Field Applications Scientist

Takara Bio; Greater London; Remote; GBP 65,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Takara Bio is seeking an experienced Field Applications Scientist to support its NGS and Spatial Biology portfolio across Europe. The FAS will be the primary technical applications contact, providing pre- and post-sales support, customer training, workflow implementation, and troubleshooting.

The role requires strong practical NGS and Spatial Biology laboratory experience, the ability to understand customer workflows, resolve technical issues, and translate complex science into clear guidance.

Qualifications

• Mandatory MSc/PhD in a relevant field; BSc with significant experience considered.
• Minimum 3 years of FAS or closely related customer-facing life sciences experience.
• Strong practical lab experience with NGS and Spatial Biology workflows.

Responsibilities

• Act as primary technical contact for Takara Bio NGS and Spatial Biology technology.
• Deliver on-site and remote customer training and workflow implementation.
• Support customers from evaluation through routine use and troubleshoot barriers.
• Build trusted relationships with researchers, core facilities and KOLs.
• Escalate complex issues to product management, R&D and support teams.
• Provide internal training and mentoring to sales and technical staff.

Skills

Fluent English (oral & written)

Troubleshooting

Communication

Training

Organization & Documentation

Travel readiness

Education

MSc or PhD in Molecular Biology/Cell Biology/ Microbiology/ Biochemistry/ Genetics/ Genomics/ Biotechnology

BSc with significant relevant field experience

Tools

Laboratory automation platforms

Job description

Takara Bio is seeking an experienced Field Applications Scientist to support its NGS and Spatial Biology portfolio across Europe. The FAS will be a primary technical applications contact, providing pre- and post-sales support, customer training, workflow implementation, and troubleshooting.

The role requires strong practical NGS and/or Spatial Biology laboratory experience and the ability to understand customer workflows, resolve technical issues, and translate complex science into clear guidance.

The role also requires practical experience implementing and troubleshooting automated NGS workflows and associated workflow scripts or methods on customer laboratory automation platforms.

The FAS will work closely with Sales, Marketing, Product Management, Technical Support, R&D, and other specialist teams, and will contribute to internal training, knowledge sharing, onboarding, and mentoring. The role has no formal line-management responsibility.

Customer Applications Support

• Act as a primary technical applications contact for customers using Takara Bio NGS and Spatial Biology technologies.
• Deliver on-site and remote customer training, workflow implementation, and scientific troubleshooting.
• Support customers from evaluation through routine use, helping resolve technical barriers and maximise successful adoption.
• Build trusted technical relationships with researchers, core facilities, KOLs, and other scientific stakeholders.

Pre-Sales & Commercial Support

• Partner with Territory Managers, NGS Sales Specialists, Inside Sales, and other commercial colleagues during customer opportunities.
• Understand scientific objectives and workflow requirements and provide technical seminars, consultations, demonstrations, and product evaluations.
• Support implementation and troubleshooting of automated NGS workflows and associated scripts or methods on customer laboratory automation platforms, working with internal teams or automation partners where required.

Technical Expertise & Escalation

• Maintain advanced knowledge of NGS and Spatial Biology products, workflows, applications, competitors, and market developments.
• Escalate complex issues to Technical Support, Product Management, R&D, Field Engineering, or other specialist teams as appropriate.
• Where relevant, help distinguish application-related issues from instrument-related issues.

Field Feedback, Documentation & Launch Support

• Document customer interactions, training, troubleshooting, outcomes, and follow-up actions accurately and on time.
• Provide structured Voice of Customer, market, competitor, and recurring technical feedback to relevant internal teams.
• Support new product launches, early-access activities, field evaluations, training materials, and technical documentation.

Internal Training & Mentoring

• Deliver technical training to sales teams, distributors, and other internal teams as required.
• Support onboarding and technical development of new FAS and commercial colleagues.
• Share applications best practices and provide informal mentoring, without formal supervisory or performance-management responsibility.

This is a home-based role open to candidates ideally located in Germany, the United Kingdom or France with approximately 50-75% travel across Europe required for customer training, implementation, troubleshooting, demonstrations, meetings, conferences, and internal activities, including overnight and international travel; a valid driving licence is required.

QualitifcationMandatoryMSc or PhD in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Genetics, Genomics, Biotechnology, or a related scientific field. A BSc may be considered with significant relevant field and applications experience.

DesirablePost-doctoral or equivalent research experience involving NGS, Spatial Biology, single-cell analysis, or related advanced molecular biology workflows.

ExperienceMandatoryMinimum 3 years of FAS, applications support, or closely related customer-facing technical experience within life sciences.

Minimum 3 years of laboratory or related scientific experience. Strong practical laboratory experience with NGS and/or Spatial Biology workflows. Experience supporting NGS and/or Spatial Biology technologies, including customer training and complex workflow troubleshooting. Strong understanding of NGS library preparation, sequencing workflows, Spatial Biology applications, and experimental design. Practical experience implementing, optimising, or troubleshooting automated NGS workflows and deploying or adapting workflow scripts or methods in customer laboratory automation environments.

DesirableExperience supporting commercial Spatial Biology technologies or single-cell NGS applications.

Competences, skills and abilitiesMandatoryFluent English, oral and written. Strong scientific and technical capability across NGS and Spatial Biology workflows. Excellent troubleshooting, communication, presentation, and scientific training skills. Customer-focused, self-motivated, proactive, and able to work independently. Strong organisation, documentation, follow-through, and ability to manage multiple priorities. Ability to collaborate effectively across commercial, scientific, technical, and operational teams. Ability to support implementation, deployment, and troubleshooting of automated NGS workflow scripts or methods in customer environments. Willingness and ability to travel extensively.

DesirableFluency in German and/or French would be a distinct advantage. Additional European languages. Experience with CRM/customer-support systems and strong scientific storytelling skills. Ability to coach, mentor, and develop the technical confidence of others.