Lead, Functional Genomics & AI-Driven Screening

Substrate Bio; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

30 days annual leave

Learning budget

Hybrid work pattern

Job summary

Substrate Bio is building autonomous wet labs and AI‑driven biology infrastructure in London. We are hiring a Head of Functional Genomics to build and lead the vertical from scratch, owning end‑to‑end workflows from cell line engineering to sequencing readouts.

You will hire and mentor scientists, set quality thresholds, and collaborate with automation and AI teams to design screens that can run autonomously at scale.

Qualifications

• Seven or more years in functional genomics or related disciplines, with at least three in a senior or leading role.
• End‑to‑end hands-on experience in screening modalities (e.g., CRISPR knockout/CRISPRi).
• Track record of leading a small scientific team and hiring of staff.
• Customer-facing experience with CRO/pharma/biotech internal customers.

Responsibilities

• Own the functional genomics end‑to‑end, from cell line engineering to sequencing readouts.
• Set quality thresholds and validate screens for autonomous execution.
• Co‑design protocols with software and automation teams; ensure automation readiness.
• Lead hiring and management of Principal Scientists, Scientists, and Lab Technicians.

Skills

Functional genomics

Leadership

Screening

Customer-facing

Job description

Substrate Bio is building autonomous wet labs and AI‑driven biology infrastructure in London. We are hiring a Head of Functional Genomics to build and lead the vertical from scratch, owning end‑to‑end workflows from cell line engineering to sequencing readouts.

You will hire and mentor scientists, set quality thresholds, and collaborate with automation and AI teams to design screens that can run autonomously at scale.