(Associate) Scientist - Cell Biology and Immuno-Oncology

At LabGenius, our mission is to accelerate the discovery of next-generation therapeutic antibodies. To do this, we’ve pioneered the development of EVA™ - a smart robotic platform that’s capable of designing, conducting and, critically, learning from its own experiments.

For our wholly-owned pipeline, we’re using our closed-loop discovery engine to establish a pipeline of highly selective T-cell engagers and ADCs for the treatment of solid tumours.

LabGenius has raised >£58M and is backed by top-tier investors, including M Ventures, Octopus Ventures, LG Corp, Atomico, Kindred Capital, Lux Capital and Obvious Ventures amongst others.

The company is headquartered in London (UK) where we’ve established a state-of-the-art antibody engineering facility. The company is staffed by a multidisciplinary team of more than 50 scientists and engineers.

As a (Associate) Scientist , with experience in Cell Biology and Immuno-Oncology , you will be a pivotal member of the LabGenius wet lab team, leading by example from the bench. You will be experienced in cell culture and cell-based assays, gained from an industrial drug discovery setting. You will have demonstrable assay execution experience using one or more of reporter gene assays, cell imaging and flow cytometry.

This is a full time, on-site, lab-based position.

Our Cell Biology & Assay Development team is responsible for delivering cell-based functional data to characterise and validate our Machine Learning-designed antibodies. Working closely with other functional teams, we develop both high- and low- throughput screening, mechanistic and translational assays to characterise, understand and validate our novel antibodies. We integrate automation into our assay pipelines to deliver Machine Learning-grade data to accelerate and advance our in-house drug discovery pipeline.

What you’ll do in this role

• As a member of the wet lab team you'll deliver cell-based in vitro assays to characterise novel antibodies derived from our machine learning-based optimisation platform; across multiple projects this will range from early discovery to preclinical validation.

• Building on your existing experience you will be developing, optimising and running cancer and immune cell functional assays - both at high throughput screening and low throughput development/validation scale.

• You'll analyse and present data both to team members and other functions within the company. Your ability to distil complexity into concise communications will be put to use every day.

• Working closely with the automation engineers you will help in the development of future automation, constantly thinking of new ways to develop and advance our capabilities.

• You'll share your knowledge throughout the company and help to train others.

What we’re looking for

• You’ll have a BSc/MSc with relevant industrial experience, with a strong relevant scientific background in one or more of antibody discovery, immuno-oncology or T-cell biology.

• You'll have experience in cell and immuno-oncology-based assays, including flow cytometric and plate-based methods for preclinical drug discovery & functional validation. Demonstrable hands-on experience using automation/liquid handling for high throughput screening would be an advantage.

• You will have extensive experience in the culture of both cancer and primary cells. Demonstrable hands-on experience in processing and characterisation of primary tissue samples would be a distinct advantage.

• You will bring experience of delivering cell-based assays and how they can support drug discovery. You’ll have the ability to communicate clearly and effectively with specialists from your own and other fields ( e.g. Data Scientists, Protein Expression, Automation).

• You'll have a working knowledge of biologics drug discovery, with experience of immune cell-engaging antibody drug developability a distinct advantage.

• You’ll be routinely using an Electronic Lab Notebook system for record keeping. Experience with Benchling would be an advantage.

In addition to the above, we are looking for people who will embrace, embody and enhance not only our company values - but also our mindsets which you can find detailed on our careers page:

What you’ll receive from us

Aside from being part of our brilliant, purpose-driven team, you’ll also enjoy:

Financial 💸

• Discretionary performance-linked annual bonus
• A generous stock option plan
• 3x Salary Life Insurance with YuLife
• Health Shield Cash Back Plan on day-to-day health expenses
• 5% pension, with an additional top up on tax savings from us
• Free Will-writing Service

Health 🍏

• Private Medical Insurance, including dental and optical (currently with AXA)
• Discounted gym membership through either AXA or HealthShield
• 24/7 access to GP Services
• Access to the Cycle to Work scheme: to make your commute cheaper, healthier and a whole lot greener
• Easy access to the on-site gym and climbing wall to break a sweat or indulge your inner monkey available at competitive rates

Time-Off ⏰

• 25 days annual leave (plus the bank holidays)
• Up to 20 days paid sick leave (including mental health days - no questions asked)
• 3 days paid emergency leave so it doesn’t eat into your relaxation time
• 1 week paid bereavement leave plus 1 day to attend a funeral
• 1 day paid for moving home

Wellbeing 💛

• Employee Assistance Programme including access to coaching and CBT sessions

Team-building 🤝

• Weekly team lunches through Feedr.
• A programme of social events both company-wide and within your own teams

Diversity & Inclusion

We believe that diversity makes for innovative, exceptional teams.

We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate based on gender, race, colour, religion or belief, national origin, age, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, or any other protected class.

If you don't feel like you meet every single requirement of this role, we still want to hear from you! We encourage you to apply, have a discussion with us about the role or others that we may have at LabGenius either now or in the future, together we can build more inclusive workplaces.