Senior Scientist

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Job title: Senior Scientist (Genomic Services team)

Reports to: Laboratory Manager

Location: Manchester Science Park

Contract Type: Full-time, Permanent

Salary & Benefits: Competitive Salary + Benefits Package

About Yourgene Health:

Yourgene Health is a leading integrated technologies and services business, enabling the delivery of genomic medicine. The group works in partnership with global leaders in DNA technology to advance diagnostic science. Our mission to enable scientific advances to positively impact human health remains at the core of our focus. It drives and motivates us to develop class leading products and services to meet our customers’ needs.

Yourgene primarily develops, manufactures, and commercialises simple and accurate molecular diagnostic solutions, for reproductive health, precision medicine and infectious diseases. We have a comprehensive offering of non-invasive prenatal tests (NIPT) NGS workflows that have been built with labs in mind, and clinical prenatal screening services. The IONA test was the pioneer, the first to market as an IVD product, changing the NIPT screening landscape back in 2015. Continuing to build on our expertise in cell-free DNA, our next generation size selection Ranger Technology uses machine vision for superior precision. With multiple platforms for a range of clinical and research cfDNA sample preparation applications including NIPT, liquid biopsy, gene synthesis and long fragment recovery.

In addition, we offer a portfolio of screening products in reproductive health, precision medicine and infectious disease including screening assays for cystic fibrosis and DPYD genotyping to prevent chemotoxicity.

Yourgene Genomic Services provides a range of genetic analysis services for our clinical, research and pharma customers to support partners with DNA extractions, biobanking, genotyping, arrays and sequencing workflows (WES and WGS). Yourgene Genomic Services offers a Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) Service, enabling clinics to run their own NIPT service for pregnant women with our prenatal screening tests and service laboratory based in Manchester.

Yourgene Health is part of the Novacyt group of companies and is headquartered in Manchester, UK with facilities in Singapore and Canada.

Our Culture:

Yourgene is a growing, vibrant and exciting place to work, we are looking for committed driven individuals to be part of our next growth journey. Our culture is described by our employee's as collegiate, friendly, professional, innovative, open and fast paced. We have many social and well-being initiatives run by our Social Huddle that keep our sense of community alive during challenging times that the pandemic has thrown our way. At Yourgene we focus on putting values led programmes in place to ensure that we can attract, retain and develop our people. We want our people to have a career with Yourgene and we ensure that they are recognised and rewarded for their achievements and commitment, everyone plays a critical role in our growth journey.

Description of role:

Yourgene Health, part of the Novacyt Group, are recruiting for a Senior Scientist to join our genomic services team based at Manchester Science Park. The role of the Senior Scientist is to support high-quality and regulatory compliant Genomic Research, Clinical and Validation Services offered by Yourgene Genomic Services and to ensure that the laboratory environment is operating effectively and safely in accordance with instruction provided by the Laboratory Manager.

Key areas of responsibility:

Sample Processing

• To contribute in providing a profitable routine scientific and applications service in line with the regulatory, quality and scientific expectations
• To perform genomic services including but not limited to, nucleic acid extraction, gene expression, SNP genotyping, copy number and structural variations, fragment analysis and methylation in accordance with written procedures.
• To coordinate, maintain and/or liaise directly with the Laboratory Manager and/or Project Manager to ensure the schedule is executed in accordance with business needs
• To ensure minimum stock levels of all reagents and consumables are maintained according to forecasts provided by the Laboratory Manager
• Present data to management.
• To generate client/patient reports as directed by the Project Manager/Laboratory Manager

Managerial Responsibilities

• Supervision and performance management of other technicians or junior scientists
• In conjunction with the Laboratory Manager planning and task setting within the team
• In conjunction with the Laboratory Manager, accountable for service delivery and meeting of team goals

Quality

• To carry out all activities in accordance with the relevant quality standard
• To ensure that all project folders and documentation are maintained appropriately in accordance with regulatory and business requirements
• To write and review SOPs and technical documents as required
• To liaise with the Quality Department and be familiar with the Quality Manual to ensure correct documentation and SOPs are in place and report non-conformances to ensure continual improvement. To comply with all health and safety and COSHH systems.

Process Improvement

• To actively play a leading role and participate in process improvement programs
• To lead, plan and perform method development and assay design in collaboration with internal and external Stakeholders
• Actively interact with internal and external scientific community ensuring an up-to-date scientific knowledge in line with company strategy

Communication

• To communicate effectively, professionally, and promptly so that all relevant information is forwarded to the appropriate personnel on a regular and timely basis
• To plan and participate in internal meetings, visits, and audits as and when appropriate and communicate any information back to the appropriate personnel
• Act as Project Manager for Client projects independently of Management

Troubleshooting

• To effectively liaise internally with appropriate personnel and externally with Clients, Tech Support and Engineering Teams to provide technical support, resolve technical issues and carry out all associated troubleshooting activities independently of the Laboratory Manager

Business Development

• To liaise with Business Development/Management on technical enquiries from clients
• Support building customer relations, costings, and general project management

Other

• To undertake any other task that may be reasonably asked by the management which is consistent with the skill base or previous employment history of the employee

Education & Experience:

• Essential – Honor’s Degree in a Biological Science
• Desirable – Master’s Degree in a Biological Science
• Essential – A minimum of 3 years’ experience working in a molecular biology or pathology laboratory, ideally in a regulated clinical environment (ISO15189) or a GLP certified research environment.
• Essential – Evidence of effectively working as part of a team
• Essential – Proven track record of delivering projects and workload in time
• Desirable – Experience of managing or supervising junior colleagues

Closing Date:

Sunday 27th April, 2025

Equal opportunities

Yourgene Health and the Novacyt Group of companies provides equal employment opportunities for all current employees and applicants for employment. This policy means that no one will be discriminated against because of race, religion, creed, color, national origin, nationality, citizenship, ancestry, sex, age, marital status, physical or mental disability, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity, military or veteran status, genetic predisposing characteristics or any other basis prohibited by law.

Notice to Agency and Search Firm Representatives

Yourgene Health and the Novacyt Group of companies is not accepting unsolicited resumes from agencies and/or search firms for this job posting. Resumes submitted to any Yourgene Health and Novacyt Group employee by a third party agency and/or search firm without a valid written and signed search agreement, will become the sole property of Yourgene Health and the Novacyt Group of companies. No fee will be paid if a candidate is hired for this position as a result of an unsolicited agency or search firm referral. Thank you.