Senior Laboratory Research Scientist

Key information

Senior Laboratory Research Scientist – Structural Biology

Reporting to: Dr Svend Kjaer, Head of Structural Biology

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

Salary for this Role: From £47,080 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 Structural Biology STP

The Structural Biology Science Technology Platform supports researchers across the Crick through expertise in protein expression and purification, biophysics, X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM.

Working at the forefront and biomedical research, the platform collaborates with scientists across cancer, infectious disease, immunology, neurology and developmental biology to help answer complex biological questions through cutting-edge structural biology approaches.

About the role

We are seeking a Senior Laboratory Research Scientist to join the Structural Biology STP and support innovative structural biology and biophysics projects across the Crick.

You will play a key role in protein structure determination and molecular interaction studies, working closely with multidisciplinary teams to deliver high-quality structural and biophysical data. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced scientist who enjoys hands-on laboratory work, technical problem-solving and collaborative research in a highly dynamic environment.

Click to find out more about the Structural Biology STP

What you’ll be doing

You will be responsible for:

• Establishing protein purification workflows for structural biology and biophysical studies.
• Determining protein structures using X-ray crystallography techniques.
• Performing biophysical characterisation of molecular interactions using techniques such as SPR, BLI, ITC and MST.
• Analysing and interpreting structural and biophysical datasets.
• Supporting training activities for researchers and platform users across the Crick.
• Contributing to method development and optimisation within the platform.
• Collaborating with interdisciplinary teams across a broad range of research areas.

About you

(Minimum Criteria: *)

You will have:

Essential:

• PhD in structural biology, biophysics or related discipline, or equivalent experience.*
• Strong experience in protein X-ray crystallography, including crystallisation, data collection and structure refinement.*
• Hands-on experience with biophysical interaction techniques such as SPR, ITC, BLI or MST.*
• Experience analysing quantitative biophysical data.*
• Excellent communication, organisational and collaborative working skills.*
• Proactive, adaptive and solutions-focused approach.*

Desirable

• Experience with Fragment-Based Drug Discovery (FBDD).
• Programming or scripting skills such as Python, R or MATLAB.
• Experience working within collaborative or shared scientific research environments.

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: Comprehensive training, mentoring, and a pay structure based on skills and experience.

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.