Lead Scientist

Lonza; Princes Risborough; Hybrid; Confidential; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Agile culture

Inclusive workplace

Competitive pay

Automation tech

Cross-functional teams

Remote up to 20%

Job summary

Lonza in Slough, United Kingdom, seeks a Lead Scientist to support automated analytical platforms and lab workflows underpinning biopharmaceutical development.

The role focuses on hands-on laboratory work, automation troubleshooting, and continuous improvement in a collaborative scientific environment. On-site duties prevail with flexibility for up to 20% remote work, case-by-case.

Qualifications

• MSc in Life Sciences, Biochemistry, Biology, Biomanufacturing, or a related discipline; PhD preferred.
• Strong hands-on laboratory experience within analytical, bioprocess, or biopharmaceutical environments.
• Experience with laboratory automation platforms and/or liquid handling systems.
• Knowledge of plate-based analytical assays like ELISA or related techniques.
• Experience with protein purification workflows.
• Strong problem-solving skills and troubleshooting abilities.
• Excellent communication and collaboration in fast-paced settings.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical support and operational oversight for automated lab platforms across multiple teams.
• Ensure reliable day-to-day operation of automation systems through troubleshooting and maintenance coordination.
• Execute and support routine analytical workflows, including plate-based impurity assays such as ELISA, delivering high-quality data.
• Perform and support protein purification workflows for downstream analytical and development activities.
• Drive continuous improvement to increase robustness, throughput, efficiency, and reproducibility of workflows.
• Collaborate with scientists, group leaders, and stakeholders to support project delivery and operational excellence.
• Share knowledge, resolve issues, and contribute to team best practices.

Skills

Lab automation

ELISA experience

Protein purification

Analytical assays

Troubleshooting

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

MSc in Life Sciences or related

PhD preferred

Tools

Laboratory automation platforms

Liquid handling systems

Job description

Lead Scientist – Protein and Process Analytics

Slough, United Kingdom

Join Lonza's Protein and Process Analytics team and play a key role in supporting the automated analytical platforms and laboratory workflows that enable the development of life-changing therapies. This is an exciting opportunity to combine hands-on laboratory expertise with automation, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement in a highly collaborative scientific environment. This role is primarily based on site. Working together in person supports close, real-time collaboration and the technical precision needed to manufacture medicines to the highest quality and safety standards. We offer flexibility to work remotely for no more than 20% of your time. Requests are considered on a case-by-case basis, in line with business needs.

The full list of our global benefits can be found here:

What you will get

• An agile career and dynamic working culture.
• An inclusive and ethical workplace.
• Compensation programs that recognize high performance.
• A variety of benefits dependent on role and location.
• Opportunities to work with advanced automation technologies and analytical platforms.
• Exposure to cross-functional scientific teams supporting innovative biopharmaceutical programs.

What you will do

• Provide technical support and operational oversight for automated laboratory platforms used across multiple scientific teams.
• Ensure reliable day-to-day operation of automation systems through troubleshooting, performance monitoring, and coordination of maintenance activities.
• Execute and support routine analytical workflows, including plate-based impurity assays such as ELISA, delivering high-quality and reproducible data.
• Perform and support protein purification workflows that enable downstream analytical and development activities.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on increasing robustness, throughput, efficiency, and reproducibility of laboratory workflows.
• Collaborate closely with scientists, group leaders, and stakeholders across Protein and Process Analytics to support project delivery and operational excellence.
• Act as a key technical point of contact, sharing knowledge, resolving issues, and contributing to best practices across the team.

What we are looking for

• MSc in Life Sciences, Biochemistry, Biology, Biomanufacturing, or a related scientific discipline; PhD preferred.
• Strong hands-on laboratory experience within an analytical, bioprocess, or biopharmaceutical environment.
• Experience working with laboratory automation platforms and/or liquid handling systems.
• Knowledge of plate-based analytical assays, such as ELISA or related techniques.
• Experience with, or exposure to, protein purification workflows.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to troubleshoot technical and operational challenges effectively.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work successfully in a fast-paced, high-throughput environment.

About Lonza

At Lonza, our people are our greatest strength. With 30+ sites across five continents, our globally connected teams work together every day to manufacture the medicines of tomorrow. Our core values of Collaboration, Accountability, Excellence, Passion and Integrity reflect who we are and how we work together. Everyone's ideas, big or small, have the potential to improve millions of lives, and that's the kind of work we want you to be part of.

Innovation thrives when people from all backgrounds bring their unique perspectives to the table. At Lonza, we value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. If you’re ready to help turn our customers’ breakthrough ideas into viable therapies, we look forward to welcoming you on board.

Location: UK - Slough; Type: Full time