Molecular Characterisation Scientist - Benchtop to Automation

Substrate Bio Ltd; Greater London; On-site; GBP 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

30 days annual leave + public holidays

Pension with 10% employer contribution

Top-tier private health cover (Bupa)

Job summary

Substrate Bio Ltd. is building the molecular characterisation cascades for quality-controlled, biophysically characterised data at scale.

You will design, validate, and run biophysical and developability assays at the bench, collaborating with automation and software teams to create automation-ready protocols from day one. You will work across QC, binding, and stability readouts, contributing to SOPs and developing the assay menu while the automation platform scales the workflow.

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with biophysical and/or analytical instrumentation for protein characterisation.
• Comfortable executing assays in a high-throughput format through manual, semi-automated, and instrumented phases.
• A track record of working alongside non-scientist colleagues (automation, software, computational) on a shared workflow.

Responsibilities

• Land in the lab. Set up your bench at the London site and start manual assay development alongside a senior member of the protein sciences vertical.
• Get hands on the first priority characterisation assays as the day-one menu locks. Start building QC (purity, concentration, oligomeric state), binding, and stability readouts.
• Build reproducibility, precision, and acceptance thresholds into the workflow.
• Contribute to the day-one menu decisions and begin authoring SOPs for your slice of the assay portfolio.

Skills

Biophysical instrumentation

Analytical instrumentation

High-throughput execution

SOP authoring

Education

PhD in protein biophysics

MSc with 5+ years experience

Tools

LIMS

ELN

Job description

Substrate Bio Ltd. is building the molecular characterisation cascades for quality-controlled, biophysically characterised data at scale.

You will design, validate, and run biophysical and developability assays at the bench, collaborating with automation and software teams to create automation-ready protocols from day one. You will work across QC, binding, and stability readouts, contributing to SOPs and developing the assay menu while the automation platform scales the workflow.