Principal Scientist/Associate Director - Protein Science

CK Group are working in partnership with Avacta to recruit an Principal Scientist/Associate Director - Protein Science to be based at their state of the art facilities in West London on a permanent basis.

About Avacta: Avacta is a healthcare group developing innovative cancer drugs and powerful in vitro diagnostics to improve human health and well-being. Based in White City, London, their Therapeutic division develops novel cancer therapies using its two proprietary platforms – Affimer® biotherapeutics and pre|CISIONTM tumour targeted chemotherapy.

Avacta’s proprietary pre|CISIONTM targeted chemotherapy platform, releases active drug in the tumour, thereby reducing systemic exposure and improving the overall safety and therapeutic potential of these powerful anti-cancer treatments. Avacta took its first pre|CISIONTM drug candidate (AVA6000), a targeted form of the standard-of-care Doxorubicin, into the clinic in 2021. The Company recently announced the successful completion ofthe fourth dose escalation in AVA6000’s Phase 1a clinical study. The Affimer® platform is a novel class of biotherapeutic based on a naturally occurring human protein. It is Avacta’s proprietary therapeutic platform with its intellectual property covered by several patent families. Using the Affimer® platform Avacta is focusing on immunotherapies in the fight against cancer.

Innovation and collaboration is key for Avacta, and they are looking to expand the team with people who can further drive our exciting programmes forward.

Responsibilities of the role will include to:

• Provide support and input to develop and execute the strategy of Avacta Therapeutics, and drive development of the portfolio. Experience in oncology drug development is an advantage.
• Manage a team of scientific staff by supporting and identifying development opportunities while providing coaching and organisational leadership.
• Maintain and apply expertise in molecular biology, protein engineering, protein characterisation and expression to deliver clinical candidates.
• Develop and execute strategies to deliver complex biologics including antibodies, antibody fragments and related molecules, and fusion proteins. You will also deliver and qualitycontrol a range of other proteins to support programme delivery.
• Ability to work independently and communicate effectively across disciplines.
• Communicate externally and collaborate with external partners as the protein science expert within Avacta Therapeutics.
• Work will be within multi-disciplinary teams: flexibility to work on multiple programmes and different functional activities and resilience to move between these are key.

Your Background:

• PhD or equivalent with multipleyears relevant lab-based experience.
• Demonstration of strong scientific leadership in protein engineering, production, and analysis
• Experience of line management essential.
• Knowledge and strong technical skills in molecular biology with a good understanding of protein structure and folding. Experience of building capability around protein design and engineering with a view to generate clinical candidates (considerations including immunogenicity, stability and in vivo activity).
• Knowledge of protein expression (bacterial and mammalian cells) and purification using AKTA systems is desirable, as is utilisation of automation.
• Experienced in biophysical characterisation of proteins including analysis of stability, kinetics and mass spectrometry. Experience of Biacore and/or Octet analysis strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of in vitro display platforms an advantage.
• Good communication across the organisation and ability to work in a team environment. The successful candidate will have experience working in multi-disciplinary teams.

The benefits:

• 25 Days annual leave in addition to bank holidays, increases with length of service
• Lunch allowance for days when working on-site in White City
• Private medical
• Annual performance related bonus
• Share options
• Eye Care Scheme
• Cycle to work Scheme
• Life assurance, 2x annual salary death in service benefit
• Pension

Apply: It is essential that applicants hold entitlement to work in the UK. Pleasequote job reference 55028 in all correspondence.