Senior Scientist; Sample Management

Senior Scientist – Sample Management

Salary: £41,700‑£51,300 (dependent on experience) plus benefits.

Reports to:

Principal Scientist, Mechanistic Pharmacology.

Location:

Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge. Lab based with low‑flex (minimum 3 days per week onsite).

Contract:

Permanent, Full‑time 35 hours per week. Flexible working requests considered.

Closing date:
Tuesday 21st July 23:55.

• Drive continuous improvement of sample management practices, ensuring state‑of‑the‑art standards in compound and biological handling and dispensing.
• Prioritise sample requests in line with project priorities and assign work to team members.
• Receive and solubilise new compounds.
• Assess purity of compounds by LC‑MS.
• Prepare and supply assay‑ready plates using ECHO instrumentation to support structure‑activity studies and high‑throughput screening across multiple sites.
• Prepare and supply bespoke compound requests to support non‑routine activities across active projects.
• Troubleshoot issues and respond to queries in a timely manner.
• Maintain the Mosaic sample management system, driving continuous improvement.
• Liaise with CROs to manage off‑site storage of compound libraries.
• Collaborate within the Molecular Sciences team, internal multidisciplinary research teams, and external partners.

• HNC, HND or degree in chemistry, biochemistry, or life sciences; relevant experience may substitute education.
• Significant experience in a drug discovery environment managing and dispensing small molecules and biotherapeutics.
• Detailed understanding of storage processes for compounds and biologicals, including freeze‑thaw cycles, degradation, and solvent usage.
• Experience with liquid handling and automated dispensing platforms such as ECHO and Access.
• Experience with LIMS, databases, and screening data management software such as Mosaic and Dotmatics.
• Collaborative mindset, excellent organisational skills, strong attention to detail, and flexibility.

Bold: Act with ambition, courage and determination.
Credible: Act with rigour and professionalism.
Human: Act to have a positive impact on people.
Together: Act inclusively and collaboratively.

We offer a supportive working environment that prioritises well‑being, a generous benefits package, a wide range of career and personal development opportunities, and high‑quality tools.

We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and cultures, particularly those from ethnic minority backgrounds who are under‑represented. Candidates below the age of 18 are not considered for this role.