LifeArc
Senior Scientist - Advanced Cell Technologies - 14 month Maternity Cover
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Job Title: Senior Scientist – Advanced Cell Technologies
Location: Stevenage
Job Type: Fixed Term Contract – 14 months
Agencies: We will only work with recruitment partners on our preferred supplier list and will not engage with speculative CVs submitted.
Are you passionate about making life science life changing and delivering impact for patients? We want to hear from you.
About the role:
As a senior scientist within LifeArc’s Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology (MCP) department, you will be part of a diverse group of scientists with a wealth of experience in the preclinical phase of drug discovery. MCP focuses on developing and applying bespoke biological cell-based assays for characterisation and screening of therapeutic assets, providing a deep understanding of their complex mechanism of action to support LifeArc’s ambitious goals to benefit patients and to make life science life changing.
This lab-based role will support advanced cell technologies and oligonucleotide therapeutic projects within LifeArc's preclinical portfolio, helping to drive high-impact drug discovery to impact patients with unmet medical needs.
A key objective of this role is to strengthen and expand internal capabilities in RNA-targeting therapeutics, particularly antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs). The successful candidate will bring expertise that complements existing team strengths and will play an important role in developing capability, sharing knowledge, and supporting the adoption of new approaches across the wider group.
The role will involve developing and applying complex cellular models, including iPSC-derived systems where appropriate, designing and executing translational assays, generating high-quality data packages, and contributing to target validation, therapeutic characterisation, and asset progression. The successful candidate will work closely with internal project teams and external collaborators, including partners across academia and industry.
The ideal candidate will have experience in at least two of the following areas:
- Drug discovery and preclinical development of antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs)
- Development and application of iPSC-derived cellular models
- Design and execution of phenotypic, molecular, and cellular profiling assays
- Neurobiology, neurodegeneration, or neurological disease research
Candidates are encouraged to apply even if they do not possess experience across all these areas. We are seeking an individual with strong scientific leadership, experimental expertise, and a desire to contribute to project delivery.
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Key responsibilities:
- Lead the design, execution, and interpretation of scientific experiments to deliver project objectives and generate high-quality data.
- Analyse, interpret, and present research findings, providing clear recommendations to support scientific decision-making.
- Contribute to scientific strategy and project planning, advising on experimental approaches, priorities, resource requirements, and timelines.
- Collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams, providing technical expertise, guidance, and support across projects.
- Maintain the highest standards of scientific quality, documentation, compliance, and laboratory safety in line with organisational policies and procedures.
About you:
Essential
- PhD in cell biology or similar with significant postdoctoral, biotech, or pharmaceutical industry experience, or equivalent industrial experience.
- Strong laboratory experience in cellular pharmacology, molecular biology, drug discovery, or a related field.
- Proven ability to independently design, execute, analyse and communicate complex experiments.
- Experience developing and implementing novel assays or experimental approaches.
- Strong scientific problem-solving skills and a track record of project delivery.
- Experience mentoring, coaching or supervising junior scientists.
Desirable
- Experience working with antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), siRNA, RNA-targeted therapeutics, or related modalities would be highly advantageous.
- Experience developing and working with iPSC-derived cellular models.
- Experience in neurobiology, neurodegeneration, or neurological disease research.
- Experience with high-content imaging, transcriptomics, qRT-PCR, western blotting, or other translational profiling approaches.
- Experience supporting external collaborations and multidisciplinary drug discovery teams.
- Experience transferring specialist knowledge and building capability within scientific teams.
About us:
At LifeArc, our ambition is to make life science life changing. We do this by advancing scientific discoveries beyond the lab, faster, so that they can shape the next generation of diagnostics, treatments, and cures.
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Working at the cutting edge of translational science and as the early-stage translation specialists, we progress scientific discoveries on their journey to becoming a medicine, diagnostic or intervention that improve patients’ lives. Our work begins by seeking out innovative science, then helping to develop this to a point where there is a clinical and commercial pathway for others to invest the time and money to take it further forward.
What we can offer you:
Focused on finding life changing solutions for underserved patients, our people thrive in an inclusive, and supportive environment that prioritises their health and wellbeing. Our multidisciplinary approach guarantees our people growth opportunities, while our culture of innovation and collaboration drives the impact we make delivering on our purpose of ‘putting patients at the centre of everything we do’.
We are dedicated to creating a diverse, flexible, equitable and happy work environment so our colleagues can thrive as their truest selves. We act with courage, curiosity, care & commitment to deliver quality & excellence for our patients and each other.
Join us, and you’ll be given the scope to develop your professional skills and experience in a safe, supportive and challenging environment.
Salary will be determined by qualifications and experience along with other exceptional benefits. Because we understand everyone has different requirements, our flexible benefits allow you to choose those which are important to you. Our pension scheme offers employer contributions of up to 12%, private health insurance, and annual leave of 31 days PLUS bank holidays.
Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people from minority ethnic backgrounds, for example, are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At LifeArc we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so whatever your background or lived experience, if you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. Our top priority is finding the best candidate, and you may be just right for this or other roles.
We all have potential. At LifeArc, you’ll discover what you can really do with it.
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