R&D Team Leader

Brief Position Summary

Reporting to the R&D Director the role of R&D Team Leader will be responsible for developing and executing new service and product development and works with the commercialisation team to bring these products/services to market. This includes leading and directing the R&D Team by distributing workload and ensuring motivation and performance levels are maintained.

Primary Position Responsibilities/Tasks

• Report directly to R&D director on project delivery
• Lead a team of senior scientists, scientists and technicians
• Lead/contribute to the delivery of the R&D Projects
• Lead/contribute to the development of best practice to improve quality, efficiency and effectiveness
• Prioritise and manage multiple projects simultaneously with multiple stakeholders, locations, work packages with overlapping deadlines.
• Assume responsibility of program and project delivery holding team members accountable.
• Maintain accurate live program and project information and status through regular team meetings.
• Collaboratively overcome potential bottlenecks in required resources (people and equipment) and capacity commitments and obtain buy-in of all relevant stakeholders.
• Present data at conferences and weekly team meetings
• Prepare reports, publications and oral presentations
• Provide mentorship and guidance to all R&D staff in Fusion Antibodies
• Manage laboratory, maintain equipment and order consumables
• Maintain electronic laboratory notebooks in accordance with ISO9001
• Maintain and write SOPs
• To stay up to date with secondary research disseminating information and sharing learning with the wider team.

 

The successful candidate will contribute to the growth of Fusion Antibodies’ R&D department.

Job Specification

Essential Criteria

• PhD in a Biology or Chemistry related discipline or equivalent lab experience and 3+ years’ experience in biotechnology industry or academia
• Expertise with Flow Cytometry and cell sorting
• Experience of Phage Display Technology
• 2+ years in managing a team of scientists
• Strong interpersonal, influencing, negotiating and collaboration skills together with evidence of having used these to support problem solving and delivery in a team-orientated, collaborative environment
• A highly independent thinker with an ability to develop hypotheses and execute analysis plans
• Excellent skills in communication, science leadership, stakeholder influencing and programme management
• Experience in the management and delivery of scientific projects
• The ability to work well in a team

Desirable Criteria

• Experience in antibody engineering
• Experience of CRISPR technology
• Experience in set up and running of liquid handling instrumentation
• Experience working in a production environment
• Experience working under ISO9001 or GMP
• Knowledge of Next Generation Sequencing

Please apply to jobs@fusionantibodies.com by sending a CV and covering note detailing how you meet the criteria. Please quote reference TLRD2023. Closing date 5pm on 31st January 

Fusion Antibodies is a Contract Research Organisation (CRO) that provides a range of service in the area of antibody engineering for the development of antibodies for both therapeutic drug and diagnostic applications. Focusing on antibody generation, development, production, characterisation and optimisation, these services include antigen expression, antibody production, purification and sequencing, antibody humanisation using the Company’s proprietary CDRx™ platform and the production of antibody generating stable cell lines to provide material for use in clinical trials. Since 2012, the Company has successfully sequenced over 250 antibodies and successfully completed over 215 humanisation projects for its clients with 8 out of the first 33 humanisation projects

Headquartered in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the Company was established in 2001 as a spin out from Queen’s University. It was initially a drug development business but revised its operations to focus on CRO work in 2011. The company has over 55 employees and was listed on AIM in December 2017. The company has ambitious plans to grow with a strategy based on the expansion of its client base as well as the addition of new service offerings. This strategy uses the Company’s proven technology and expertise and targets expansion both in the UK market and internationally. Key new service offerings being developed include antibody affinity maturation and a Mammalian Antibody Library Discovery Platform which represent key future growth drivers.

Fusion is at a key value inflection point in the Company’s evolution with a key focus on expanding/driving current commercial performance and accessing additional value generating opportunities as well as launch preparations for the new service offerings.  Fusion operates in a highly competitive and fast evolving market and in light of this the position of R&D team leader has become available to grow and develop the R&D department within Fusion Antibodies.