Senior/Research Assistant, Genomics

Relation; Greater London; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

Relation is a TechBio company advancing predictive genomics and drug discovery in London. We are seeking a Senior Research Assistant/Research Assistant - Genomics to drive single-cell sequencing studies, develop scalable library workflows, and collaborate with ML teams to translate data into insights.

You will operate in wet and dry labs, contribute to high-throughput screens, and help move protocols toward automated platforms while ensuring rigorous data quality and traceability.

Qualifications

• Degree in Life Sciences with 2+ years in industry/genomics core.
• Hands-on experience with single-cell library generation on droplet microfluidics or combinatorial indexing.
• Familiar with NGS operations and library QC (Illumina).
• Knowledge of LIMS/ELN systems (Benchling) and metadata tracking.
• Experience collaborating with computational/ML teams.

Responsibilities

• Run single-cell RNA-seq and ATAC-seq workflows end-to-end from cell input to sequencing-ready libraries.
• Process sequencing libraries to a QC-passing standard.
• Partner with automation engineers to port manual workflows to automated systems.
• Maintain chain-of-custody for genomics samples in LIMS/ELN.
• Interface with computational/ML teams on library design and metadata schema.
• Author and maintain SOPs and experimental records in LIMS/ELN.
• Monitor lab activities, maintain stock levels, ensure equipment is maintained.

Skills

Single-cell genomics

Gene expression

Automation

Cross-functional coordination

NGS library QC

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Life Sciences

Tools

Benchling

Ultima sequencing

Job description

Senior Research Assistant / Research Assistant - Genomics

Relation is a sector defining TechBio company developing transformational medicines, with technology at our core. Our ambition is to understand human biology in unprecedented ways, discovering therapies to treat some of life’s most devastating diseases. We leverage single-cell multi-omics from patient tissue, functional assays, and machine learning to drive disease understanding, from cause to cure.

We are scaling rapidly and building a team of exceptional individuals to push the boundaries of drug discovery. You will work in highly interdisciplinary teams where biology, computation, and engineering come together to solve complex problems that have not been solved before. Our state-of-the-art wet and dry labs in the heart of London are designed to accelerate this integration and translate insight into impact.

We are committed to building diverse and inclusive teams. Relation is an equal opportunities employer and does not discriminate on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, marital or civil partnership status, gender reassignment, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, disability, or age.

By joining Relation, you will help define how medicines are discovered and deliver meaningful impact for patients.

The opportunity

At Relation, we are building proprietary large-scale datasets to advance the prediction of disease-associated genes using cutting‑edge functional genomics and machine learning approaches. We are offering an exciting opportunity for a Senior Research Assistant/ Research Assistant - Genomics to help expand our capabilities to run large scale perturbation studies with single‑cell Transcriptomic and Epigenomic readouts.

In this role, you will be at the forefront of applying single-cell genomics to large perturbation screens, interfacing with automated platforms for high‑throughput discovery. You will contribute to the single-cell library generation workflow that takes perturbation screens into ML‑ready sequencing data. In this role you will contribute to the running of both droplet microfluidics and combinatorial‑indexing scRNAseq and scATAC‑seq approaches, processing libraries to sequencing, and helping move these protocols from the bench onto our automated platforms.

Day to day you will

• Run single-cell RNA‑seq and ATAC‑seq workflows end-to-end from cell input through to sequencing‑ready libraries.
• Process single-cell sequencing libraries through the full preparation to a consistent, QC‑passing standard.
• Partner closely with automation engineers to port manual single-cell and library prep workflows onto automated systems.
• Maintain chain‑of‑custody for genomics samples, plate maps and metadata capture in our LIMS/ELN so every library is unambiguously traceable.
• Interface with the computational and ML teams on library design, demultiplexing logic, expected outputs, and metadata schema.
• Author and maintain SOPs and experimental records in our LIMS/ELN system.
• Monitor day‑to‑day lab activities, maintain reagent stock levels, ensure equipment is properly maintained, and adhere strictly to good lab practice standards.

Professionally, you will have

• A Bachelor's or Master's degree in a relevant Life Sciences discipline with 2+ years of additional experience in Industry or an Academic Genomics Core Facility.
• Hands‑on expertise with single‑cell genomics library generation on droplet microfluidics and/or combinatorial‑indexing methods, experience with scATAC‑seq or other epigenomic methods is a plus.
• Familiarity with NGS operations and library QC, Illumina sequencing essential; experience with Ultima or other platforms a plus.
• Strong cross‑functional coordination skills, with a track record of working effectively alongside computational/ML colleagues.
• A good understanding of the QC, batch‑effect, and experimental‑design considerations that determine whether large‑scale data are usable downstream.
• Knowledge of LIMS/ELN systems (e.g. Benchling) and disciplined metadata and sample‑tracking practice.
• Experience with lab automation and/ or evidence of collaboration experience with automation engineers is desirable but not required.

Personally, you:

• Are comfortable working in a matrixed environment, balancing multiple stakeholders and contributing effectively across teams.
• Take ownership of your work, proactively seek opportunities to contribute, and enable others to do their best work.
• Communicate openly and directly, give and receive feedback constructively, and handle challenging conversations with respect.
• Actively seek out diverse perspectives, build strong working relationships, and contribute to shared goals across teams.
• Embrace challenges with openness and resilience, set high standards for yourself, and strive to deliver meaningful outcomes.

Working Style & Culture at Relation

At Relation, we operate in a matrixed, interdisciplinary environment, where impact is driven through collaboration across scientific, technical, and operational domains. We collaborate, and you will partner with colleagues across multiple teams and projects, contributing your expertise while aligning to shared company priorities. We work together and win together!

The patient is waiting!

Recruitment agencies

Relation does not accept unsolicited resumes from agencies. Resumes should not be forwarded to our job aliases or employees. Relation will not be liable for any fees associated with unsolicited CVs.

Relation is a committed equal opportunities employer.