Scientist / Senior Scientist - Assay Development

CK Group are working in partnership with Avacta to recruit Scientists at various levels (Associate up to Senior Scientist) to be based at their state of the art facilities in West London on a permanent basis.

About Avacta: Avacta is a healthcaregroup 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 completionof the 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 propertycovered 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 furtherdrive our exciting programmes forward.

The Role:

• Responsible for developing and executing strategies and experimental work.
• To investigate new plate-based protein and cellular assays.
• Developing new approaches to support cell-based assay development.
• Collaborate with external partners and present work at internal meetings and to collaborating partners.
• Work will be within multi-disciplinary teams: flexibility to work on multiple programmes and different functional activitiesand resilience to move between these are key.

Your Background:

• Degree qualified or PhD in Life sciences or equivalent with several years relevant lab-based experience.
• Experienced in developing, setting up and executing ELISAs and plate-based reporter cellular assays. Knowledge of automation and high throughput analysis is valuable
• Knowledge of cell culture and related techniques is required.
• The role will require flow cytometry analysis, and experience in related techniquesis preferred. Experience in performing assays with primary cells is an advantage.
• Knowledge of immunology and related assays is strongly preferred.
• Experience in oncology drug development and related procedures is an advantage

One of the Scientist roles is to design and manage out-sourced in vivo studies. For this position, experience in oncology and immuno-oncology is key and includes experience of phenotypic analysis of ex vivo material.

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. Please quote job reference 55040 in all correspondence.