Senior Data Scientist

Senior Data Scientist

Reporting to: Radoslav I. Enchev, Group Leader (The Francis Crick Institute)

Contract term: This is a full-time, fixed term (2 years) position on Crick terms and conditions of employment.

Salary for this Role: From £53,025 with benefits, subject to skills and experience

About us

The Francis Crick Institute is Europe’s largest biomedical research institute under one roof. Our world-class scientists and staff collaborate on vital research to help prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, infectious diseases and neurodegenerative conditions.

The Crick is a place for collaboration, innovation and exploration across many disciplines. A space where the brightest minds can pursue big and bold ideas and discover answers to crucial scientific questions. We support them in a dynamic environment which fosters excellence with state-of-the-art infrastructure, cutting-edge facilities, and a creative and curious culture. We’ve removed traditional boundaries of departments, divisions and disciplines and instead have an open approach that supports every researcher. This gives us the freedom to take risks and carry out high-quality, pioneering research. Creating a space for discovery without boundaries helps us to turn our science into benefits for human health and the economy.

About the Enchev Lab

The Enchev Lab develops innovative methods to directly observe biochemical processes at atomic resolution and millisecond timescales. Using microfluidics, rapid freezing techniques and time-resolved cryo-electron microscopy (trEM), the team captures dynamic structural changes in proteins. These approaches generate time-lapse “molecular movies” of binding and enzymatic reactions. The work is helping transform our understanding of protein dynamics and their role in drug discovery.

About the role

We are seeking a scientist to join the Visual Biochemistry Laboratory, led by Radoslav Enchev. The lab is advancing time-resolved cryo-EM to understand how proteins move and interact. The role forms part of an exciting collaboration with researchers at the Flatiron Institute’s Centre for Computational Biology and Centre for Computational Mathematics.

The project focuses on Cullin-RING E3 ubiquitin ligases, particularly the CRL4/CRBN system targeted by molecular glue degraders and PROTACs. By combining cryo-EM data with advanced computational modelling, the team aims to map how small molecules reshape protein conformational landscapes.

Working closely with experimental and computational scientists, you will contribute to generating new insights, datasets and analytical tools. These outputs will have broad impact across structural biology, computational biophysics and next-generation drug discovery.

What you’ll be doing

You will be responsible for:

• Designing and delivering equilibrium and time-resolved single-particle cryo-EM studies on E3 ubiquitin ligases, molecular glues/PROTACs and their protein targets.
• Processing and analysing cryo-EM datasets using tools such as cryoSPARC and Relion, with a focus on conformational heterogeneity.
• Developing and applying advanced methods to interpret cryo-EM data and model conformational ensembles.
• Building structural models from cryo-EM density maps and integrating findings with molecular dynamics simulations.
• Collaborating closely with computational researchers at the Flatiron Institute to develop new analytical approaches.
• Preparing samples and supporting cryo-EM data collection where required.
• Documenting research, presenting findings and contributing to publications and conferences.
• Supporting and mentoring colleagues in cryo-EM data analysis while contributing to a collaborative lab environment.

Click to see the full job description

Click to find out more about the Enchev Lab

About you

You will have:

Essential:

(Minimum criteria*)

• A PhD in theoretical or experimental biophysics, computer science, structural biology, biochemistry or a related discipline.*
• Practical experience in cryo-EM data analysis and/or molecular dynamics simulations.*
• A strong understanding of protein structure and conformationally dynamic systems.*
• Demonstrated interest in studying conformational free energy landscapes of biomolecules.*
• Strong programming and coding experience.*
• Understanding of deep learning workflows and their application to scientific data.*
• A track record of scientific publications, including preprints and/or peer-reviewed journal articles.*
• Experience presenting research findings at scientific meetings.
• Ability to work independently while contributing effectively within a collaborative research environment.*

Desirable

• Experience or interest in experimental structural biology workflows.
• Research experience or interest in computational drug discovery.
• Knowledge of ubiquitin signalling pathways.

About Working at the Crick

Our values  

Everyone who works at the Crick has a valuable role to play in advancing the Crick’s mission and shaping our culture!

• We are bold. We make space for creative, dynamic and imaginative ideas and approaches. We’re not afraid to do things differently.

• We are open. We’re highly collaborative and interactive, and make sure our activities are visible to the outside world.

• We are collegial. We show respect for one another, work cooperatively and support the wider community.

At the Francis Crick Institute, we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential to driving innovation and scientific discovery. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to succeed, regardless of their background, identity, or personal circumstances. We actively encourage applications from individuals of all genders, ethnicities, abilities, and experiences. We are a Disability Confident: Committed employer and want to ensure that everyone can apply and be part of our recruitment processes and so we'll make reasonable adjustments if you need them - just let us know when you apply. If you need assistance with applying (i.e., would like to apply by phone or post) please email: ruby.oluwafemi@crick.ac.uk.

Find out more about life at the Crick.

What will you receive?  

At the Francis Crick Institute, we value our team members and are proud to offer an extensive range of benefits to support their well-being and development:

• Visas:Applicants for this role will be eligible for sponsorship to work in the UK

• Generous Leave: 28 days of annual leave, plus three additional days over Christmas and bank holidays.

• Pension Scheme: Defined contribution pension with employer contributions of up to 16%.

• Health & Well-being:

• 24/7 GP consultation services.

• Occupational health services and mental health support programs.

• Eye care vouchers and discounted healthcare plans.

• Work-Life Balance:

• Back-up care for dependents.

• Childcare support allowance.

• Annual leave purchase options.
• Crick Networks offering diverse groups’ support, community and inclusive social events.

• Perks:

• Discounted gym memberships, bike-to-work scheme, and shopping discounts.

• Subsidised on-site restaurant and social spaces for team interaction.
• Career support: A Post-doc to PI programme and other career development activities

Please note you must meet the essential criteria listed within the Role Profile, to have your application reviewed. 

We reserve the right to withdraw this advert at any given time due to the number of applications received.