Senior Principal Scientist, Molecular Assays & Genomics

BioSpace; Oxford; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Moderna is seeking a senior scientist to lead the development and validation of molecular assays supporting clinical endpoints at our Harwell site in the UK. You will oversee end-to-end assay lifecycle, partner with cross-functional teams, and drive high-quality data generation across a broad genomic portfolio.

You will work at the intersection of molecular biology, bioanalysis, and informatics, leveraging AI-enabled tools to accelerate discovery and clinical decision-making while mentoring

Qualifications

• PhD in Molecular Biology, Genomics, or related field with 9+ years biotech/pharma experience (or MS with 12+ years)
• Deep hands-on experience developing and validating clinical qPCR, dPCR, NGS assays
• Knowledge of GCLP/GLP and phase-appropriate validation for clinical biomarker endpoints
• Experience integrating genomics data with LIMS/ELN and secure handling of clinical data

Responsibilities

• Provide hands-on scientific leadership and laboratory support for design, development, optimization, and delivery of molecular assays
• Lead RT-qPCR, dPCR, and NGS-based assays across a broad range of applications
• Own end-to-end assay lifecycle activities from method development to transfer
• Author validation plans, reports, protocols, and documentation per GCLP
• Ensure assays are robust, scalable, and aligned with program objectives
• Oversee clinical sample testing with QC, data integrity and operational excellence
• Mentor colleagues and collaborate across Clinical Development, Bioanalytics, Regulatory Affairs, and IT teams

Skills

qPCR/dPCR/NGS assays

Bioinformatics pipelines

Genomics data integration

LIMS/ELN integration

Education

PhD in Molecular Biology/Genomics or related field

Tools

Library prep

qPCR

NGS workflows

Bioinformatics tooling

Job description

Moderna is seeking a senior scientist to lead the development and validation of molecular assays supporting clinical endpoints at our Harwell site in the UK. You will oversee end-to-end assay lifecycle, partner with cross-functional teams, and drive high-quality data generation across a broad genomic portfolio.

You will work at the intersection of molecular biology, bioanalysis, and informatics, leveraging AI-enabled tools to accelerate discovery and clinical decision-making while mentoring