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Wild Bioscience Ltd; Abingdon; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private medical insurance including affi

Pension with 5% company contribution

Enhanced maternity/paternity leave

Group life cover

Regular company socials

Refreshments throughout the week

Team meals: breakfast Monday, lunch/Fr

Job summary

Wild Bioscience Ltd is seeking a motivated Research Associate to join our plant genotyping team. You will work in a fast-paced, collaborative research environment, handling hands-on lab work and contributing to computational analysis of genotyping data.

Based at our Milton Park, Oxfordshire site, the role offers on-site work with potential hybrid flexibility. The successful candidate will support genotyping across crops, design primers, and help maintain pipelines and ELN records while

Qualifications

• Hands-on molecular biology skills
• Experience with genotyping workflows preferred
• Ability to perform routine lab tasks accurately and safely

Responsibilities

• Contributing to the Plant Genotyping team's mission to provide timely and accurate genotyping of plant samples
• Preparing materials, solutions, and equipment for experiments, and performing routine tasks including sampling, plant maintenance, nucleic acid extractions and PCR
• Running established genotyping pipelines using automation, and running command-line based analysis of genotyping and sequencing data (e.g. amplicon sequencing)
• Designing and validating primers (and probes) for new and existing genotyping assays
• Using and helping to maintain command-line tools and analysis scripts, and contributing to pipeline improvements and automation
• Collecting, organising, and analysing genotyping data, and maintaining accurate records in our Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN) and databases for key stakeholders
• Following and contributing to SOPs to ensure consistent, high-quality operations — and optimizing existing approaches where improvements can be made
• Collaborating with multidisciplinary teams, assisting with troubleshooting, and contributing to presentations and team meetings
• Group life cover x 4 of base salary
• Critical illness cover x 4 of base salary
• Pension scheme with a 5% Company contribution
• Private medical insurance including dental and optical
• Enhanced maternity and paternity leave
• Regular company socials
• Complimentary refreshments throughout the week
• Team meals, including breakfast on a Monday and lunch each Friday, creating opportunities for informal networking and team bonding

Skills

Lab bench work

Genotyping

Computational analysis

PCR

Nucleic acid extraction

Tools

Liquid handling systems

Command-line tools

ELN

Job description

Are you someone who enjoys hands‑on lab work and thrives in a fast-paced, collaborative research environment? We're looking for a motivated Research Associate to join our plant genotyping team, playing a key role in our molecular biology and genotyping pipelines. The ideal candidate is happy at the lab bench and equally comfortable with the computational analysis of genotyping data.

Who we are

At Wild Bio we are radically enhancing crops to feed the world sustainably and promote a wilder planet. Wild plants have had half a billion years to evolve natural solutions for thriving in almost every environment on Earth. Our proprietary genetics platform harnesses these wild innovations to enhance the world’s most important crops. Wild‑enhanced crops would simultaneously boost farm yields and promote gigaton‑scale carbon mitigation strategies. If you’re looking for a start‑up that has enormous potential for impact on growers, consumers, and the planet, please read on.

Wild Bio is a well‑funded, fast‑paced Oxford University spin‑out working from state‑of‑the‑art labs and offices at Milton Park, Oxfordshire. We are about to enter an exciting phase of growth and are looking for a driven and curious scientist to join us and significantly contribute to delivering the change we believe in.

Our Values

Our work is guided by three core values that define who we are and how we approach our mission:

Curiosity: We fuel our desire to explore the unknown, pushing the boundaries of knowledge and sparking innovation. We ask questions, seek answers, and embrace lifelong learning.

Community: We believe in the strength and support gained through collaboration and inclusion. As part of a global community, we nurture connections to drive meaningful impact for both people and planet.

Courage: We face challenges head‑on, take calculated risks, and stand up for our beliefs. Our bravery propels us to take action, even in the face of adversity.

If these values resonate with you, we invite you to join our team of passionate scientists and innovators working at the cutting edge of bioscience.

The Role

In this position, you will be working with a team of scientists and technicians, supporting genotyping workflows across wheat, soybean, and other crops. You will work with liquid handling systems, contribute to multi‑disciplinary research projects, and contribute to the processes and standards that keep our science running smoothly.

Job Responsibilities

Contributing to the Plant Genotyping team's mission to provide timely and accurate genotyping of plant samples

Preparing materials, solutions, and equipment for experiments, and performing routine tasks including sampling, plant maintenance, nucleic acid extractions and PCR

Running established genotyping pipelines using automation, and running command‑line based analysis of genotyping and sequencing data (e.g. amplicon sequencing)

Designing and validating primers (and probes) for new and existing genotyping assays

Using and helping to maintain command‑line tools and analysis scripts, and contributing to pipeline improvements and automation

Collecting, organising, and analysing genotyping data, and maintaining accurate records in our Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN) and databases for key stakeholders

Following and contributing to SOPs to ensure consistent, high‑quality operations — and optimizing existing approaches where improvements can be made

Collaborating with multidisciplinary teams, assisting with troubleshooting, and contributing to presentations and team meetings

Group life cover x 4 of base salary

Critical illness cover x 4 of base salary

Pension scheme with a 5% Company contribution

Private medical insurance including dental and optical

Enhanced maternity and paternity leave

Regular company socials

Complimentary refreshments throughout the week

Team meals, including breakfast on a Monday and lunch each Friday, creating opportunities for informal networking and team bonding

Location

We’re headquartered in Milton Park, a business and technology park in Oxfordshire. This is an on‑site role, though we offer flexibility and hybrid working when possible.

The successful candidate will be required to provide proof of eligibility to work in the UK.

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust