Automate Your Biotech Jobs Search: Using ChatGPT, RSS & Alerts to Save Hours Each Week

What You’ll Have Working In 30 Minutes

• A biotech keyword map covering wet lab, bioprocess, QA/QC, regulatory & clinical, plus computational biology/bioinformatics.

• Shareable Boolean search strings you can paste into Google & job boards to cut noise.

• Always-on alerts & RSS feeds delivering fresh roles to your inbox or reader.

• A ChatGPT “Job Scout” prompt that deduplicates listings, ranks fit, & outputs tailored actions.

• A simple pipeline tracker so you never lose track of deadlines or follow-ups.

Step 1: Define Your Role Clusters & Keyword Map

Biotech titles vary across organisations. Build clusters so your searches catch synonyms & adjacent roles.

Wet Lab & Discovery

• Titles: Research Assistant, Research Associate, Scientist I/II, Senior Scientist, Lab Technician.

• Domains: Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Immunology, Microbiology, Protein Engineering.

• Methods/tech: PCR/qPCR, NGS, CRISPR/Cas9, cloning, Western blot, ELISA, flow cytometry, FACS, IHC, SDS-PAGE, HPLC, LC-MS/MS.

• Models/cell lines: CHO, HEK293, primary cells, organoids, iPSC.

Bioprocess & Manufacturing (GMP)

• Titles: Upstream/Downstream Bioprocess Engineer, Manufacturing Associate, MSAT Engineer, Process Development Scientist, Tech Transfer.

• Terms: Upstream, Downstream, USP, DSP, single-use bioreactors, chromatography, filtration, PAT.

• Compliance: GMP, GxP, MHRA, CAPA, deviations, change control, batch records, validation, CSV (Computer System Validation).

Quality, Regulatory & Clinical

• Titles: QA Associate, QC Analyst, QMS Specialist, Validation Engineer, Regulatory Affairs (Associate/Manager), Clinical Trial Associate (CTA), Clinical Research Associate (CRA), PV/Drug Safety.

• Standards: QMS, ISO 13485 (devices), ICH, GCP, GLP, GDP, CAPA, complaints, stability, method validation.

• Reg bodies: MHRA, EMA; terms like UKCA/CE for medtech.

Computational Biology & Bioinformatics

• Titles: Bioinformatician, Computational Biologist, Data Scientist (Bio), Biostatistician, Genomics Scientist.

• Stacks: Python, R, Bioconductor, Nextflow/Snakemake, Galaxy, AWS/GCP/Azure, Docker, Kubernetes.

• Modalities: NGS, WES/WGS, RNA-seq, scRNA-seq, ATAC-seq, variant calling, CNV, HLA, proteomics, metabolomics.

UK Locations & Modes

• Locations: London, Cambridge, Oxford, Stevenage, Reading, Slough, Guildford, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Birmingham, Nottingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, Belfast.

• Modes: On-site, Hybrid, Remote UK (more common for regulatory, QA, bioinformatics, biostatistics).

Other Useful Modifiers

• “Visa sponsorship”, “Skilled Worker visa”, “Graduate scheme”, “PhD”, “Postdoc”, “Internship”, “Industrial placement”.

Capture these in a notes file—your keyword map fuels alerts, feeds & prompts.

Step 2: Build Precise Boolean Searches (Copy & Paste)

Use these strings in Google & on job boards. Start broad, refine with site: filters once you see where quality roles live.

General UK Biotech Search

("Research Scientist" OR "Research Associate" OR "Bioprocess Engineer" OR "QC Analyst" OR "QA Associate" OR "Bioinformatician" OR "Computational Biologist")
(biotech OR "cell therapy" OR "gene therapy" OR "biologics" OR "CDMO" OR "CRO")
(UK OR "United Kingdom" OR London OR Cambridge OR Oxford OR Stevenage OR Manchester OR Edinburgh)
("Permanent" OR "Full-time") -site:glassdoor.co.uk -site:indeed.co.uk

Wet Lab / Discovery Focus

("Research Associate" OR "Scientist" OR "Molecular Biologist" OR "Cell Biologist")
(PCR OR qPCR OR CRISPR OR "flow cytometry" OR ELISA OR "Western blot")
(UK OR London OR Cambridge OR Oxford OR "Golden Triangle") (biotech OR "start-up" OR "scale-up")

Bioprocess & GMP

("Bioprocess Engineer" OR "MSAT" OR "Manufacturing Associate" OR "Process Development" OR "Tech Transfer")
(GMP OR GxP OR MHRA OR "single-use" OR USP OR DSP OR chromatography)
(UK OR "Remote UK" OR London OR Stevenage OR Liverpool OR Slough)

Quality & Regulatory

("QC Analyst" OR "QA Associate" OR "QMS" OR "Validation Engineer" OR "Regulatory Affairs")
(GMP OR GLP OR GCP OR ICH OR "ISO 13485" OR CAPA OR "change control" OR "batch release")
(UK OR "Remote UK" OR Cambridge OR Oxford)

Computational Biology & Bioinformatics

("Bioinformatician" OR "Computational Biologist" OR "Genomics Scientist" OR Biostatistician)
(NGS OR RNA-seq OR "single-cell" OR "variant calling" OR "Nextflow" OR Snakemake OR Bioconductor)
(Python OR R OR AWS OR GCP) (UK OR "Remote UK" OR Hybrid)

Visa Sponsorship (optional)

(biotech OR "biological sciences") ("Skilled Worker visa" OR "visa sponsorship") (UK)

ATS & Employer Career Sites (cuts aggregator noise)

("Research Scientist" OR "Bioprocess" OR "QC Analyst" OR "Regulatory Affairs" OR Bioinformatician)
(site:boards.greenhouse.io OR site:lever.co OR site:workable.com OR site:ashbyhq.com OR site:smartrecruiters.com OR site:icims.com OR site:successfactors.com)
(UK OR "Remote UK")

University & Institute Hiring

("Research Assistant" OR "Postdoctoral" OR "Research Scientist")
(site:jobs.cam.ac.uk OR site:ox.ac.uk OR site:sanger.ac.uk OR site:cruk.org OR site:imperial.ac.uk OR site:kcl.ac.uk OR site:ucl.ac.uk)
(biology OR genomics OR immunology OR bioinformatics)

Tweak by adding or removing exclusions (e.g., -"senior" if you’re targeting entry-level; -contract if you want permanent).

Step 3: Turn Searches Into Google Alerts & RSS

Let fresh postings come to you.

Set-up (quick):

1. Open Google Alerts.

2. Paste a Boolean string.

3. Click Show options → choose At most once a day to avoid spam (or As-it-happens for hot markets).

4. Deliver to: RSS feed (copy the feed URL into your RSS reader) or your email.

5. Create separate alerts per cluster (Wet Lab, Bioprocess, QA/QC, Regulatory, Bioinformatics, Graduate).

Good alert examples (copy-paste):

("Research Associate" OR "Scientist") (PCR OR CRISPR OR "flow cytometry" OR ELISA) (UK OR London OR Cambridge OR Oxford)

("Bioprocess Engineer" OR "Process Development" OR MSAT) (GMP OR USP OR DSP OR "single-use" OR chromatography) (UK OR Stevenage OR Liverpool OR Slough)

("QC Analyst" OR "QA Associate" OR "Validation Engineer") (GMP OR GLP OR CAPA OR "change control") (UK OR "Remote UK")

("Bioinformatician" OR "Computational Biologist" OR "Genomics Scientist") (NGS OR RNA-seq OR "variant calling" OR "single-cell") (Python OR R) (UK OR "Remote UK")

("Regulatory Affairs" OR "RA Associate" OR "RA Manager") (MHRA OR EMA OR "UKCA" OR "CE marking" OR "ISO 13485") (UK OR "Remote UK")

Pro tips

• One alert per intent—keeps results relevant.

• Add location pairs where clusters thrive (Cambridge/Oxford for discovery, Stevenage/Slough/Liverpool for manufacturing).

• Use -site: to mute low-signal domains that flood your feed.

Prefer an RSS reader? Feedly, Inoreader, & others let you tag/star items & export selected roles as CSV—handy for weekly planning with ChatGPT.

Step 4: Use ChatGPT as Your “Biotech Job Scout”

Your alerts/RSS deliver the raw feed; ChatGPT turns it into a neat shortlist with actions, so you apply faster & better.

Create a reusable system prompt (edit to your targets):

System role: You are my Biotech Job Scout for UK roles. Parse pasted job listings (title, company, location, link, snippet), remove duplicates by company+title+location, and produce a ranked shortlist that matches my criteria. Then give tailored actions for each role.

My criteria:
• Target clusters: Wet Lab (Research Associate/Scientist), Bioprocess (USP/DSP), QA/QC (GMP), Regulatory Affairs, Bioinformatics.
• Must-haves (choose per cluster):
  - Wet Lab: PCR/qPCR, CRISPR, flow cytometry, ELISA; CHO/HEK293 preferred.
  - Bioprocess: GMP, upstream/downstream, single-use, chromatography.
  - QA/QC: GMP, CAPA, deviations, batch records, method validation (HPLC/LC-MS).
  - Regulatory: MHRA/EMA, ICH, UKCA/CE, ISO 13485 (if applicable).
  - Bioinformatics: Python/R, NGS, RNA-seq, Nextflow/Snakemake, AWS.
• Location: On-site in (Cambridge/Oxford/London/Stevenage) or Remote UK/Hybrid for non-lab roles.
• Exclude: pure sales, contract <3 months, unrelated life sciences recruiting ads.

Output:
1) Summary: counts & duplicates removed; scoring logic in 2 lines.
2) Ranked Shortlist (max 10): Title — Company — Location — Link — Score (0–100) — 1–2 line fit rationale.
3) Per-role actions:
   - 3 tailored CV bullets (impact-led, methods & outcomes).
   - 6–8 keywords to mirror (GxP, methods, platforms).
   - A 3-sentence message to the hiring contact referencing one specific requirement.
4) Today plan: order to apply with time estimates.

Daily run (paste your feed)

Here are today’s roles (Title — Company — Location — Link — Snippet):
1) ...
2) ...
Apply the Biotech Job Scout system prompt.

Deep-dive on a single role (when you’ve found “the one”)

Analyse this spec for must-haves, repeated terms & implied priorities. Then:
• Write 3 CV bullets that mirror the spec (wet lab/bioprocess/QA/RA/bioinformatics as relevant), each ending with a measurable outcome.
• Draft a 120-word cover note referencing their product/indication/platform.
• List 10 keywords/phrases to include naturally (methods, standards, instruments, platforms).
• Provide 6 likely interview questions with succinct model answers using my background.

Job spec: [paste]
My background: [4–8 bullets with methods, platforms, compliance]

CV fast-tailor prompts (cluster-specific)

Wet Lab

Given this spec, output 5 “Recent Impact” bullets for my CV showcasing PCR/qPCR, flow cytometry, ELISA & Western blot. Make them action+method+result, one line each, with UK spelling.
Spec: [paste]

Bioprocess

Create 5 CV bullets showing upstream/downstream experience with single-use bioreactors, chromatography & GMP tech transfer. Each bullet must include a quantifiable improvement (yield, throughput, deviations).
Spec: [paste]

QA/QC

Draft 5 CV bullets emphasising GMP, CAPA, deviations, OOS investigations, method validation (HPLC/LC-MS), batch record review. Action+tool+impact format.
Spec: [paste]

Regulatory

Write 5 CV bullets aligned to MHRA/EMA submissions, ICH guidelines, UKCA/CE technical files, QMS/ISO 13485. Include one bullet on responding to authority queries.
Spec: [paste]

Bioinformatics

Produce 5 CV bullets for NGS analysis pipelines (RNA-seq, WES/WGS, scRNA-seq) using Python/R, Nextflow/Snakemake, AWS. Each bullet has a metric (runtime, cost, accuracy).
Spec: [paste]

Step 5: Optional No-Code Automation (Email, Slack, Notion)

• Email filters: Send alert emails into a “Biotech-Jobs” label. Each morning, copy the top items into ChatGPT & run your Job Scout prompt.

• RSS rules: Tag feeds by cluster (Wet Lab, Bioprocess, QA/QC, RA, Bioinformatics). Star the best & export weekly as CSV; ask ChatGPT to prioritise the week.

• Notion/Sheets: Keep a single tracker. Paste the tracker into ChatGPT for daily prioritisation & follow-up drafting.

Step 6: A Simple Pipeline Tracker That Wins Interviews

Suggested columns

• Date found

• Role

• Company

• Location

• Link

• Cluster (Wet Lab / Bioprocess / QA/QC / RA / Bioinformatics)

• Match score (0–100)

• Status (To apply / Applied / Interview / Offer / On hold / Rejected)

• Deadline / due date

• Contact (name, LinkedIn/email)

• Notes (keywords, instruments, standards)

• Next action (what & when)

Follow-up rhythm

• T+3 days: polite nudge if no acknowledgement.

• T+10 days: ask for an update; share a small, relevant proof point (e.g., method validation summary or a pipeline optimisation result, without confidential data).

• Post-interview: thank-you within 24 hours; reference one method/standard discussed (e.g., CAPA workflow improvement).

Shareable Prompt Library (Biotech-Specific)

1) Role Decoder

Explain this biotech job in plain English: the first 90-day deliverables, 3 hardest problems, & the practical skills they truly need at the bench or in compliance. Then list the top 12 CV keywords they will search for. [paste spec]

2) Company Fit Snapshot

From the spec & site notes, infer the company’s phase (preclinical/clinical/commercial), modality (biologics, cell therapy, gene therapy, diagnostics), & compliance posture (GxP/ISO). Output a 6-bullet “Why me, why now” tailored pitch.
[spec + brief company notes]

3) CV Bullet Rewriter (GxP)

Rewrite these bullets using GMP/GCP/GLP vocabulary, keeping action+tool+impact. Mirror the spec's language (batch record review, CAPA, deviations, validation).
[bullets + spec]

4) Outreach Message (120 words)

Draft a concise message for the hiring contact that references one product/indication/platform & mirrors 3 spec keywords (methods or standards), proposing a 30-day quick win. No fluff; confident; UK spelling.
[spec + company notes]

5) Interview Pack Generator

Produce 8 technical questions + short model answers tailored to this spec (methods, standards, instruments), plus 5 behavioural questions with STAR hints using my background.
[spec + background]

6) Offer & Salary Prep (UK)

Based on the role, cluster & my years in industry, suggest a UK-appropriate salary range (GBP), non-salary levers (learning budget, on-call, training, RSUs), & 3 crisp value statements I can use in negotiation.
[spec + experience]

Keyword & Query Bank (Use Across Alerts, Feeds & Boards)

TitlesResearch Assistant, Research Associate, Scientist I/II, Senior Scientist, Lab Technician, Bioprocess Engineer, MSAT, Process Development, Manufacturing Associate, QC Analyst, QA Associate, Validation Engineer, Regulatory Affairs Associate/Manager, Clinical Trial Associate, CRA, Biostatistician, Bioinformatician, Computational Biologist, Genomics Scientist.

Methods & InstrumentsPCR, qPCR, CRISPR, cloning, Sanger sequencing, NGS, RNA-seq, scRNA-seq, ATAC-seq, HPLC, UPLC, LC-MS/MS, GC, ELISA, Western blot, FACS/flow cytometry, IHC/IF, SDS-PAGE, chromatography (affinity/ion exchange/size exclusion), filtration (TFF), bioreactors (single-use), ELN, LIMS.

Compliance & StandardsGMP, GxP, GLP, GCP, ICH, MHRA, EMA, ISO 13485, QMS, CAPA, deviations, OOS, change control, batch records, validation, CSV.

Platforms & ToolsPython, R, Bioconductor, Nextflow, Snakemake, Galaxy, Docker, Kubernetes, AWS, GCP, Azure, Prism, JMP, SAS, SQL.

SectorsBiologics, vaccines, diagnostics, medical devices/IVD, cell & gene therapy (CAR-T, AAV, LVV), oncology, immunology, microbiome, rare disease, neuroscience.

ModifiersOn-site, Hybrid, Remote UK, Permanent, Full-time, Contract, Graduate, Internship, PhD, Postdoc, Visa sponsorship.

Sample Daily Workflow (7–12 Minutes)

1. Open your alert folder/RSS. Scan titles; bin obvious mismatches.

2. Paste 10–30 items into ChatGPT with your Biotech Job Scout prompt.

3. Review the shortlist. Open the top 3–5 high-score roles.

4. Run the deep-dive prompt on your favourite; generate tailored CV bullets & a 120-word cover note.

5. Update your tracker & set deadlines.

6. Apply in one sitting—mirror 6–10 keywords naturally (methods/standards/instruments).

7. Schedule follow-ups right away (calendar or task app).

Consistency beats sporadic sprints.

Troubleshooting & Tuning

“Still getting noise.”Tighten your Boolean. Add cluster methods (e.g., HPLC for QC, single-use for bioprocess) & exclude agency spam with -site: or -"recruitment agency".

“All senior roles.”Include (Junior OR Associate OR "Scientist I" OR "0-2 years") & exclude (Senior OR Principal OR Lead).

“Remote isn’t really UK-based.”Use ("Remote UK" OR "UK-based remote" OR "right to work in the UK") & exclude "anywhere" if needed.

“Graduate roles are rare.”Add (Graduate OR Internship OR "Industrial placement" OR "Year in industry" OR Postdoctoral) & include universities, research institutes & spin-outs.

“I want regulated manufacturing.”Force GMP/GxP terms & plant locations (e.g., Slough, Liverpool, Stevenage, Speke). Add ("batch record" OR CAPA OR deviations).

Lightweight Tracker Template (Copy Text)

Date Found | Role | Company | Location | Link | Cluster | Match (0–100) | Status | Deadline | Contact | Notes | Next Action

Status: To apply / Applied / Interview / Offer / On hold / Rejected

Daily command for ChatGPT:“From my tracker (below), propose today’s top 5 applications, fill missing ‘Next Action’, & draft follow-ups where Status=Applied & T+3 days.”

Copy-Paste Pack (Everything in One Place)

1) Google Alerts seeds

("Research Associate" OR "Scientist") (PCR OR qPCR OR CRISPR OR "flow cytometry" OR ELISA) (UK OR London OR Cambridge OR Oxford)
("Bioprocess Engineer" OR "MSAT" OR "Process Development") (GMP OR USP OR DSP OR "single-use" OR chromatography) (UK OR Stevenage OR Slough OR Liverpool)
("QC Analyst" OR "QA Associate" OR "Validation Engineer") (GMP OR GLP OR CAPA OR "change control" OR "batch record") (UK OR "Remote UK")
("Regulatory Affairs" OR "RA Associate" OR "RA Manager") (MHRA OR EMA OR ICH OR "UKCA" OR "CE marking" OR "ISO 13485") (UK OR "Remote UK")
("Bioinformatician" OR "Computational Biologist" OR "Genomics Scientist") (NGS OR RNA-seq OR "single-cell" OR "variant calling" OR Nextflow OR Snakemake) (Python OR R) (UK OR "Remote UK")
("Graduate" OR "Internship" OR "Industrial placement") (biotech OR "molecular biology" OR bioinformatics) (UK)

2) ATS-focused Google search

("Research Scientist" OR "Bioprocess" OR "QC Analyst" OR "Regulatory Affairs" OR Bioinformatician)
(site:boards.greenhouse.io OR site:lever.co OR site:workable.com OR site:ashbyhq.com OR site:smartrecruiters.com OR site:icims.com OR site:successfactors.com)
(UK OR "Remote UK")

3) Biotech Job Scout (short version)

You are my UK Biotech Job Scout. From pasted listings, remove duplicates, rank by fit to my criteria, and output:
• Summary (counts + scoring logic)
• Top 10 roles (Title — Company — Location — Link — Score — 1-line why)
• Per-role actions (3 CV bullets, 6–8 keywords, 3-sentence outreach)
Criteria: [paste your cluster & must-haves]

4) Deep-dive tailoring

Analyse this spec. Return: 3 tailored CV bullets (action+method+impact), 10 keywords, a 120-word cover note referencing product/indication/platform, & 6 interview Qs with model answers.
Spec: [paste]  |  Background: [paste]

5) Follow-up message

Please draft a concise follow-up for my application submitted on [date], referencing [one method/standard/instrument] from the spec & reaffirming my fit in 2 sentences.

Why This Works

• Pull > Push: Alerts & RSS pull fresh roles from ATS pages, universities & employer sites, so you stop doom-scrolling.

• Language matching: Boolean searches & keyword mirroring help you clear ATS filters while sounding human.

• Triage before you apply: ChatGPT converts a messy feed into a prioritised shortlist with CV bullets & outreach done for you.

• Consistency: Ten focused minutes daily outperforms occasional weekend blitzes.

Final Thought

Biotech hiring is fragmented across labs, plants & platforms—but your process doesn’t have to be. Put your searches on rails with alerts & RSS, then let ChatGPT act as your Job Scout to shortlist, tailor & follow up. Bookmark this guide, share the copy-paste pack with a colleague, & commit to one high-quality application per day.

If you want a quick win, start with this alert:

("Bioprocess Engineer" OR "Process Development" OR MSAT) (GMP OR "single-use" OR chromatography) (UK OR Stevenage OR Slough OR Liverpool)

Create it, paste the first batch into ChatGPT with the Job Scout prompt, & enjoy your first hour back this week.