Protein Scientist (Assay Development)

About Us

Our core values are to be bold, kind and resilient.

Better Dairy is building the future of food by producing molecularly identical dairy proteins without using any animals. We develop and deploy cutting edge technology to create functional and/or bioactive dairy proteins to make tasty, healthy, and sustainable food products which are free of lactose, hormones, or pollutants, and are lower in cholesterol. A true animal-free revolution.

The Role

We are seeking a highly motivated Protein Scientist with significant experience in assay development within a protein formulation environment to join our R&D team. With a specific focus on protein purification, characterisation and formulation, this role will be instrumental in establishing the foundation for stable, effective, and marketable products. We are looking for individuals with a strong background in molecular biology, biochemistry or formulation sciences, along with experience in developing assays to support an R&D environment.

We would love to meet candidates from a variety of backgrounds, and therefore urge applicants to apply for this role even if they feel they might not meet all of the required experience.

Responsibilities

• Identify, develop, qualify and implement gold standard assays to enhance our product understanding, quality control and process optimisation across teams
  
• Design, execute and analyse biochemical and biophysical characterisation and formulation studies to support protein stability and functionality and protein-protein interaction studies
  
• Independently establish, maintain and interpret accurate experimental records using standard processes and effectively communicate these to relevant internal and external stakeholders, including peers and senior management
  
• Investigate and troubleshoot challenges or unexpected outcomes during assay development and optimisation, applying scientific and technical expertise to resolve issues efficiently
  
• Using statistical principles to continuously evaluate and refine assay methodologies to improve assay quality and efficiency and keep up-to-date with the changing landscape of precision fermentation and novel foods
  
• Collaborate cross-functionally to align assay development activities with company objectives

Required Experience

• Developing and validating protein assays in an industrial setting for a minimum of 2 years
  
• Protein formulation, biophysical characterisation, protein-protein interaction and protein stability testing or protein purification
  
• Solid experience with the following experimental techniques: particle size and aggregation analysis; size exclusion chromatography (SEC); dynamic light scattering (DLS); biochemical and fluorescent based techniques such as ELISA; enzyme assays, and protein screening automation
  
• Knowledge of structural biology and methods to investigate protein-protein interactions to assess protein activity, stability, and binding properties in relevant biological or industrial contexts
  
• Using statistical principles to troubleshoot experiments and evaluate methods and assays (i.e. demonstrating that data gathered is statistically relevant - for example using R, Python, GraphPad etc.)
  
• Strong attention to detail, critical thinking, reputation for rigorous scientific research
  
• Strong organisational skills which support independent running of parallel projects
  
• Ability to prioritise tasks in a dynamic working environment

Desirable Experience

• Knowledge of freeze-drying and/or spray-drying techniques
  
• DNA/RNA isolation and analysis (inc. PCR / RT-PCR/ dd-PCR/ qPCR)

Working at Better Dairy

At Better Dairy you will join a dynamic and diverse team that is excited and motivated to build this future for dairy. We've been ranked #7 on the 2024 Startups 100 Index and made the Europas 100 Hottest Startups list in 2024, our environment is fast-paced and fun, and we believe it’s a great place to build your career. We are tackling a huge problem and are having a lot of fun along the way.

We’re proud to have been featured in a range of global publications and programs - visit our Media Page to learn more about us.

Our lab and office space is located in Hackney Wick. Our environment is genuinely diverse and collaborative. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and all qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristics. We also embrace our diverse workforce and strive to create a climate where we celebrate our diversity in all forms by treating each other with respect, listening to different viewpoints, and creating a workplace where your authentic self belongs and thrives. We believe in an agile working culture for all our roles.

Some of the perks our team can enjoy include:

• A competitive salary

• 25 days of holiday, plus bank holidays

• Access to Private Healthcare & Mental Health support services

• A stakeholder pension

• Share Option Scheme

• Weekly team lunch

• Ongoing learning and development opportunities

• Free On site Gym

• Cycle2Work

• Eye-care vouchers