Advanced Therapeutics Postdoctoral Research Associate (Genetic Switches)

The University of Edinburgh; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 41,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading educational institution seeks a postdoctoral researcher for a 36-month contract to develop gene switches for gene therapy. Candidates should possess a PhD in synthetic biology or related fields. The role offers collaboration with a multidisciplinary team in a £14M research program and opportunities for career advancement in a dynamic environment. The position is full-time but flexible working patterns may be considered.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Generous holiday entitlement

Competitive pension schemes

Staff discounts

Family-friendly initiatives

Qualifications

• PhD (or completion within 3 months) in engineering biology or related subject.
• Experience in RNA biology and molecular biology.
• Excellent communication skills to build rapport with colleagues.

Responsibilities

• Conduct experimental work developing engineered genetic switches.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and academic colleagues.
• Contribute to a £14M UKRI sponsored research program.

Skills

PhD in engineering biology or related subject

Experience in engineering biology

Experience of mammalian Cell Engineering

Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Education

PhD in synthetic/engineering biology, molecular biology, RNA biology

Job description

UE07 £41,064 - £53,301

College of Science and Engineering, School of Biological Sciences

Institute of Quantitative Biology, Biochemistry and Biotechnology

Full-Time 35hrs per week

Fixed Term: 36 months

The Opportunity

We are looking to employ a postdoctoral researcher on a 36 month contract to join the research group of Professor Susan Rosser, chair of synthetic biology at the University of Edinburgh Centre for Engineering Biology to work on development of gene switches for use in gene therapy. The selected researcher will join an internationally recognised, friendly, diverse, inclusive and enthusiastic team. You will become part of the Engineered Genetic Control Systems for Advanced Therapeutics Hub. The hub, Directed by Prof Rosser, is a £14M 5-year UKRI sponsored research program across 4 institutions (Edinburgh, Oxford, Imperial, CRUK SI) pioneering engineering biology for advanced therapeutics. It is developing novel genetic tools to render gene therapies safe and effective, with initial focus on oncology, cardiovascular diseases and rare diseases.

This specific role looks at conducting experimental work developing alternative splicing based engineered genetic switches for tissue specificity and small molecule induction for applications in gene therapy. The ideal candidate will be experienced with synthetic/engineering biology tools and possess relevant expertise in this field. You will need to be familiar with engineering mammalian cells and RNA biology.

The post holder will have many opportunities for multidisciplinary collaborative working with academic colleagues from the different institutional partners and industry. This includes training and professional development opportunities arising from being embedded and working with communities of translational scientists.

This post offers an excellent opportunity for academic career advancement in a world‑renowned centre of excellence for synthetic/engineering biology. The University of Edinburgh hosts a large diverse, dynamic and multidisciplinary engineering biology community of more than 50 research groups. The University of Edinburgh’s synthetic biology facilities are second‑to‑none, and include a the Edinburgh Genome Foundry https://biology.ed.ac.uk/research/facilities/edinburgh-genome-foundry and Edinomics https://biology.ed.ac.uk/research/facilities/edinomics.

Applicants must have a PhD in synthetic/engineering biology, molecular biology, RNA biology for appointment at Research Associate level. Applicants close to completion of their PhDs will also be considered where experience is directly relevant. Please see the job description and person specification document associated with this advert for the full list of criteria.

This post is advertised as full‑time (35 hours per week), however, we are open to considering part‑time or flexible working patterns.

Your skills and attributes for success

• PhD (or completion within 3 months) in engineering biology or related subject with synthetic/engineering biology experience
• Experience in engineering biology, RNA biology and molecular biology.
• Experience of mammalian Cell Engineering
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with ability to build rapport with colleagues and collaborators.

Click to view a copy of the full job description (opens new browser tab)

Enquiries: [e-mail]

Application Information

Please ensure you include the following documents in your application:

• CV
• Cover letter

As a valued member of our team you can expect

• A competitive salary
• An exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work.
• To be part of a diverse and vibrant international community
• Comprehensive Staff Benefits, such as a generous holiday entitlement, competitive pension schemes, staff discounts, and family‑friendly initiatives. Check out the full list on our staff benefits page (opens in a new tab) and use our reward calculator to discover the total value of your pay and benefits

Championing equality, diversity and inclusion

The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter and we are also Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champions, actively promoting LGBT equality.

Prior to any employment commencing with the University you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK. Further information is available on our right to work webpages (opens new browser tab)

The University may be able to sponsor the employment of international workers in this role. This will depend on a number of factors specific to the successful applicant.

Key dates to note

The closing date for applications is 12 January 2026.

Unless stated otherwise the closing time for applications is 11:59pm GMT. If you are applying outside the UK the closing time on our adverts automatically adjusts to your browsers local time zone.

Interviews will be held at a date to be confirmed upon review of the applications