Associate Scientist - Cell Processing

Awerian Ltd; Melbourn; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A biotechnology company in Melbourn seeks an Associate Scientist to support the Cell Processing team. This role involves maintaining cell cultures, preparing reagents, and ensuring compliance with lab protocols. Ideal for a recent graduate with practical lab experience, primarily focused on high-quality work and attention to detail. The position offers structured support and opportunities to grow in a fast-paced environment dedicated to transforming cell therapy manufacturing.

Benefits

Employer pension contribution of 10% of salary

Free lunch and all-day refreshments

Private medical insurance

Cycle to work scheme

Qualifications

• 1-2 years of practical experience in a laboratory setting.
• Hands-on experience with aseptic technique and cell culture.
• Familiarity with BSL2 practices or willingness to learn.

Responsibilities

• Support day-to-day cell processing workflows and maintain cell cultures.
• Perform routine aseptic cell handling tasks and prepare materials.
• Contribute to BSL2+ laboratory operations and maintain accurate lab records.

Skills

Aseptic technique

Cell culture

Organizational skills

Attention to detail

Education

BSc in biological, biomedical, biochemistry or related discipline

Job description

• Technical Discipline: Science or Engineering

Company Description

Associate Scientist – Cell Processing

Full time, on-site, Melbourn, Cambridgeshire

Cell therapies are already changing what is possible for patients with devastating diseases by reprogramming their own immune cells to fight conditions like cancer. To reach every patient who could benefit, these therapies need to be made reliably, at scale, and at a cost that health systems can support. That is where Cellular Origins comes in, and where your careful, hands‑on lab work could play a key part.

Cellular Origins’ Constellation platform uses mobile robotics and intelligent automation to connect existing bioprocess tools into scalable manufacturing systems. Instead of asking companies to redesign their biology, we help them scale what already works, so life‑changing therapies can reach many more people. As an Associate Scientist in our Cell Processing team, you’ll help build and run the reliable, repeatable biological workflows that sit behind this platform. Your day‑to‑day work at the bench will directly influence how cell therapies can be manufactured at scale.

Job Description

About the role

This is a lab‑based role, ideal for a recent graduate or early‑career scientist who enjoys being at the bench, learning by doing, and taking pride in getting the details right. You’ll join a collaborative group of scientists and engineers, supporting high‑throughput, repeatable lab work that underpins our bioprocess de‑risking studies and routine testing.

You’ll get structured support, clear protocols, and the chance to grow your skills in cell culture, assay support, and good lab practice, while seeing how your work feeds into a real‑world manufacturing platform.

What you’ll do

You’ll be part of the Cell Processing team, supporting multiple projects in parallel and becoming a trusted, steady presence in a fast‑growing environment. You’ll get to:

• Support day‑to‑day cell processing workflows, from maintaining cell cultures and preparing reagents, through to helping run assays and keeping the lab organised and compliant.
• Perform routine aseptic cell handling tasks, such as cell culture maintenance, automated cell counts, viability checks, passaging, cryopreservation, and thawing.
• Prepare and maintain raw materials and sterile reagents, including media, buffers, cytokines, and cell cultures.
• Support routine assay execution and sample processing, for example flow cytometry staining preparation and basic sample prep for dPCR or other assays, including simple data collation.
• Follow established SOPs and protocols carefully, highlighting deviations or unexpected results so the team can act quickly.
• Contribute to BSL2+ laboratory operations, including cleaning, waste handling, and biosafety compliance, with full training and support.
• Help with equipment upkeep, such as incubator checks, basic maintenance tasks, and arranging calibrations where needed.
• Maintain accurate lab records with good documentation practices and clear traceability for samples and reagents.
• Support lab organisation, inventory tracking, and consistent execution across repeated experiments.
• From time to time, perform simple engineering checks or measurements to help colleagues make timely decisions.
• Process data for presentation to wider team

Qualifications

About you

You’ll enjoy this role if you like being in the lab, doing high‑quality practical work, and becoming someone others can rely on for consistency. We are looking for someone who is comfortable with showing initiative or seeking continuous improvement. You might be coming from a placement year or your first role in industry, and you’re now looking for a place where your skills can grow alongside a meaningful mission.

You’ll bring:

• A BSc (or equivalent) in a biological, biomedical, biochemistry or related discipline.
• Minimum 1–2 years of practical experience in a laboratory setting, which could include an industrial placement or similar.
• Hands‑on experience with aseptic technique, cell culture, and basic media or reagent preparation.
• Confidence working to written SOPs and keeping accurate lab notebooks or electronic records.
• Familiarity with BSL2 practices, or an enthusiasm to be trained to BSL2+ working standards.
• Ideally, some exposure to cell isolation techniques.
• Ideally, experience supporting routine assays, for example flow cytometry sample preparation, basic molecular assay prep, and/or microbiology.
• Strong attention to detail, good organisation skills, and reliability when executing repetitive tasks.
• Comfort working across multiple tasks with clear guidance, staying calm and focused when priorities shift.

If you like the idea of your careful, methodical lab work helping to unlock industrial‑scale cell therapy manufacturing, this could be a great fit.

Additional Information

Cellular Origins is based on the TTP Campus, within purpose‑built sustainable offices, labs and green surroundings, 10 miles south of Cambridge. Our working culture encourages entrepreneurship, shared ideas and collaboration, while providing you the freedom to do your best work.

Our employee benefits include:

• Employer pension contribution of 10% of salary
• Free lunch and all‑day refreshments
• Private medical insurance for employees and dependants
• Enhanced family friendly leave
• Life insurance worth 6x salary
• Electric car leasing scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Season ticket loan
• Activities and community that supports healthy activities that bring colleagues together; whether it’s lunchtime squash or football, Zumba or our own rock band. Colleagues initiate new clubs and outings whenever they feel there’s something missing!
• Local sports facilities and theatre discounts and memberships.

How to apply

Apply now to join an exceptional team that is redefining how cell therapies are manufactured and helping bring life‑changing treatments to more patients, faster. Every application will be reviewed by the hiring team and will receive a response.