Cell Culture Technologist

**Want to help change how the world is fed?** Uncommon began its journey as Higher Steaks and recently underwent a transformative rebranding. Our new brand and identity truly reflects our mission, values, and the positive global influence we aspire to achieve. We transform the global food system by making delicious and nutritious food - from animal cells and plants. We are pioneering the development of cultivated meat to solve some of the world’s growing challenges in health, sustainability and animal welfare. We're a purpose, science and engineering-driven company dedicated to creating breakthrough technologies that will push the boundaries of what’s possible - delivering innovations that benefit people, the planet and animals. Our brilliant team are experts in their respective fields, drawn from around the world. We’re passionate, curious, innovative and at the forefront of the ground-breaking work being done in this exciting and rapidly growing sector. Uncommon is a well-funded biotech company; we’ve experienced spectacular growth over the last few years and continue to accelerate every month. We are growing rapidly again this year so this is a great time to join us and solve one of the most important challenges we face today **The role** Our Bioprocess team focuses on developing and optimising cell culture processes at the intersection of cell culture R&D, media development, and food manufacturing. As part of this team, you'll ensure the quality and consistency of mammalian stem cell culture batches delivered through small-scale cell culture for our bioreactor processes. Food Scientists then use the cells produced to create innovative bacon and belly pork products. What sets this role apart is the exposure you'll gain—working with cutting-edge equipment on projects critical to every experiment conducted. No single initiative doesn’t require cell culture, giving you unparalleled insight into all aspects of our groundbreaking work. You’ll collaborate closely with technical experts, witnessing the tangible outcomes of experiments and innovations. With just a few degrees of separation between you and major technical milestones, your contributions will have a lasting and meaningful impact on the company’s success. This full-time role is based onsite in our state-of-the-art facility in Cambridge, UK, and may involve variable work schedules, including weekends and non-traditional hours, to meet operational demands. **What you’ll be doing**: - Maintain stem cell cultures across various conditions, formats, and scales. - Support the setup and running of bioreactors across various scales, including: media preparation, building assemblies, preparation of reagents and harvesting material. - Follow SOPs to prepare samples for analytical assessment and conduct analytical and characterisation assays, including but not limited to cell, protein, qPCR, and metabolite assays. - Ensure availability of project materials, including preparation of stock reagents, and monitor and order consumable stocks as needed. - Record and report scientific data in compliance with SOPs and applicable regulatory frameworks. - Collaborate with scientists from different teams, fostering interaction and collaboration. - Exemplify Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) as a role model for the wider laboratory team. - Support the setup and running of bioreactors across various scales. - Show an interest and aptitude for learning new analytical techniques, used for assessing product quality. **What we think you need**: - Undergraduate degree in Life Sciences or a related field, or possess equivalent practical experience. - Hands-on experience in mammalian cell culture and exceptional aseptic technique. - Working knowledge of standard laboratory equipment, such as pipettes, pH meters, and centrifuges. - Experience with core laboratory techniques, including microscopy. - Computer literacy and the ability to quickly adapt to different IT systems and software. - Initiative, problem-solving skills, and the ability to work autonomously as well as collaboratively within a team. - Drive to learn new skills and contribute to a highly innovative environment. **We’d love it if you also have**: - Hands-on experience working with adherent or stem cell cultures, such as ESCs, iPSCs, or MSCs. - Knowledge of stem cells and familiarity with differentiation protocols. - Hands-on experience with analytical techniques such as qPCR. - Proficiency in writing and reviewing SOPs, thorough record-keeping, strong organisational and communication skills with a solid work ethic. **Reward** - Up to £ 30,000 base salary - Share options - 28 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) - Enhanced parental leave pay - Cycle-to-work scheme and wellbeing allowance - Flexible hours - "Make your work life easier" annual stipend - Regular team dinners and social activities - Snacks, fruits, tea, coffee and more - Uncommon recruits, employs, trains, compensate