Welcome to Next Phase Recruitment! Please see below our current jobs that match your search criteria. For a broader job search please visit the home page or call us on 01403 216216 to discuss career options in other areas of Life Science and Technology.

Welcome to Next Phase Recruitment! Please use the above link to see our current jobs that match your search criteria. For a broader job search please visit the home page or call us on 01403 216216 to discuss career options in other areas of Life Science and Technology.

Viral Vector scientists are in demand due to the emergence of Viral Therapeutics as a sector and Gene Therapies continue their rapid development.  The role of a viral vector scientist is to develop Adeno Virus, AAV, Lentiviral and Retroviral vectors for the use in the delivery of Gene Therapies.  The use of which vector depends of the therapy under development, for example AAV vectors have the greatest potential to move away from soft tissue to develop therapies for the CNS whereas Lentiviral vectors are commonly used in ophthalmic treatments.  Scientists with experience in the development of these vectors are in demand as there is a sharp increase in the number of therapies crossing the translational gap to reach the clinic. 

The engineering of viral vectors focuses on using different genetic engineering techniques such as CRISPR or PCR.  In addition, a Viral Vector scientist will have experience of cell culture, often mammalian, to develop viral packaging cell lines for the production of AAV, Adenoviral, Lentiviral and Retroviral vectors.  Following on from the engineering of viral vectors is their production which ranges from small scale batches for research use, which is often experimental itself, to well established production methods for vectors for larger commercial or for use in clinical trials.    Due to the cutting-edge nature of these roles within the Biotech sector, scientists have the chance to use their innovative and creative thinking to develop novel concepts. 

Job titles in this sector are generally linked to the vector that the scientist is working on, for example Lentiviral Scientist, or AAV Production Scientist.  However, there are more common titles that are generic such as Scientist or Process Development Scientist.  Scientists will work on different stages of Viral Vector development from their initial engineering through to process development and manufacture.  Different skills needed for each stage with some higher qualified scientists developing the new methods and those beginning their careers following established methods as they gain more experience to develop their career further.

Skill and Experience.

  • BSc, MSc, or PhD in a relevant subject such as Virology or Molecular Biology or Cell Biology with a VV focus.
  • Skills include mammalian cell culture (stable and adherent lines), vector engineering, genetic engineering e.g. CRISPR, PCR, FACS, flow cytometry, FACS, transfection, transduction, and assay development.
  • Innovative and Creative thinking are often needed in this cutting edge area.

Salary Levels

Entering Viral Therapeutics as a graduate, you could expect to earn something in the region of £19k - £25k depending on the location and company type. Salaries within the commercial Pharmaceutical sector tend to increase steadily but unspectacularly with each next phase, to around “mid to late 30s” (higher for managers). Salaries tend to be higher in the specialist Biotech sector, which often attracts people with a higher qualification level (e.g. PhD). In this sector, especially in London, Oxford or Cambridge, salaries can get a lot higher a lot quicker (e.g. £40k - £50k), though there may not be the same level of job security as companies may be more reliant on external funding grants.

Kent

Kent is a county in South East England, to the south east of London.  Major towns and cities in Kent include Canterbury, Sevenoaks, Maidstone, Ashford, Folkestone, Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells, Dartford, Gravesend, Sittingbourne, Faversham, Deal and Dover.  France, which on a good day, can be seen clearly from Folkestone and the White Cliffs of Dover, lies across the Channel and is easily reached by regular ferry services from ports including Dover and Folkestone.

Kent has a very diverse economy with major industries including haulage, logistics, tourism, technology and scientific research.   With its good transport connections many people also commute into London.   Tourist attractions in Kent include Canterbury Cathedral which has been the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury since the 6th century, HM dockyard Chatham and numerous castles.

Famous people born in Canterbury: Orlando Bloom and Mick Jagger, musician.

Kent's life sciences sector has created some of the most revolutionary and world-renowned medicines in existence.

Pfizer, Mylan, Diasorin, Smiths Medical and over 450 other life science sector companies have made Kent their home over the years, putting the country on the map as a key location for everything from bio-tech, pharmaceuticals and diagnostics to global science logistics, med-tech manufacturers and contract research organisations.

Kent is a great place to further your career in life sciences. If you are a looking for pharmaceutical jobs in Kent, scientific careers in Kent or want to discuss cell therapy, gene therapy, ATMP, medical device, technology, biotech or pharmaceutical job opportunities in Kent, give our Next Phase team a call. The Kent area is continuing to expand as a centre for jobs in science, process development, technology, software development, project management, informatics, quality, reg affairs and supply chain.

 

At Next Phase we help people find new jobs in life sciences across the UK, Europe and USA. This page lists some of the job opportunities in Kent, and if you give us a call we can also talk to you about other scientific jobs, pharmaceutical career opportunities and the latest updates in cell and gene therapy and ATMP development in the Kent area.