Senior Development Scientist

Job summary

At NHS Blood & Transplant, we make a major contribution to medical research and development. Our Clinical Biotechnology Centre (CBC) part of Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics - supports healthcare, academic and commercial organisations through the development and manufacturing of gene & cell therapies as well as molecular (nucleic acid or protein-based) therapeutics for early-phase clinical trials and beyond.

This is a chance to play a critical role in the research and development (R&D) group as a Senior Development Scientist in Downstream Bioprocessing of viral vector products.

This post provides a dynamic environment, interfacing with upstream bioprocessing as well as the end users and extending to translation of the processes to the principles of cGMP in close collaboration with the established Production and Quality Control teams at the CBC.

Main duties of the job

In this role you will be specialising in cell-derived engineered products, such as viral vectors and other recombinant cell-derived products. Your responsibilities include:

• Analysing, interpreting, validating, and reporting the results of routine and complex investigations.
• Working at the level of responsibility and conduct required of an experienced Senior Scientist with knowledge of advanced bioprocessing technologies and scope of practice.
• Contribute to the design and development for downstream viral vector bioprocessing.
• Participate in evaluation of novel downstream technologies for introduction into cGMP-compliant manufacturing.
• Plan and conduct scale-up experiments in R&D near scale in preparation for translation to manufacturing team.
• Plan and conduct experiments leading to the development and implementation of product and downstream process improvements/innovations.
• Analysing and performing complex microbiological testing of advanced molecular therapy products e.g. gene therapy, recombinant proteins, cell-based products using complex scientific equipment such as bioreactors, analytical equipment, and microbiology analysis methods.
• Ensuring products meet all specifications necessary for patient safety and therapeutic use according to internal and external quality requirements and operating within the boundaries of good manufacturing and laboratory practice.

About us

At NHS Blood and Transplant, were incredibly proud of the many talented people who come together every day to make our organisation the very best it can be. We have clearly defined values that are centred around offering exceptional care to our donors and their families. We take care of each other too and we focus on building our expertise so we can change lives, provide quality support and offer fulfilling careers. Its an opportunity to contribute to a unique team as part of a service that saves lives 365 days a year. We offer brilliant benefits including 27 days of holiday (plus bank holidays), a comprehensive induction and training programme, and competitive pension scheme. We are passionate about creating an inclusive workplace and aim to reflect the diverse communities we work with and positively encourage applications from all sectors of the community. Three small words, one big difference - Caring, Expert and Quality. Together we'll save and improve more lives than ever