Bioinformatician / Data Scientist

ZipRecruiter; London; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job description

Job Description

About us

RQ Biotechnology Ltd is a UK-based virology company whose mission is to provide instant and long-lasting immunity for vulnerable people at risk of severe disease or death from existing, emerging and new viral infections. We are working towards this goal by combining expertise in virus evolution and capabilities in AI/ML and high throughput screening to discover, enhance and develop potent, broad-spectrum and long-lasting monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that future-proof against viral escape mutation. We are now looking to expand our small and ambitious team with skilled lab and computational biologists who will contribute to the advancement of our lead mAb programme towards the clinic and help build our capabilities to tackle other viral threats.

About the role

This position is ideal for someone early in their career with a background in biology and experience applying computational tools to immunology or virology research. You will work closely with a small and agile team of computational and experimental biologists to curate, process, and analyse in silico and lab-generated biological datasets, and communicate your results to the rest of the company. You will also be required to develop and run key stages of our bioinformatics pipelines, streamline data workflows and maintain accurate, up-to-date records in our ELN platform.

Success in this role will require strong teamwork and communication skills, as you will work closely with cross-functional teams across all levels of the organisation. Attention to detail is critical for executing bioinformatics scripts, maintaining accurate records, and ensuring accurate reporting. Given the dynamic nature of a small company, your adaptability and problem-solving skills will be key, as well as a curious and proactive mindset to seek advice and take ownership of areas for improvement.

Role profile

1. Curate and organise experimental datasets, ensuring they are properly structured and uploaded into the company’s data repositories.
2. Generate graphs, data visualisations, and summary reports to facilitate the interpretation of both experimental and in silico data.
3. Execute and optimise bioinformatics scripts for in silico developability assessments, antibody sequence clustering and viral/Ig phylogenetics.
4. Prepare antibody sequences, data tables, and supporting documents for patent submissions, publications and business development.
5. Provide general bioinformatics and data management support, troubleshooting technical challenges related to data processing and analysis.
6. Collaborate closely with other bioinformaticians and experimental scientists at RQ Bio, contributing to cross-functional research efforts.

Essential skills and experience

1. Degree in biological sciences, preferably immunology or virology.
2. Master’s degree or equivalent experience in bioinformatics / computational biology.
3. Proficiency in Python and/or R for biological data analysis, statistical modelling, and data visualisation.
4. Communication of complex information to both technical and non-specialist audiences.
5. Enthusiastic attitude and eagerness to learn and implement new skills and technologies.

Desirable skills and experience

1. Familiarity with bash scripting and command-line tools for data processing.
2. Understanding of antibody sequence analysis, structure prediction tools, and developability assessments.
3. Ability to troubleshoot bioinformatics pipelines and workflow automation.
4. Familiarity with electronic lab notebook (ELN) platforms e.g. Benchling.
5. Knowledge of humoral immunology, next-sequencing and infectious diseases.
6. Relevant experience working at, or collaborating with, biotech companies.

Working arrangements and benefits

1. The position can be hybrid, with an on-site presence required for at least 1 day per week at RQ Bio’s laboratories at Scale Space in the White City area of London. Some after-hours work may be required occasionally.
2. We offer a competitive salary, commensurate with qualifications and experience, and a benefits package including pension and health insurance.
3. Candidates must have the right to work in the UK, or eligibility to obtain it.
4. We believe diverse teams are the most innovative, and welcome applications from all backgrounds and identities.