Background 

The Vaccine Group pursues the innovative design, construction and characterisation of herpesvirus vaccine vectors. We apply state-of-the-art technology towards the control of infectious diseases that impact human and animal health, and the economy. These disease-causing pathogens include viruses such as Ebola, Lassa and SARS-CoV-2 that directly impact human health, as well as those that affect critical animal populations such as porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus in pigs and zoonotic diseases of domesticated livestock species.

Overview

With a minimum of three years’ experience of leading and managing a team in a commercial laboratory environment, the successful applicant will actively participate as a member of a dynamic research team focused on the development of innovative viral vaccines for infectious diseases.

Under the guidance of Dr Michael Jarvis (Chief Scientific Officer) and working alongside other senior laboratory personnel, the successful applicant will be responsible for providing supervisory and research support to a number of on-going scientific research projects in the TVG laboratory based at the Derriford Research Facility at the University of Plymouth. 

Key Responsibilities

• End to end planning of laboratory operations for the entire lab team
• Undertake research as directed by the Chief Scientific Officer
• Ensure the laboratory standards, environment and conditions are fit for purpose and provide a safe working environment
• Ensure export and import permissions are in place
• To ensure that scientific data results, Standard Operating Procedures and Data Sheets are securely managed
• To line manage the TVG laboratory team based in Plymouth
• To participate in the organisation and execution of recruitment campaigns
• Ensure all employees understand and abide by TVG HR policies
• To sign off timesheets, annual leave requests, working from home in line with flexible working requests and other leave requests.

Experience, skills, and abilities required

• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including open and collaborative approach to problem solving
• Experience of working within a commercial scientific research laboratory
• The ability to coach, train and develop team members
• Flexibility to handle multiple tasks at one time whilst maintaining a high level of accuracy and attention to detail
• Post-graduate qualification in appropriate scientific area

Benefits

• Permanent Role
• Full Time
• 25 days holiday (plus 3 days mandatory leave over the Christmas lab closure)
• Company pension
• Opportunity to participate in the employee share option scheme.

Essential requirement for the role

• The company will only employ workers who are legally entitled to work in the United Kingdom. All employees will be required to undertake an appropriate right to work check, regardless of their nationality, by reviewing appropriate immigration documents or by accessing an online right to work check
• You must have experience of molecular biology, protein expression, eukaryotic tissue culture and virological analysis in a commercial setting
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in managing a laboratory/research team in a commercial setting
• You must hold a post-graduate qualification in a relevant/related area.

The role will be subject to a 6 month probationary period.