Senior or Principal Scientist

ZipRecruiter; Oxford; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in immunotherapy is seeking a dynamic senior or principal scientist to drive TCR engineering processes. The successful candidate will lead validation efforts for T cell engagers, collaborating with cross-disciplinary teams to enhance cancer treatments. This role offers a competitive salary and the chance to work in a state-of-the-art lab environment.

Benefits

Market-competitive salary and stock option package

25 days holiday plus public holidays and birthday off

Access to fully equipped private lab

Work from home flexibility

Collaborative work environment

Qualifications

• 1-2 years of relevant lab experience post-PhD, 3+ for senior position.
• Experience with TCEs and IND approval desired.
• Knowledge of cloning, PCR, and protein assays essential.

Responsibilities

• Lead in vivo and in vitro validation of T cell engagers.
• Conduct protein science operations: expression, purification, analysis.
• Manage cell culture tasks and draft lab protocols.

Skills

Molecular Biology

Protein Characterization

Cell Biology

Immunology

Analytical skills

Education

PhD in Immunology, Cell Biology, Biochemistry

Job description

Job Description

At Exogene, we’re reimagining what’s possible in cancer immunotherapy. Our mission is to engineer T-cell receptor therapies that can precisely and powerfully target solid tumours—diseases long considered out of reach for conventional immunotherapies.

To do this, we’ve built a proprietary lab-in-the-loop platform that merges generative AI, biophysical modelling, and high-throughput TCR screening to rapidly design, test, and optimise TCRs with exceptional affinity and specificity. This convergence of computation and wet-lab experimentation allows us to go from concept to candidate molecules in record time.

We’re developing trispecific TCR-based T cell engagers (TCR-TriTCEs)—a new therapeutic modality designed to overcome the unique challenges of the solid tumour microenvironment. This work spans multiple disciplines, from protein engineering and AI-driven design to in vivo validation and translational development.

We are looking for a dynamic senior or principal scientist who will help drive the TCR engineering processes and development. The successful candidate will lead in vivo and in vitro validation of TCEs. You’ll get involved in purifying recombinant TCRs to perform high-throughput TCR display methods and deep sequencing.

Responsibilities

• Lead in vivo and in vitro validation of TCEs.
• Collaboratively design and characterise TCRs for proprietary and partnered disease targets.
• Conduct a suite of protein science operations, including expression, purification, and biophysical analysis.
• Tackle molecular biology duties: cloning, mutagenesis, DNA isolation, and preparing libraries for deep sequencing.
• Manage tissue culture assignments, spanning from media prep and cell line care to cryopreservation.
• Join forces with founders, R&D, academia, and industrial stakeholders to fulfil ambitious R&D objectives.
• Draft, revise, and oversee repertoire of lab protocols.
• Offer essential lab support and uphold facility upkeep.

Requirements

Skills & Qualifications:

• PhD in Immunology, Cell Biology, Biochemistry, or an alike field, paired with at least 1-2 years of relevant lab experience is required. For senior scientist, we are looking for over 3 years industry experience.
• Experience in in vivo and in vitro validation of TCEs (T-cell engagers) all the way through to investigational new drug (IND) approval is highly desirable.
• Knowledge of molecular biology protocols, with an emphasis on cloning and PCR.
• A background in protein expression, purification, and biophysical characterisation.
• Experience in cell and immunological assays (flow cytometry, ELISA, etc.) is preferred.
• Experience in NGS analysis pipeline (specifically data analysis using software such as R) is desired.
• SOP documentation experience is a plus.
• Highest standards in lab precision, record maintenance, and documentation.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.

Attributes:

• Self-starter with sound analytical skills, who values scientific integrity and novelty.
• Collaborative spirit within the lab, open to both giving and receiving actionable feedback.
• Exceptional at diagnosing and overcoming unforeseen technical challenges.
• Adept at juggling and prioritising multiple projects to meet deadlines.
• Versatile and efficient within an interdisciplinary, fast-paced team setup.

What we offer:

• Market-competitive salary and stock option package.
• A generous leave policy: 25 days holiday, public holidays, plus a day off for your birthday!
• Access to fully equipped private lab.
• Flexibility to work from home as project demands allow.
• A supportive, cross-disciplinary team fostering a highly collaborative work environment.