Application Scientist

HAWK Biosystems; Bilbao; On-site; EUR 52,000 - 78,000; Full time

Job summary

HAWK Biosystems is seeking an Application Scientist to bridge science and product development at our Zamudio (Bilbao) laboratory. You will own client projects from study design through final report and engage in pre-sales to tailor studies using QF-Pro® technology.

You will also lead R&D on the QF-Pro® reagent kit, shaping protocols, reagents, and workflows, while collaborating with Product to translate client feedback into new applications. English proficiency is required; Spanish is a plus.

Qualifications

• PhD in Life Sciences or equivalent with hands-on lab experience.
• Proficient in English; Spanish an advantage.
• Experience leading scientific projects from design to reporting.
• Strong written and verbal communication; ability to present complex data.

Responsibilities

• Act as scientific contact for prospective clients during pre-sales and tailor studies.
• Provide technical input for quotes, scope, timelines and deliverables.
• Lead PoC projects from sample receipt to data analysis and report.
• Interpret results in biological context and present client-ready reports.
• Lead R&D on QF-Pro reagent kit and contribute to product improvements.
• Collaborate with Product team to define scientific requirements and test features.
• Ensure compliance with ISO 13485 and GLP alongside documentation and traceability.

Skills

Independent project execution

English proficiency

Scientific writing

Education

PhD in Life Sciences

Life Sciences degree + 4 years lab experience

Tools

Immunofluorescence

Immunohistochemistry

Job description

HAWK Biosystems is a deep-tech biotechnology company spun off from the Francis Crick Institute and based in the Science and Technology Park of Bizkaia. Our proprietary QF-Pro® Technology is an in situ quantitative interactomics analysis technology. It measures functional protein–protein interactions and activation states directly in fixed cells and FFPE tissue. This is biological information that expression, proximity, or co-localization analysis cannot provide. We partner with pharma, biotech, academic, and clinical teams worldwide to answer translational research questions and to support the development of more personalized therapies for patients.

We are growing our team and are looking for an Application Scientist to work at the interface between our Life Science Business Unit and our Product team. The role combines leading the scientific side of our client projects with driving the scientific development of our products.

Role Overview

As Application Scientist, you will be the scientific owner of our client projects. During the pre-sales phase, you will support the Business Development team: you will understand each client’s scientific question, assess feasibility, and design the right study. You will then run the project in our laboratory through to the final report and the results discussion with the client.

This role is built for a fully independent scientist. You will own every project from start to finish. That means making scientific decisions, anticipating and troubleshooting technical issues, critically interpreting the data, and clearly presenting results that both internal and external clients can rely on. We are looking for someone with sound scientific judgment, a rigorous and critical mindset, and the confidence to discuss science with senior pharma and academic stakeholders.

Alongside client projects, you will lead R&D on our QF-Pro® reagent kit and contribute both to the scientific improvement of our current products as well as leading the design of new reagent products. You will turn what you learn in the laboratory and from clients into better reagents, protocols, and workflows.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as the scientific point of contact for prospective clients during the pre-sales phase. Join Business Development calls and meetings, understand each client’s research question, assess feasibility, and design tailored studies, including biomarker selection, antibody strategy, sample requirements, controls, and readouts.
• Provide technical input for quotes and proposals (scope, timelines, and deliverables), and deliver scientific presentations on QF-Pro® Technology to clients and partners, and at scientific events.
• Lead client service and Proof-of-Concept (PoC) projects end to end on cell and FFPE tissue samples, from sample reception and quality assessment, assay setup, and immunofluorescence staining to image acquisition and quantitative data analysis.Manage timelines and priorities across several projects in parallel.
• Critically interpret results in their biological context, prepare client-ready technical reports, and present them to clients, working with the Business Development team to identify follow-up opportunities.
• Lead R&D on the QF-Pro® reagent kit: develop and optimize new reagents, formulations, and protocols, and improve kit performance, robustness, and reproducibility, including stability, lot-to-lot consistency, and compatibility with new sample types and biomarkers.
• Work with the Product team on the scientific improvement of the product. Define scientific requirements, test new features of the platform workflow and data analysis, and turn feedback from clients, distributors, and users into improvement proposals and new applications for QF-Pro® Technology.
• Ensure that all work follows HAWK’s ISO 13485 quality management system and good laboratory practices, including design and development documentation, verification, and validation activities, with full traceability.
• Provide on-site and remote technical training and support to distributors and clients, and support scientific communication with the Marketing team through application notes, case studies, webinars, and congress materials.

Qualifications

One of the following:

• PhD in Life Sciences (Biology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Biomedicine, or a related field).
• University degree in Life Sciences plus at least 4 years of hands-on laboratory experience in a related field (academic research, biotech/pharma, diagnostics, or CRO).
• Professional working proficiency in English, written and spoken. Spanish is a plus.
• Proven ability to run scientific projects independently, from experimental design to final results.
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills. You should have the rigor to question data and the judgment to make sound scientific decisions.
• Excellent scientific writing and communication skills, including the ability to present complex results to different audiences.
• Solid hands-on experience with immunofluorescence and/or immunohistochemistry on FFPE tissue and cell-based samples
• Availability to travel occasionally.

Nice to have

• Experience with FRET/FLIM, quantitative imaging, or spatial biology.
• Client-facing experience in a CRO, service laboratory, technical support, or field application role.
• Experience in reagent or kit development in an industry setting, including antibody-based reagents or conjugates.
• Knowledge of GLP and quality management systems (ISO 13485), including design controls, verification, and validation.
• Background in oncology, immuno-oncology, or translational biomarker research.

What We Offer

• Permanent contract, on-site at our laboratory in Zamudio (Bilbao).
• A key, high-ownership role at the interface between science, clients, and product development in a growing deep-tech company.
• Exposure to international pharma, biotech, and academic collaborations.
• A dynamic, supportive, and multidisciplinary team.