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.

Manchester

Manchester is a world class city in north-west England with excellent transport links including an international airport, the Manchester Ship Canal and easy access to the national motorway network.  Manchester was initially settled by the Romans, growing slowly during the Middle Ages and then rapidly around the turn of the 19th century, thanks to the textile industry, making it the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution.  The city continues to be an industrial and commercial powerhouse.  Manchester’s current strengths include Life Sciences, Manufacturing and Creative/Digital media.  Several medical research institutes and Europe’s biggest cancer treatment are located in Manchester as are numerous innovative software development, augmented reality, digital health, e-commerce and gaming companies.

The biological, medical and health sciences have a long and proud history at the University and in the city of Manchester.

Manchester is a place of world-firsts in cancer research, including the first clinical use of Tamoxifen for breast cancer and the first single harvest blood stem-cell transplant.

The study of medicine at Manchester can trace its roots back to 1814, when Joseph Jordan opened a school of anatomy in the city. From 1824, numerous medical schools opened in the city which, in 1836, amalgamated to form the Manchester Royal School of Medicine and Surgery, employing well-known names such as John Dalton, Edward Lund and Rochard Hunt. It was also in 1824 that the study of pharmacy began at Manchester Medical School.

The study of life sciences at Manchester goes back to 1851, when Owens College was founded and William Crawford Williamson was appointed as professor of natural history with teaching responsibilities for botany, ohysiology, geology and zoology.

The Museum of Medicine and Health holds a significant collection of medical, nursing and pharmaceutical artefacts dating as far back as the 16th century.

Famous people from Manchester:-  Noel & Liam Gallagher (Oasis)  and Emmeline Pankhurst – Suffragette/Women’s rights activist