies, antigens, and other proteins, ideally in pharma, biotech or a CRO
• Experience in line management, mentoring and coaching
• Experience of protein chemistry and structure
• Experience in sourcing and bringing in new technologies or techniques
• Willingness to embrace opportunities to expand skills with new methods or equipment
• Attention to detail and accurate 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 collaborations and the ability to work well within a team
• Good communication skills, both verbal and written, and confident presentation of data

Desirable

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

Qualifications:

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.

Supervisor experience desirable.

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? At LifeArc we are dedicated in building an inclusive workplace and a diverse workforce that can bring a range of skills, new ideas and innovative thinking to our work. So, whatever your background or lived experience, if you’re excited about this role, but perhaps feel you don’t meet every requirement 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 person for this or other roles.

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