Laboratory Scientist (Biology) - Degree Apprentice (Level 6)

Job Type: 4 years fixed term full-time

Salary: £19,425 (£18,500 base + £925 allowance, which can be taken as cash, or used for additional benefits)

Start Date: September 2023

At LifeArc, we want to hear from people who are as passionate as we are about making life science life changing and helping to improve patients’ lives.

A bit about the role:

Are you considering an alternative to full time study at university? This year we are hiring two school leaver apprentices who are interested in life sciences and early therapeutic discovery. This is an opportunity to get involved in exciting project work at our centre for translational science in Stevenage, where you will spend 80% of your time. Alongside this, you will spend 20% of your time (one day a week) working towards a BSc (Hons) Bioscience degree with Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU). Your university studies will be completed through blended online learning over 4 years and will also include laboratory assignments, which will take place during annual residentials in Manchester. More details about the degree course can be found here.

Join us and you’ll support our teams working across a number of areas in the drug and diagnostic development process and work closely with our expert team members to gain valuable experience in areas such as:

• Molecular biology
• Protein expression and purification
• Biophysical characterisation
• Assay design, optimisation and automation
• High throughput screening
• Identification of therapeutic leads
• Pharmacokinetic and metabolism studies
• Target validation studies (gene editing, pharmacology, bioinformatics)
• Cellular models of disease supporting small molecule and/or antibody programs
• Antibody Discovery Antibody engineering
• Antibody screening and optimisation

During your apprenticeship, we’ll expect you to deliver regular presentations of experimental results and conclusions to the project team and maintain high-quality electronic lab notebook records of your research. In return, you will have the opportunity to use the work you do here to assist with your degree studies and gain research experience. Throughout the apprenticeship you will be supported and mentored by experienced scientists who will guide you through your early career. You will also have the opportunity to rotate and gain insight into different areas of our organisation.

About you:

Education & experience required:

Typically, candidates will be in the final year of A-Level studies (or equivalent) and be available to commence the apprenticeship from September 2023. You will need to be on track to gain 104 UCAS points and one of your A- Level subjects must be Biology (or equivalent if studying BTEC). Additionally, you will also need five GCSEs (grades A*-C / 9-4) including Mathematics and English Language and Science.

Skills and Strengths we are looking for during the assessment process:

• Relevant A-Level subjects (see above) and on track to achieve at least 104 UCAS points
• Collaboration
• Drive and Determination
• Analytical mindset
• Adaptability
• Desire to learn
• Effective communication skills

In line with the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006, you must also have the right to work in the UK, more details can be found here.

About us:

At LifeArc, our ambition is to make life science life changing. We do this by advancing scientific discoveries beyond the lab, faster, so that they can shape the next generation of diagnostics, treatments, and cures.

Working at the cutting edge of science and as the early-stage translation specialists, we progress scientific discoveries on their journey to becoming a medicine, diagnostic or intervention that can improve patients’ lives. Our work begins by seeking out innovative science, then helping to develop this to a point where there is a clinical and commercial pathway for others to invest the time and money to take it further forward.

What we can offer you:

Because we understand everyone has different requirements, our flexible benefits allow you to choose those which are important to you. Our pension scheme offers employer contributions of up to 12%, private health insurance, and annual leave of 31 days PLUS bank holidays.

Join us, and you’ll have the scope to be creative and take measured risks. You’ll be rewarded for your curiosity, for working as one team, and for learning fast. And you’ll have everything you need to be your best every day.

We all have potential. At LifeArc, you’ll discover what you can really do with it.

Application Process:

The online application form will open on Tuesday 24 January 2023 and the closing date for the application form is 11:59pm on Wednesday 8 March 2023. As part of the online application process, you will asked to attach your CV. Please try to keep your CV on 1-2 pages. Where possible, please also include your predicted A-Level grades and GCSE results in the education section of your CV.

If your online application form is successful, you will be invited to complete a short strength-based video interview, known as Snapshot. Full instructions and guidance on how to approach and prepare for a strengths-based assessment will be provided before you complete the Snapshot. The final stage of the selection process will be a half day assessment centre in Stevenage, which will be held on 29 March (pm).

We are also proud to be using Rare Recruitment's Contextual Recruitment System (CRS) which allows us to consider your achievements in the context in which they were gained. We understand that not every candidates’ achievements look the same on paper – and we want to recruit the best people, from every background. You will find a link to complete your information in your application confirmation email - please check your junk email if this does not arrive.

Please be aware that some of our placements require students to work with human biological samples (HBS). Those students who maybe at an increased risk of occupational exposure of Hepatitis B due to this work will be offered the relevant course of vaccinations and titre checks in order to protect them in the work environment. This is entirely voluntary and offered to all employees, where required.