Senior Research Scientist - R&D

Full-time, Cambridge UK

Join Shift, where you’ll become an integral member of a high-performing and fast-moving team whose mission is to deliver the first drugs for safe cellular rejuvenation, addressing chronic diseases and extending healthy human lifespan. At Shift, we value ability and results, fostering a meritocratic culture that embraces respect, reliability, collaboration, challenge and communication.

Shift has pioneered a single-cell ageing clock with unmatched accuracy, powered by state-of-the-art machine learning and gene expression data. With this clock, our lab testing of rejuvenating interventions is four times faster than our peers and enables us to use cell simulations to meaningfully explore the vast combinatorial space of genes, a previously impossible task.

As part of the Research and Development Department at Shift, you’ll work alongside our Head of R&D to build the in vitro tools driving the discovery of safe rejuvenation interventions, and then understand their mechanisms. You will also work closely with our Platform and Target Validation teams to identify areas that require innovative approaches to maximise their potential.

We are looking for someone with excellent cell culture skills, with experience in establishing and optimising mechanistic assays in vitro. You should also be comfortable working in a highly standardised lab environment. This role provides an opportunity to be part of an exciting journey where your expertise accelerates the arrival of drugs for safe cellular rejuvenation. On starting, you will report directly to Brendan Swain, CSO.

What will you do?

● Develop state-of-the-art in vitro methods to accelerate our discovery of safe rejuvenation genes

● Explore the effects and mechanisms of our promising safe rejuvenation candidates

What are we looking for?

Candidates must have:

● A PhD in cellular or molecular biology or similar

● A strong research background in either academia or industry

● Experience with aseptic mammalian cell/tissue culture

● Flexibility and willingness to learn on the job

The ideal candidate will also have experience with some of the following:

● In vitro gene delivery, especially with viral vectors

● Flow cytometry and FACS

● End-to-end assay development and validation

● Understanding of signalling pathways and regulation of gene expression

What we offer

Join a team at the forefront of scientific discovery, where your contributions can make a lasting impact on healthcare, shaping a future that extends the prime of life. You’ll work on problems that matter and have the opportunity for rapid role progression if you’d like it.

We offer on-demand learning and training to support your career growth and attendance at relevant conferences. You’ll work from our state-of-the-art lab and office facilities inside the Gurdon Institute in central Cambridge. You can expect a competitive salary with milestone-based reviews, share options, private medical insurance and paid holiday.

How to apply

Please send your CV and a short covering note outlining your interest and suitability for the position to brendan@shiftbioscience.com. You can expect to receive feedback within two weeks.

Interviewing with us

There are typically three stages - an initial chat to understand your motivations and interests, then a technical assessment and finally in-person team interviews. We will provide more information as you pass through each stage. We are a small and close-knit team and we’ll introduce you to everyone at Shift so that you can easily imagine the feeling of working alongside us.

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