• Would you like to make a major contribution to the discovery of new treatments for patients by using your scientific knowledge?
• Do you have experience of delivering high impact biophysics data to drug discovery projects?

If so, Domainex has a vacancy for a permanent biophysics senior scientist to join our growing team.   Domainex is a multi-award winning integrated drug discovery CRO that has been setting the highest standards in drug discovery, with a particular emphasis on small molecule research, since 2001. We work in partnership with clients from a variety of sectors including academic, pharmaceutical, biotechnology and patient foundation organisations around the world. Our vision is to be the pre-eminent partner for innovative drug discovery services that improve the quality of life for people living with disease.

We value our members of staff and foster an environment of continuous development and learning. We offer our clients tailored services for every step of the drug discovery process, from expression of recombinant proteins and screening against disease targets to identify hit compounds, through the design and medicinal chemistry optimisation of hits and leads, to take these all the way to pre-clinical drug candidates. Our multidisciplinary team of scientists works closely with our partners to generate innovative ideas, and to deliver high-quality results and outputs (e.g. crystallography-grade proteins and novel compounds that meet the desired target product profile), whilst always upholding the very highest standards of confidentiality. We have established a strong reputation with a very high level of repeat business and a proven record of success, some of which we can illustrate through the publications and case studies our clients have allowed us to put in the public domain. We have received several awards recognising our customer focus and innovative approach to drug discovery.

We have a vacancy for a Senior Scientist in biophysics. This is an outstanding opportunity for talented and passionate biophysicist to have an influential role in drug discovery projects at a well-respected integrated medicines research CRO in Cambridge, UK.

Based within our Biology Department, as a lab-based scientist within the Biophysics group, you will join a rapidly growing, talented team. The Biology Department has leading capabilities in biophysics, enzymology, crystallography, and cellular pharmacology and emerging expertise with cryo-EM.

The Biophysics team has expertise in molecular biophysical methods, including SPR/GCI, Spectral Shift, MST, ITC and DSF. We apply biophysics to different phases of drug discovery from hit ID through to candidate selection for a variety of different modalities: small-molecules, fragments, bispecific ligands (e.g. for targeted protein degradation), molecular glues, RNA/DNA binders, antibodies and aptamers.

You will be working in a fast-paced environment as part of an inter-disciplinary team to generate and interpret data and present data both internally and to our valued clients. You will have good problem-solving skills and able to regularly present data to key stakeholders internally and to clients through oral presentations and written reports.

Main roles and responsibilities:

Working collaboratively on drug discovery projects as part of an inter-disciplinary team, you will be a lab-based scientist and develop innovative approaches to generate high-quality data for clients.

• Work independently to develop bespoke biophysical assays using a range of techniques
• Provide quantitative biophysical data on protein-ligand binding including affinity, kinetic, thermodynamic or stoichiometric data to inform chemistry design and mechanistic understanding
• Compound library (e.g. fragments, virtual) and SAR screening using a range of biophysical assays
• Achieve personal scientific visibility through project contributions and client presentations, and external scientific visibility through conference poster/presentations
• Contribute towards writing new proposals for client projects
• Actively pursue own personal development
• Maintain appropriate awareness of safety procedures, attend required safety training and adhere to laboratory safety rules as defined by the host department
• Ensure that all duties are performed in accordance with organisational standards, policies and procedures

Essential Requirements:

• Relevant PhD or equivalent industrial experience
• An understanding of biophysical techniques and how they are applied to drug discovery projects
• Experience in applying biophysics to small-molecule or biotherapeutic drug discovery projects in the pharmaceutical, CRO, biotechnology or academia
• Experience of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) or grating-coupled interferometry (GCI) in the context of drug discovery research
• Ability to problem solve and work independently
• Ability to work collaboratively as part of a supportive team
• Effective verbal and written communication skills

In addition, it may be an advantage to have knowledge or experience in one or more of the following areas:

• Spectral shift or microscale thermophoresis (MST)
• Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC)
• Protein NMR, native mass spectrometry or HDX-MS
• Protein expression and purification
• Structural biology (X-ray/CryoEM)
• Membrane proteins
• Biochemical assays (HTRF, luminescence, fluorescence polarisation, etc)

What Can We Offer You?

• A competitive salary which will be determined by your qualifications and your experience
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays and you can choose to buy up to 10 days or sell up to 5 days per year plus a day off for your birthday each year
• A generous pension scheme - Domainex will contribute 10% of your salary when you put 5% into our company scheme
• A private medical insurance plan for you with discounts available for your family members
• A group life assurance cover scheme of four times your salary
• An excellent 24/7 confidential Employee Assistance Programme
• A heavily discounted electric car scheme managed by the award winning Octopus Energy
• Significantly discounted gym membership for you and family members
• Sustainability options including cycle to work, discounted bus travel and a lift share scheme

We are based in a brand new building on the Unity Campus; an exciting new urban innovation district in the heart of the Cambridgeshire countryside. Located 8 miles south of Cambridge, the 11-acre Campus which is already home to 12 leading life science and technology companies, includes state-of-the-art offices and laboratories, adjacent to a well-equipped fitness centre. Close by is the main line railway station of Whittlesford Parkway with a direct train line between Cambridge and London, and there are plans to incorporate cycle paths into the campus.

We welcome all applications into our already diverse and inclusive workplace where we do all we can to assist each and every member of our fantastic team to reach their full potential in their chosen field.