Scientist - Cell Biology And Device Development

WANTED: Scientist - Cell Biology and Device Development

Anticipated start date: June 2024
Closing Date: 29 April, 2024
Salary Band: £35k - £42.5k
Full Time, Sheffield, UK

OVERVIEW

Do you want to utilise your skills to make a real-world impact working at the forefront of biotechnology? Do you love science and live for efficient experimental design and analysis? Are you tired of moving liquid between plastic plates and wish there was a machine to automate cell culture?

We are looking for an entrepreneurial-minded scientist to play an active role in the development of the cell culture automation and bioproduction machines we are developing. You will work directly with our Biology and engineering teams on all aspects of our R&D - from developing faster and more efficient assays and providing guidance to our engineers on how to develop bespoke subsystems to maintaining our cell banks and leading technical work on client-focused research projects. Ultimately, this work will help us fulfill our ambition to be one of the largest biotech companies in the world (we think, and go for big).

You are a self-starter with a deep understanding of cellular biology, who thrives in a fast-paced startup environment while operating with high degrees of autonomy and have a background in Biology and Device R&D.

WE VALUE

• Curious, creative and driven do-ers who want to create real value and impact.
• Collaborative, curious and communicative people who thrive as part of a tight-knit but diverse team.
• People from all backgrounds and walks of life who want to play an active role in creating a company, and a future, we are all proud to be a part of.
• Friendly, organised, efficient and enthusiastic people with a can-do attitude.

WE DON'T VALUE

• The status quo. If you are looking for a highly structured, 9-5 environment, this is not the role for you.
• Ego’s - we act, and win, as a cohesive team where everyone at every level engages and supports everyone else, and everyone’s voice is heard.
• A lack of self-reflection and candor - we can only help you grow if you are honest with yourself and others about what areas you want to improve in are.
• People who are afraid to ask for help - there are no such things as dumb questions.

THE ROLE

In conjunction with our team of all-star biologists and engineers, you will design, execute and analyze experiments to support the development of our bioproduction system, helping accelerate our pace of discovery and experimental iteration.

You must be comfortable operating with a degree of uncertainty and upskilling to meet new challenges. The startup journey is not easy nor for the faint of heart. This is unlike academic roles or those in large industry, with real-world impact-driven focus for the former and lean, flexible, fast limited structure for the latter. You must see this challenge as invigorating rather than intimidating. Your work will be exciting and the learning opportunities significant. Expect to expand your skill set more in a year than many do in five years.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop experiments within a budget and analyze results to further our bioproduction system development.
• Supporting ongoing biology R&D projects through your technical skills in culturing mammalian cells and executing cellular and molecular biology workflows.
• Working on client-facing R&D projects and collaborating closely with our commercial team to ensure what you help discover and build aligns with the needs of our clients.

NEED TO HAVE

• Significant experience culturing a variety of different cell types (e.g. cell lines, primary cells, pluripotent stem cells).
• Experience optimizing in vitro differentiation strategies for various cell types (iPSCs, MSCs, etc.).
• Experience using standard Cell Biology analytical techniques (DNA/RNA isolation, qPCR, Flow cytometry, image analysis, etc.).
• Demonstrated ability to think from first principles to adapt your knowledge to new industrial applications (e.g. media development, bioprocess engineering).
• Flexibility and openness to learning new things and resilience if things don’t go to plan.
• Ability to communicate effectively with multi-disciplinary scientists and engineers.
• Ability to rapidly develop new styles of working.
• Desire and capability to train and mentor more junior members of the team.

We will consider applicants from any/all relevant background(s), but you are likely to have a degree (Bachelors/Masters/PhD) in biological science with several years of professional experience.

NICE TO HAVE

• Previous experience working in a startup/scaleup environment.
• Knowledge and experience working directly or indirectly on R&D projects with hardware/software/material biocompatibility considerations.
• Prior experience working with computational tools (e.g. R, image processing, etc.) to accelerate data analysis.
• Previous experience working with and/or designing bioreactors or cell culture automation systems.

BENEFITS

• Join a fast-moving transformative industry in a high-growth environment.
• Our networks are your networks. We will do everything to empower and promote the people who work with us.
• You will be based in the UK's greenest city on the doorstep of the peak district with world-class hiking, biking, running, and climbing 15 minutes from our custom-built, independently owned R&D centre.
• Competitive salary and stock option plan.
• Opportunity to work on a variety of projects across the company and to rapidly learn new skills.
• We seek to empower, not restrict, and give ownership and significant input into key decisions.

ABOUT US

Unicorn Biotechnologies is an early-stage, venture-backed biotech company. We are developing a range of tools and technologies to efficiently scale up the production of any mammalian cell-based product. Our work crosses cellular/molecular/synthetic biology, and the engineering disciplines. We are creating solutions to real-world biomanufacturing problems, and our technologies will ultimately help produce transformative innovations, from cultivated meat to next-gen therapeutics, tangibly improving human and planetary health.

JOIN OUR TEAM

Submit your application here:

https://forms.gle/av98doMk67gHWDQ1A

Please fill out the application form; however, if you get stuck or have any questions email: careers@unicornb.io

Unicorn Biotechnologies is an equal-opportunity employer committed to providing a working environment that embraces inclusion and diversity.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Salary: £35,000.00-£42,500.00 per year

Benefits:

• Casual dress
• Company events
• Company pension
• Cycle to work scheme
• Discounted or free food
• Employee stock ownership plan
• On-site parking
• Relocation assistance
• Sick pay
• Transport links

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Work Location: In person

Reference ID: UBScientistCellBio&DeviceDev