Laboratory Technician

Laboratory Technician

We are looking for a hands-on Laboratory Technician to help keep our wet-lab and plant tissue culture workflows running smoothly. You will support sterile plant maintenance, media preparation, lab organisation, consumables management and routine molecular biology work. This is a great opportunity for someone with biology lab experience who is organised, accurate, proactive and excited to work in a fast-paced start-up environment alongside a multidisciplinary team.

If you are looking for a fast-paced environment, new challenges and like working with a multidisciplinary team, then this job is for you. You will be responsible for regular maintenance of sterile plant material, media preparation for various workflows, plasmid preps, maintaining general laboratory consumables for the wet-lab and on occasion performing molecular work. If you have previously been part of an academic or industry team, but now would like to work in a start-up environment then you would be a great fit.

In this role, you will:

• Assist in various areas of laboratory maintenance, cleaning and tidying of lab areas, calibration of equipment, waste management and ensure a smooth running of the laboratory
• Prepare various types of bacterial and plant growth media for laboratory use across various projects
• Keep labs stocked with laboratory consumables, including sterilised plastic-ware and glass-ware
• Give technical support to develop horticultural and field crops, including genetically modified and genome edited plant material
• Maintain sterile tissue culture of a number of crop species (e.g. tomato, potato)
• Perform DNA and RNA extraction from plant material as well as bacterial DNA plasmid preps and perform sample quality control
• Assist in a variety of molecular biological techniques, at times
• Work together with team members to ensure adherence to all local H&S rules & regulations

Requirements

• BSc Plant Sciences, Biology or a related subject. Anyone with relevant experience in a biology lab is welcome to apply.
• Experience in sterile working practices, preparing and maintaining media stocks.
• Experience of working with plants in a sterile laboratory environment.
• Practical experience of laboratory technician/biological scientific research work.
• Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills.
• Demonstrable numeracy skills.
• Exceptional attention to detail, precision and accuracy, documentation skills and accurate record keeping.
• Great organisational and time management skills with the ability to prioritise, organise and coordinate a range of tasks simultaneously.
• The ability to follow written protocols and instructions.
• A flexible and proactive approach to work, working under your own initiative, working out of hours if required.
• Excellent IT skills including Microsoft Office Word and Excel.
• A team player with an enthusiasm for working in a busy and evolving environment.

You get extra points if you:

• Have experience of molecular techniques including cloning and plasmid preparation
• Can demonstrate a strong record of laboratory experience and using a Laboratory Management System. If you bring experience of self-directed, multidisciplinary laboratory work that would be great.
• Can demonstrate a record of using project management software.
• Have practical experience with plant tissue culture, more so if also with glasshouse/CE plant growth.
• Have experience growing plants in an industry R&D operation
• Share our passion for sustainability

What we offer:

• Competitive salary
• Share of value you create through Employee Stock Option Plan
• Private medical insurance
• Great working environment in a multidisciplinary team
• A flexible working arrangement: early or late working with core hours of 10am-4pm
• Access to a gym & tennis courts
• Cycle to work scheme

Applicants must have the permanent right to work in the UK. Unfortunately, we are unable to consider candidates who require visa sponsorship now or in the future for this position.

To apply, please submit a 1-page cover letter explaining your fit for the role and motivation to join us, along with your CV.