Research Associate NGS

SONICOM; Gloucester; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 49,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

41 days off per year

Generous pension schemes

Job summary

Imperial College London invites applications for a full-time, fixed-term post at the London Biofoundry. The role is a 35h per week position, 24 months starting from October 2026, with potential extension.

You will develop automated workflows for adaptive laboratory evolution and sequencing, collaborating with national and international partners to accelerate workflows. Based at Imperial's London Biofoundry, you will work with cutting-edge DNA synthesis, sequencing platforms, microfluidics assays

Job description

The research project is funded at the Biofoundry through the Gram-Negative Antibiotic Discovery Innovator award (Wellcome, Novo Nordisk Foundation and Gates Foundation). The position will be based at the London Biofoundry , a cutting-edge Engineering Biology lab on Imperial's new White City campus with an integrated SynBio stack bringing together in-house DNA synthesis, high-throughput liquid handling, sequencers, high-end plate readers, microscopes, flow cytometers, bioreactors and analytical instruments to speed up strain engineering and screening workflows. The project will interface with several teams in the strain engineering and AMR community at Imperial including the Fleming Initiative , Drug Discovery Hub , Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein , and international teams at the Global Biofoundries Alliance .

What you would be doing

You will develop novel workflows for adaptive laboratory evolution and next generation sequencing at the London Biofoundry in collaboration with the Biofoundry team, national and international partners. These projects will include the design and execution of fully automated sample preparation workflows, sequencing campaigns on Illumina, ONT and PacBio sequencing platforms and the bioinformatic analysis of short- and long-read sequencing data. The project also offers opportunities for novel microfluidics assays and single-cell sequencing.

What we are looking for

We are looking for a highly motivated and focused team member who will enjoy advancing both technical lab capabilities and analysis workflows in a very collaborative and international environment supported by cutting-edge research platforms.

What we can offer you

• The opportunity to continue your career at a world-leading institution and be part of our mission to continue science for humanity.
• Sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 41 days off a year and generous pension schemes).
• Be part of a diverse, inclusive and collaborative work culture with various staff networks and resources to support your personal and professional wellbeing .

Further information

This is a full-time post (35h per week), fixed-term contract for 24 months starting from October 2026 with potential extension.

If you require any further details about the role, please contact: Marko Storch - [e-mail].

*Candidates who have not yet been officially awarded their PhD will be appointed as a Research Assistant within the salary range £45,399 - £48,876 per annum

Attached documents are available under links. Clicking a document link will initialize its download.

Please note that job descriptions are not exhaustive, and you may be asked to take on additional duties that align with the key responsibilities mentioned above.

We reserve the right to close the advert before the stated closing date, should we receive a high volume of applications. It is therefore advisable that you submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

If you encounter any technical issues while applying online, please don't hesitate to email us at [e-mail]. We're here to help.

About Imperial

Welcome to Imperial, a global top-ten university where scientific imagination leads to world-changing impact.

Join us and be part of something bigger. From global health to climate change, AI to business leadership, here at Imperial we navigate some of the world's toughest challenges. Whatever your role, your contribution will have a lasting impact.

As a member of our vibrant community of 22,000 students and 8,000 staff, you'll collaborate with passionate minds across nine London campuses and a global network.

This is your chance to help shape the future. We hope you'll join us at Imperial College London.

Our Culture

We work towards equality of opportunity, to eliminating discrimination, and to creating an inclusive working environment for all. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries, and are committed to employing a team that has diverse skills, experiences and abilities. You can read more about our commitment on our web pages .

Proud signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant. We welcome applications from the Armed Forces community.

Our values are at the root of everything we do, and everyone in our community is expected to demonstrate respect, collaboration, excellence, integrity, and innovation.