Head Molecular Biologist — Lead Breakthrough Therapeutics

Placements24; Polokwane; On-site; ZAR 1,000,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus program

Health insurance

Retirement plan with company match

Professional development and training

State-of-the-art laboratory facilities

Career growth opportunities

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Lead Molecular Biologist in Polokwane, South Africa to head the molecular biology research efforts. The role involves leading a team, designing and executing advanced assays, and guiding R&D programs to progress therapeutic discovery.

The ideal candidate will have a PhD in a life sciences field with 7+ years of molecular biology experience, strong leadership, and hands-on skills across PCR, qPCR, cloning, Western blotting and cell-based assays, plus exposure to NGS data

Qualifications

• Ph.D. required in a life science field (Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Genetics)
• Minimum 7 years post-PhD experience in molecular biology research
• Proven leadership and mentoring experience of scientific teams
• Hands-on experience with PCR, qPCR, cloning, Western blotting and cell-based assays
• Experience with next-generation sequencing (NGS) data analysis is highly desirable

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of molecular biologists in a fast-growing biotech setting
• Design, optimize and execute molecular assays and protocols
• Oversee key research projects and ensure timely progression of programs
• Analyze complex data and guide future research directions
• Contribute to therapeutic strategy development and target identification
• Manage lab resources and ensure safety and compliance
• Present findings to internal teams and at conferences
• Contribute to patent applications and publications

Skills

Leadership experience

Data analysis

Critical thinking

Communication skills

Education

Ph.D. in Molecular Biology/Biochemistry/Genetics

Tools

PCR

qPCR

Cloning

Western blotting

Cell-based assays

NGS technologies

Job description

Placements24 is seeking a Lead Molecular Biologist in Polokwane, South Africa to head the molecular biology research efforts. The role involves leading a team, designing and executing advanced assays, and guiding R&D programs to progress therapeutic discovery.

The ideal candidate will have a PhD in a life sciences field with 7+ years of molecular biology experience, strong leadership, and hands-on skills across PCR, qPCR, cloning, Western blotting and cell-based assays, plus exposure to NGS data