ASSAY DEVELOPMENT SCIENTIST
We have an exciting opportunity for an Assay Development Scientist to join a growing biotech company.
Based in Headington, Oxford
Full-time role - laboratory based
Competitive salary plus benefits
Description
We are seeking a self-motivated, energetic, and diligent Assay Development Scientist to join our client’s development team. The position is a lab-based role, demanding an enthusiastic and proactive mindset, along with good organisational skills, an ability for problem solving, flexibility, and attention to detail. The successful candidate will be given opportunities for training and development and will be encouraged to contribute to implementing new technologies and processes.
Overview of the role
The position will hold a key role in the validation and development of a sample consumable that forms part of a rapid multi-pathogen testing platform. You will be working within the Assay Development group and will play a key role in supporting development of new capabilities in the rapid pathogen detection platform. You will deploy diverse techniques to support different stages of platform development, as well as perform assays to generate validation data for the platform. In addition, you will assist with the daily running of the lab and maintenance of the equipment.
Work will involve the use of many techniques such as fluorescence microscopy, handling, and preparing pathogenic samples. Training will be provided but a good understanding of microbiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology with experience with any of these techniques would be an advantage, as would previous experience with biochemical assay development.
You will also prepare data for reports and presentations within the company and assist in the drafting and review of laboratory protocols.
Responsibilities
- Independently design, perform, and analyse experiments.
- Troubleshoot equipment and methods within the process of development of the consumable.
- Help to test and optimise sample consumable and ensure good integration with the assay hardware.
- Liaise with third party users of the prototype consumables to gather externally validated data.
- Validating selected pathogens in CL2 conditions.
- Analyse, interpret, and summarise results for presentation at internal meetings.
- Contributing to discussions and sharing research findings with colleagues.
- Documenting research findings clearly in an electronic lab book.
- Assist in producing and collating procedures, guidelines, and reports.
- Prepare project plans and reports.
- Contribute to general lab duties.
- Ability to work flexibly and collaboratively to meet changing demands of projects.
- Maintain best practice, quality standards, and accurate record keeping.
- Keep up to date with and support implementation of new technologies and protocols.
- Communicate effectively with all members of the company and with collaborators.
- Thrive in an environment of openness, teamwork, and accountability.
- Adapt existing and develop new scientific techniques and experimental protocols.
- Contribute ideas for new research projects.
- Identify potential platform improvements.
- Ensure that your work is conducted safely, and legally in accordance with the highest standards of data protections.
- Adhere to the values of the company policies and practices.
Qualifications and requirements
Essential
- PhD in a biology-related discipline or MSc in a biology-related discipline (e.g. microbiology, molecular biology, or biochemistry) with a minimum of four years of laboratory experience.
- Practical experience of assay development.
- Broad knowledge of biological sciences with an emphasis on imaging pathogenic systems.
- Ability to design and perform experiments such as real-time PCR and protein purification.
- Capacity to execute tasks independently to achieve company goals on an established timeline.
- Superb communication, organization, attention-to-details, multi-tasking, adaptability, and teamwork skills.
- Knowledge of, and appreciation for, laboratory safety procedures.
- Enthusiasm to work in a dynamic research environment.
Desirable
- Expertise in fluorescence microscopy.
- Expertise in handling and preparing pathogen samples for imaging.
