Senior Technician: Protein Expression in Yeast Systems

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Senior Technician: Protein Expression in Yeast Systems

• HERlab – a revolutionary AI and synbio startup for recombinant protein production – is hiring a Senior Technician, starting in late January/February 2025.
• FTC, full-time role for 12 months, with further extension possible.

Before you read any further, a word from our CEO:

“Hi there,

My name is Dei, I am the Founder and CEO at HERlab.

HERlab is an extraordinary once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to 1) reduce the suffering of millions of lives–both human and animal–via climate impact and reduction of intensive farming; 2) help create one of the greatest scientific discovery platforms in the world; 3) get enormous returns from the effort we put in to building it – all at once. If you are highly motivated to change the world, talented, and willing to pioneer turning science into real-world solutions – I look forward to reading your cover letter and CV, and if we match, welcoming you to our brilliant team.

Best of luck

Dei ”

About You

• A successful candidate will not be afraid to 1) think big; 2) step outside their comfort zone and work with unknowns; 3) care about the science and its impact on the real world.
• If that’s you – we will love working with you (and you will love working with us) We’re a small, tightly knit team currently working in Canterbury, and would love to welcome a new Senior Technician into the team.

Role Overview

• As a Senior Technician, you’ll play a crucial role in delivering R&D support, and helping scientific breakthroughs happen.
• With a strong sense of initiative, superb organisational skills and drive to work autonomously, you’ll tackle complex problems while ensuring a safe and efficient operation of our lab facilities and resources.

Responsibilities

The following are the main responsibilities for this role. Additional duties may be assigned as needed.

• Take full responsibility for managing lab operations and troubleshooting issues without direct supervision, using technical knowledge to solve complex problems and maintain the working environment.
• Liaise with lab staff and external service providers to ensure facilities and equipment are operational; collaborate effectively with team members.
• Operate complex technical equipment, assisting lab staff with routine maintenance, fault finding, and basic repairs.
• Proactively update processes and support changes in the work area; set up work environments and conduct relevant tests and experiments.
• Understand and apply COSHH/risk assessments and health and safety protocols, supervising lab staff to ensure safety compliance.
• Maintain accurate records of work (including digital tooling), including reports and database usage; write documentation and user guides as needed.
• Proactively contribute to developing protocols, standard operating procedures, and maintenance schedules for the work area. Initiate and support change to continuously improve ways of working.
• Assist with purchasing, including ordering and distributing goods; provide recommendations to lab staff while adhering to budget constraints (incl. in line with grant conditions).
• Monitor resource usage and maintain supplies; ensure efficient use of resources while managing booking processes.
• Interpret data and communicate findings; present work activities to team members as required.
• Provide training and demonstrations of specialised techniques, ensuring compliance with safety guidelines for lab staff and external stakeholders.
• Actively demonstrate a commitment to professional development by advancing knowledge and competencies, and we want to give you opportunities for growth within the role and for you to develop your career.

Key Challenges

This section outlines the main challenges and complexities of the role, along with the level of autonomy involved:

• The role requires applying both theoretical knowledge and practical experience to provide technical advice and support in specialised areas.
• The holder must work within established procedures, analyse various problems, and use sound judgment to identify optimal solutions.
• Independently prioritise conflicting demands from other lab staff while maintaining professionalism and excellent service at all times.
• Methodical problem-solving in high-pressure situations and great communication is crucial.

Technical Specialisms

You will be responsible for:

• Assisting Senior Scientists in the delivery of the project.
• Collaborating with the team to oversee health and safety and the organisation of the laboratory.
• Conducting large-scale phenotypic assays on non-conventional yeast strains.
• Performing and optimising transformation protocols for non-conventional yeast strains.
• Optimising the expression of commercially important proteins using novel eukaryotic platforms.

Qualifications and Requirements

Applications will be measured against the criteria published below. We will be looking for evidence and examples in the application in relation to each criterion.

Assessment stage: A - Application; I - Interview

We will also be using a code word to help fast-track applicants who have diligently read this description. The code word is “wombat”- just add it to your application somewhere loud and obvious.

Essential:

• Education : Educated to A level or equivalent (A).
• Knowledge : Relevant theoretical knowledge and practical experience in a related work area and a good understanding of molecular cloning and recombinant protein expression (A, I).
• Technical Experience : Experience using complex technical equipment. Cloning, purification, PCR, SDS PAGE, etc. are required (A, I).
• Communication Skills : Strong verbal and written communication skills, including effective facilitation, presentation, and the ability to produce clear written materials (I).
• Interpersonal Skills : Ability to liaise independently with lab staff at all levels (I).
• IT Skills:  Confident with a variety of digital/cloud tools and willing to learn new ones. Proficient in using lab-specific software, data analysis tools (e.g., Excel, Prism), and cloud platforms (e.g., Google Workspace, MS Office) (I).
• Numeracy Skills : Excellent numeracy skills with accuracy and attention to detail (I).
• Organisational Skills : Well-organised with the ability to prioritise competing priorities (I).
• Initiative : Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively within teams (I).
• Problem-Solving Skills : Strong troubleshooting and diagnostic skills to assess non-routine problems and implement solutions (A, I).
• Technical Specialisms : Demonstrated experience in technical specialisms outlined in this job description (A, I).
• Demonstrated experience managing hazardous substances and waste disposal protocols in line with COSHH and environmental standards (A, I).
• Experience supporting the procurement of technical equipment (A).
• Diversity and Inclusivity : Commitment to promoting equality, diversity, and inclusivity in daily work (I).

Desirable:

• Experience working with microbial recombinant protein expression.
• Working experience in yeast biology.
• Experience with (high-throughput) robotic equipment. It will be coming to our lab, so experience (or excitement to learn) is a big bonus

Application Process

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to the following process:

• 1st interview - 30mins - getting to know you and sharing a bit more about the work we do.
• 2nd interview - 45-60mins - a deeper dive with our science team to understand your experience and competencies, and for you to ask any technical questions.

Other Relevant Information

• 28 days of holiday per year.
• Sick leave benefits.
• We’re a small and friendly team and have a supportive work culture - so if you need some flexibility at times to deal with personal matters, we’ll support you.
• Location: the lab is currently based on Kent University Campus. Paid parking is available if you prefer to drive, and Canterbury has excellent cycling, walking and public transport options from the city centre/train station.
• We will need you to have the Right To Work in the UK. We cannot sponsor visas at this time.

We kindly request that agencies refrain from submitting candidates, as we will only consider direct applications at this time.