Scientific Technician / Research Associate

Wild Bioscience Ltd; Abingdon; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Group life cover

Company pension 5%

Private medical insurance

Job summary

Wild Bio is seeking a motivated technician/research associate to join the Wild Carbon Team in Oxfordshire. You will translate laboratory innovations into real-world crop applications, contributing to gigaton-scale carbon removal strategies.

Role spans molecular biology, trait validation, and enzyme workflows. You will work in a cross-disciplinary setting with opportunities to grow and impact climate-positive farming.

Qualifications

• BSc or MSc in Biology, biochemistry, or a related field.
• Experience in biochemical/enzymatic assays with plant material preferred (hairy root/plant cell cultures).
• Experience with DNA/RNA extraction, PCR and cloning.

Responsibilities

• Conduct, analyse, and optimise enzymatic/biochemical workflows to deliver actionable insights.
• Assist in developing and executing crop pipelines for measuring carbon removal.
• Assist with plant genetic transformations and DNA/RNA/protein workflows.
• Collaborate with the plant care team to support crop development and monitoring.

Skills

Biology background

Biochemical assays

Molecular biology

Data analysis

Independent work

Team collaboration

Initiative

Curiosity

Plant material handling

Education

BSc or MSc in Biology or related

Tools

SDS-PAGE

Protein purification

Western blotting

PCR

DNA/RNA extraction

Job description

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 Research Associate or Scientist depending on experience 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:

We are seeking a highly motivated technician/research associate to join the Wild Carbon Team. This role will support the translation of Wild innovations from laboratory research to real-world application, contributing to the development of gigaton-scale carbon removal strategies.

This is an exciting cross-disciplinary scientific technician position operating at the interface of molecular biology and trait validation. If you're excited by biochemical assays and developing scalable crop technologies for carbon sequestration, this role is for you.

Qualifications and skills:

• BSc or MSc in Biology, biochemistry, or a related field.
• Experience in conducting, analysing, and optimising biochemical/enzymatic assays, preferably also on plant material, plant hairy root material or plant cell cultures.
• Experience in general molecular biology protocols such as DNA/RNA extraction, PCR and cloning.
• Experience with protein biochemistry techniques (e.g. SDS-PAGE, protein purification, western blotting) is desirable.
• Experience in growing and maintaining plants such as Arabidopsis is desirable but not essential.
• Evidence of experimental design, data analysis, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work independently while contributing effectively within a multidisciplinary team.
• Proactive in taking initiative where needed with tasks that have not been assigned.
• Be a team player in a multi-disciplinary environment, building relationships, and gaining trust from others through honesty, compassion, and authenticity
• Have a curious and courageous mindset, enjoy stepping up to try new things in a changing environment, and taking initiative where there is often ambiguity.

Responsibilities:

• Conduct, analyse, and optimise enzymatic/biochemical workflows to deliver actionable insights.
• Assist in developing and executing crop pipelines involved in measuring carbon removal.
• Assist with plant genetic transformations and carry out general molecular biology pipelines such as DNA/RNA extractions, PCR, protein extraction, protein purification, and cloning.
• Collaborate with the plant care team to support optimal crop development and monitoring.
• Troubleshoot and optimise trait-testing workflows while maintaining accurate records in Electronic Lab Notebooks (ELN).
• Contribute to SOPs, databases, technical reports, and presentations.
• Support and mentor colleagues, fostering a collaborative, innovative, and knowledge-sharing environment.
• Work closely with scientists to integrate data and implement improvements in carbon-related crop traits to drive measurable progress.
• Group life 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
• Training and development opportunities
• Flexible working opportunities
• Opportunity to work with cutting edge science

Location

We’re headquartered in Milton Park, a business and technology park in Oxfordshire. While we do offer flexible and hybrid working, we are also a small, fast-paced team working on cutting-edge science, and we believe the relationships forged and the work we do in-person will be crucial for our success. For this reason, we are asking that applicants be able to work on-site at least four days a week.

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