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.

Redhill 

Redhill is a town in Surrey, in the South East region of England.   Redhill is located close to Reigate and approximately 20 miles south of Central London.  Other towns and cities within easy reach of Redhill include Crawley which is 10 miles away, Guildford 25 miles, Horsham 20 miles and Sevenoaks 30 miles.  Redhill is only 4 miles from the M25 and has mainline train services into London Victoria and London Bridge which makes it prime commuter land.   London Gatwick airport is just over 6 miles away opening up easy access to international business and holiday travel.  Although Redhill itself is not a particularly attractive town, it is surrounded by located is the picturesque Surrey countryside including the North Downs, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which offer great walking and cycling opportunities and numerous country pubs.

Famous people from Redhill include: Nick Hornby, writer (Fever Pitch, About a Boy and High Fidelity) and Chris Robshaw, former England rugby captain