Senior Scientist - Microbial Microbiology

Jealott's Hill
1 week ago
Create job alert

NES Fircroft is currently recruiting a Senior Scientist (Microbial Microbiology) on behalf of our client, a Global name in the Research and Agricultural Technology industry. The role will be based at a world leading International Research Centre at Jealott’s Hill, Bracknell. This is a contract position for an initial 1 year duration with possibility of long-term extensions. Mon-Fri 36hrs per week.

Biologicals Research:
Biological based technologies are expected to deliver a significant contribution to the future of agriculture alongside conventional technologies. Microbials and biomolecules will play a pivotal role in the development of these novel biological products for growers. Our new team, which is made up from talented scientists from both industry and academia, is growing and we have a new position within our Microbiology team. The role will focus on the characterisation of these Microbials to support the development of next generation crop protection products.

Role Purpose:

Work alongside the molecular microbiology team to aid in the physiological and genomic characterisation of microbes, to be used as crop protection products.
Support projects across the client's pipeline (from lead generation to development) and executes work packages to address key knowledge needs for the project with guidance from science and/or project leads and other group members. 
Your roles and responsibilities:
Plan and execute work programmes to deliver for projects, by combining personal expertise, in house knowledge and literature searching to identify best approach for the physiological and genomic characterisation of microbes.
Documents workflows, procedures and data using agreed (good practice) principles and produces reports for key stakeholders to help in decision making for projects.
Collaborative working to achieve project deliverables.
Contribute to the maintenance of a safe and effective environment by setting high personal standards, monitoring and advising other staff on agreed HSE standards.
Knowledge, experience and capabilities:
PhD in Molecular Microbiology, or a related field, or a BSc plus 2-4 years hands-on experience in molecular microbiology, microbial characterisation or microbial physiology.
Experience in the classification of microorganisms is highly desirable.
Knowledge of genomics, phylogeny or analysis of data from bioinformatics pipelines is desirable.
Experience in culturing and working with either fungi or bacteria.

With over 90 years' combined experience, NES Fircroft (NES) is proud to be the world's leading engineering staffing provider spanning the Oil & Gas, Power & Renewables, Chemicals, Construction & Infrastructure, Life Sciences, Mining and Manufacturing sectors worldwide. With more than 80 offices in 45 countries, we are able to provide our clients with the engineering and technical expertise they need, wherever and whenever it is needed. We offer contractors far more than a traditional recruitment service, supporting with everything from securing visas and work permits, to providing market-leading benefits packages and accommodation, ensuring they are safely and compliantly able to support our clients

Related Jobs

View all jobs

Senior Scientist - Microbial Microbiology

Associate R&D Director

Specialist Biomedical Scientist

Executive Director, Head of Clinical Science and Medical Writing

Bioelectronics Engineer

Senior Director, AI/ML/Advanced Analytics, Automation & Digital Agent CoE

Subscribe to Future Tech Insights for the latest jobs & insights, direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.

Industry Insights

Discover insightful articles, industry insights, expert tips, and curated resources.

How to Write a Biotechnology Job Ad That Attracts the Right People

Biotechnology is one of the UK’s most diverse and fast-moving sectors. From biopharma and diagnostics to industrial biotech, medtech and life sciences research, employers are competing for highly specialised talent with scarce, in-demand skills. Yet many biotechnology employers struggle with the same problem: job adverts that attract the wrong candidates. Roles are often flooded with unsuitable applications, while highly qualified scientists, engineers and regulatory professionals either do not apply or disengage early in the process. In most cases, the issue is not the talent pool — it is the job advert itself. Biotechnology professionals are trained to think critically, assess evidence and understand context. If a job ad is vague, inflated or poorly targeted, it signals a lack of clarity and credibility — and strong candidates simply move on. This guide explains how to write a biotechnology job ad that attracts the right people, improves applicant quality and positions your organisation as a serious, trustworthy employer in the life sciences sector.

Maths for Biotech Jobs: The Only Topics You Actually Need (& How to Learn Them)

Biotechnology is packed with data. Whether you are applying for roles in drug discovery, clinical research, bioprocessing, diagnostics, genomics or regulated manufacturing, you will meet numbers every day: assay readouts, QC trends, dose response curves, sequencing counts, clinical endpoints, stability profiles, validation reports & risk assessments. If you are a UK job seeker moving into biotech from another sector or you are a student in biology, biochemistry, biomedical science, pharmacy, chemistry, engineering or computer science, it is normal to worry you “do not have the maths”. What biotech roles do need is confidence with a small set of practical topics that show up again & again. This guide focuses on the only maths most biotech job adverts quietly assume: • Biostatistics basics for experiments, evidence & decision making • Probability for variability, uncertainty & risk • Linear algebra essentials for omics, PCA & modelling workflows • Calculus basics for kinetics, rates & dose response intuition • Simple optimisation for curve fitting, process set points & model tuning

Neurodiversity in Biotech Careers: Turning Different Thinking into a Superpower

Biotechnology is all about solving complex problems that affect real lives – from new medicines & vaccines to sustainable materials, diagnostics & gene therapies. To tackle those challenges, the sector needs people who think differently. That is exactly where neurodivergent talent comes in. If you have ADHD, autism, dyslexia or another form of neurodivergence, you might have been told that your brain is “too much”, “too distracted” or “too literal” for a lab or scientific career. In reality, many of the traits that come with ADHD, autism & dyslexia are perfectly suited to biotech work – from spotting subtle patterns in experimental data to creative thinking around new solutions. This guide is written for biotechnology job seekers in the UK. We will explore: What neurodiversity means in a biotech context How ADHD, autism & dyslexia strengths map onto specific biotech roles Practical workplace adjustments you can ask for under UK law How to talk about your neurodivergence in applications & interviews By the end, you will have a clearer idea of where you might thrive in biotech – & how to set up your working environment so your differences become genuine superpowers.