Senior Assay Development Scientist / Consultant
Senior Assay Development Scientist / Consultant
Cambridge | Permanent, Contract, Interim or Consultancy
We're supporting a well-funded biotech platform company developing a novel sequencing-based assay at the intersection of:
- RNA biology
- Nucleic acid chemistry
- Selection technologies
- NGS readouts
- Quantitative assay development
This is a role for someone who enjoys digging into complex workflows and understanding exactly where signal is generated, amplified, distorted, or lost.
You'll be helping evaluate and strengthen a highly complex assay by:
- Identifying sources of bias and variability
- Understanding assay robustness and reproducibility
- Designing controls, standards and spike-ins
- Investigating PCR, sequencing and sampling effects
- Assessing enrichment and selection-based readouts
- Determining whether the final output truly reflects the underlying biology
Ideal Background
You'll likely bring experience in several of the following:
- Quantitative assay development
- RNA handling and RNA-based workflows
- NGS and sequencing-based assays
- Selection or screening platforms
- Nucleic acid chemistry
- Assay characterisation and validation
- Library-based experiments
- Primer, probe and RT assay design
- Controls, calibrants and reference standards
- PCR bias, normalisation and enrichment analysis
The Person
We're looking for someone who:
- Can challenge assumptions with data
- Thinks independently
- Enjoys troubleshooting difficult scientific problems
- Has taken methods from proof-of-concept through to robust, reproducible workflows
- Is comfortable providing clear technical recommendations
Flexible Engagement
The team is open-minded on structure and would consider:
- Permanent hires
- Contract scientists
- Independent consultants
- Technical audits
- Longer-term collaborations