Feeling the Chemistry?

Description

We have an exciting opportunity to join a growing start-up in Oxford. Currently in ‘stealth mode’ the company is at a key stage of growth and requires additional support in the lab. As the Automation Scientist you will be responsible for implementing the company’s cell based high-throughput screening platform. To be considered, you must have previous experience in developing automated platforms in another biotech or pharma company, and have hands-on experience in cell and/or biochemical high-throughput screening.

Position summary:

This is an exciting opportunity to have a real impact on the development of the high-throughput automation platform. As an automation scientist you will be responsible to implement the company’s cell based high-throughput screening platform and your duties will include:

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Assemble, implement and validate new automation equipment, including the development of standardised operation procedures and maintenance systems
• Interact with scientists across the company to develop and optimise cell culturing protocols and cell-based assay protocols on the automation platform ensuring optimal efficiency & performance
• Troubleshoot high-throughput automated workflows as required
• Write, debug, and deploy code for integrating laboratory automation devices
• Design, plan, and execute complex R&D experiments ensuring that deliverables are successfully met within timelines
• Develop and implement a system for large data-set acquisition, collation, processing, and analysis to generate high quality information for experimental inferences
• Document research findings clearly in an electronic lab book
• Along with team members, provide routine laboratory maintenance, including participating in equipment upkeep, cleaning rotas and laboratory consumables stock management
• Ensure that laboratory health, safety and quality procedures are followed
• Select, follow, and adapt experimental protocols and generate laboratory SOPs
• Support the preparation of laboratory risk assessments and maintenance of health and safety protocols
• Participate regularly in group meetings and prepare and deliver presentations to project team and internal stakeholders

Qualifications:

• Master or PhD in Life sciences, Computing, Engineering and related fields scientist

Experience in one or more of the following areas:

Essential Experience:

• Two or more years’ experience in developing automation platforms in the pharmaceutical or similar industry
• Experience of developing, implementing & optimising complex protocols on liquid handling automation platforms
• Proven experience in cell and/or biochemical high-throughput screening approaches and ability to troubleshoot screening problems
• A proven track record in the application of data processing and statistical methods to large biological data sets

Desirable experience:

• Experience in culture media and small molecule screening
• Experience working with adherent mammalian cell cultures
• Experience with high content imagers and related image analysis systems
• Understanding of state-of-the-art assay and automation technology platforms
• Experience of applying DoE (design of experiments) practice to multi-variable experiments
• Ability to code in a programming language (e.g. SQL, R) would be a bonus

Skills and personality traits:

• Advanced problem-solving skill
• Excellent communication skills both written and spoken
• Good time management and organisational skills
• Able to multitask
• Initiative
• Happy in a growing team