Scientist - Strain Development
Location: Oxitec, On site / Edinburgh, UK
Job type: Fixed Term / Full-Time
Sector and subsector: Science | Research & Development
Salary: Competitive Salary
Purpose of the Job
As a Scientist for Oxitec, you will join a dynamic project dedicated to the research and development of our self-limiting technology in arthropod species that spread disease.
As one of the Oxitec team members in our new Scotland hub, you will join our strain development team. You will be a self-starter who will work under the direction of the Team Lead to contribute to an exciting research project aiming to generate novel genetically engineered strains of ticks.
Your duties will range widely from equipment procurement to experimental design, execution, and analysis. You will be part of a small but growing team who will be working alongside our partner organisation – the Roslin Institute – to develop transformation methods and handling techniques that will streamline our strain development processes.
You will have strong experience of generating and interpreting data, and will take a hands-on approach, working closely with the team as well as our molecular department to test, improve, and validate new tick strains. You will show a keen interest in arthropod biology, show strong organisational skills, and demonstrate original thinking, and attention to detail.
Responsibilities
Your key responsibilities will involve generating genetically engineered tick strains, meeting a set target product profile.
Working under the guidance of the Strain Development Team Lead you will:
- Join a small team (3-5 staff members) tasked with developing the transformation methods necessary to generate self-limiting ticks and test the resulting strains;
- Design and run experiments independently, but in full alignment with program goals and with the endorsement of your line manager and Program Lead, to develop and test tick strains;
- Ensure that processes, methods, and experiments are well designed and focused on delivering results and progress, measurable against the project goals;
- Carry out literature reviews to guide experimental testing: collect, analyse, and interpret data;
- As the team grows, manage and train any direct report in line with SOPs and training records;
- Provide clear communication regarding outcomes of processes, experiments, and planning with the Team Lead;
- Report data in meetings throughout the organisation, to audiences with various technical knowledge, and write clear and concise reports for internal review;
- Have a clear understanding of the commercial impact of the work and responsibilities and strive to optimise performance;
- Support the smooth running of the laboratory, maintaining tidiness, improving processes, and compliance to established procedures, regulations, and health and safety;
- Provide occasional weekend support as part of a rota within the R&D team.
Skills, Experience, and Education Requirements
- Excellent written and oral communication skills in English are essential;
- Demonstrate technical abilities appropriate for the role;
- A BSc or MSc in a relevant discipline (e.g. entomology, biology, biochemistry);
- Track record of scientific diligence including valuing careful generation and recording of data, demonstrating good laboratory practices, including following SOPs;
- Experience with animal husbandry and/or colonies of invertebrates is desirable;
- Experience with insect/arthropod transformation is highly desirable;
- Demonstrated ability to communicate with a wide variety of stakeholders including junior and senior staff members;
- Strong attention to detail, with excellent timekeeping standards and responsiveness;
- Proficiency in R/R Studio or Excel and experience in using statistics is highly desirable.