The Role of Senior Automation Scientist:
This role has a dual focus firstly, you will be leading both internal and external R&D programmes to design, build and implement advanced automation platforms. Secondly, to support the building of a talented team of automation experts to ensure all software and technical support is on hand to minimize equipment downtime and optimise its usage.
The purpose of this research is to deliver process improvement, scale up, and automation processes for the manufacture of iPSC derived cell types. To achieve this, you will be working with a diverse range of teams including IPSC Manufacturing Development, Quality, Production and Business Analysts.
As a Senior Scientist you will need to have a strong understanding of stem cells / cell biology to be able to deep dive into what the system user requirements are when it comes to automation. Using your cell biology expertise to break down process workflows and understand how to automate these and be the SME.
Key Activities:
- Provide scientific leadership for the development and implementation of custom automation projects.
- Supervision, mentorship, and training of more junior team members using your scientific expertise.
- Work collaboratively with users to develop, optimise, and implement SOP’s and assay protocols for automation systems to ensure optimal performance.
- Lead deep dive activities for breakdowns to identify root causes and then lead responses.
- Optimise and validate high throughput workflows.
- Make the most of the team’s and Business Analyst expertise to address equipment running issues.
- Establish, monitor and report of key performance data for the Group Lead such as group capacity, failure rates and performance against targets.
- Proactively identify people and equipment resources needed to ensure the group continues to move forwards and ensure the company keeps growing rapidly.
For this opportunity you will need to have:
- A relevant PhD or significant experience in the field.
- Strong Cell Biology / Stem Cell Biology expertise
- Experience of working in an industrial environment with familiarity of ISO or GMP requirements.
- Developing and optimising complex protocols for liquid handling automation – cell line expansion, differentiation, and cryopreservation.
- Experience of working with iSPC’s is advantageous to your application.
- Experience of working in an automated environment e.g., Hamilton, Tecan, Sartorius
- Experience of developing, optimising, and implementing workflows, protocols, and procedures.
They are based in Cambridge and their step change technology that is a combination of stem cell biology and synthetic biology. The purpose of this is to accelerate the discovery, development, and manufacture of cell therapies through the control of synthetic biology circuits.
Their aim is to build a scalable model that enables the production of cells that are actually affected by the targeted disease and accelerate the development of cures. Their focus is currently on human induced Neurological and Skeletal stem cells.
They received significant funding to complement their own plans which has led to a rapid expansion as they meet their current aims and work towards the development of new ideas.