Laboratory Research Scientist Pharmacologist

The Francis Crick Institute; City of Westminster; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading biomedical research institute in the UK is seeking two Senior Laboratory Research Scientists to join its Chemical Biology Science Technology Platform (STP). These roles involve collaboration on cutting-edge research in areas like cancer and immunology, developing biochemical assays, and providing scientific leadership. The ideal candidates will have a PhD and experience in drug discovery, along with strong assay development skills. Attractive benefits include generous leave, a robust pension scheme, and well-being support.

Benefits

28 days of annual leave plus three additional days over Christmas

Pension with up to 16% employer contributions

24/7 GP consultation services

Discounted gym memberships

Subsidised on-site restaurant

Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent in a relevant discipline required.
• At least two years of drug discovery experience needed.
• Strong track record in developing innovative assay solutions.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate to establish cross-STP screening approaches.
• Develop and optimise biochemical assays for screening.
• Drive technology projects modernising drug discovery.

Skills

Experience in drug discovery

Development of biochemical assays

Understanding of enzymology

Data analysis skills

Education

PhD in biochemistry, pharmacology, or chemical biology

Tools

GraphPad Prism

Dotmatics

Spotfire

Job description

Overview

We are looking for two Senior Laboratory Research Scientists to join the Chemical Biology Science Technology Platform (STP) at the Crick. The Chemical Biology STP collaborates with researchers at the Crick to apply chemistry to explore biological questions, working at the cutting edge of biomedical science in disciplines such as cancer, infectious disease, immunology, neurology, and developmental biology.

Key Responsibilities – Senior Laboratory Research Scientist

• Close collaboration with colleagues in aligned STPs (including SAS, Structural Biology, Proteomics, NMR) to establish state‑of‑the‑art cross‑STP screening approaches for hit identification, validation and optimisation against novel targets.
• Proactive suggestion of suitable assay technologies that enable the selection of potential probes and therapeutics.
• Application of these approaches to Crick translational projects, advising on screening strategy for new targets and supporting the development of assays for compound screening.
• Contribution to interdisciplinary drug discovery teams as a molecular pharmacologist, taking accountability for the development of complex biological assays and elucidation of mechanism of action.
• Scientific leadership as an assay area expert; staying abreast of the latest literature and developments in the field; and driving technology projects that optimise/modernise the current drug discovery process.

Key Responsibilities – Biochemical Assay Scientist

• Development and optimisation of biochemical assays, utilising fluorescence, luminescence or absorbance technologies for compound screening.
• Ensuring routine biochemical compound screening is carried out to a high standard.
• Timely and thorough capture of all assay data in the ALT project Dotmatics ELN.
• Design and implementation of detailed mechanistic studies to characterise inhibitor mode of action.
• Contribute to the establishment of MS‑based reactive fragment and NMR fragment screening pipelines at the Crick.

Qualifications

• PhD (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline such as biochemistry, pharmacology or chemical biology.
• Experience of working in a drug discovery environment (academia or industry) for at least two years.
• A strong track record of developing and carrying out innovative assay solutions to address chemical biology or medicinal chemistry questions.
• Understanding of theoretical and practical enzymology and/or molecular pharmacology for the characterisation of recombinant targets, combined with a track record of high laboratory productivity.
• Experience and knowledge of in vitro biochemical assay technologies such as time‑resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer and fluorescence polarisation.
• Proficiency with a range of data analysis and visualisation tools, such as GraphPad Prism, Dotmatics, Spotfire or equivalent software.

Benefits

• Generous Leave: 28 days of annual leave, plus three additional days over Christmas and bank holidays.
• Pension Scheme: Defined contribution pension with employer contributions of up to 16%.
• Health & Well‑being: 24/7 GP consultation services, occupational health services and mental health support programmes, eye care vouchers and discounted healthcare plans.
• Work‑Life Balance: Back‑up care for dependents, childcare support allowance, annual leave purchase options and Crick Networks offering diverse groups’ support, community and inclusive social events.
• Perks: Discounted gym memberships, bike‑to‑work scheme, shopping discounts, subsidised on‑site restaurant and social spaces for team interaction.

Diversity & Inclusion

At the Francis Crick Institute we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential to driving innovation and scientific discovery. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected and empowered to succeed, regardless of their background, identity or personal circumstances. We actively encourage applications from individuals of all genders, ethnicities, abilities and experiences. We are a Disability Confident employer and will make reasonable adjustments if you need them – just let us know when you apply. If you need assistance with applying (i.e. would like to apply by phone or post) please email: [e-mail].