Group Leader - Cell Biology

Job content

For 70 years, Charles River employees have worked together to assist in the discovery, development and safe manufacture of new drug therapies. When you join our family, you will have a significant impact on the health and well-being of people across the globe. Whether your background is in life sciences, finance, IT, sales or another area, your skills will play an important role in the work we perform. In return, we’ll help you build a career that you can feel passionate about.

Job Summary

We have several opportunities for motivated and experienced team leaders to join Charles River (Portishead). The site is an immunology and infection specialist CRO that utilizes cutting-edge techniques and in-depth expertise to deliver state-of-the-art cell biology assays. Our clients include a broad range of global pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and Charles River supports them throughout the drug discovery process, from early hit identification through to clinical trials.

This opportunity would be ideal for a people focused immunologist with a proven track record in drug discovery who can inspire and lead a rapidly growing multidisciplinary group. You will collaborate with Senior Leadership, Client services and Managers to achieve cross team goals and outcomes. As a Group Leader you will be responsible for project management, thought leadership, data analysis, accurate report writing with an emphasis on driving your team’s training and development.

A core component of this role is to generate proposals that enable our clients to assess a therapeutic’s efficacy or solve its underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms. This could include the characterization and validation of complex immunological assays through the implementation of ex vivo and in vitro models (e.g. immune cell mono/co-cultures, ex vivo phenotypic analysis, genetic/pharmacological intervention, cell engineering and biomarker analyses of early phase clinical trials).

A background in techniques such as IncuCyte, MACS sorting, 18-flow cytometry, Luminex, Nanostring, ELISpot, qPCR, Lentiviral delivery, high content screening and culture of primary immune cells is essential.

Profile And Requirements

10 years or more Post-doctoral or Industry experience including 3 years or more of direct management experience

• Demonstrable scientific leadership in the areas of immunology and inflammation with relevance to drug discovery and development
• Track record of leading large complex immunology focused drug discovery projects, ideally in the C>, immune-oncology, autoimmunity or inflammation fields
• An ability to work on multiple projects and with multiple teams to deliver synergistic outcomes
• Well organized and self-motivated to meet tight deadlines
• Strong communicator with excellent people skills
• Extensive background in developing people, managing resources and finances
• Experience in disseminating scientific discoveries internally and externally
• Ability to interpret data sets, generate concise conclusions and advise on next steps
• Compliance to protocols and all applicable SOPs
• Experience of guiding scientific strategy
• A clear grasp of the drug discovery process
• Critical thinking and problem-solving skills
  

About Discovery

Discovery from Charles River is industry-proven in the successful development of novel therapies, with over 350 patents and 80 preclinical drug candidates delivered to our sponsors in the past 17 years. Backed by more than 650 scientists, our comprehensive, integrated portfolio employs the latest technology and platforms to provide chemistry, biology, and pharmacology services that support clients from the earliest stages of hit identification all the way through to IND. Our client-focused, collaborative approach creates true partnerships that anticipate challenges, overcome obstacles, and move us forward together on the journey of getting new drugs to market.

About Charles River

Charles River is an early-stage contract research organization (CRO). We have built upon our foundation of laboratory animal medicine and science to develop a diverse portfolio of discovery and safety assessment services, both Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and non-GLP, to support clients from target identification through preclinical development. Charles River also provides a suite of products and services to support our clients’ clinical laboratory testing needs and manufacturing activities. Utilizing this broad portfolio of products and services enables our clients to create a more flexible drug development model, which reduces their costs, enhances their productivity and effectiveness to increase speed to market.

With over 17,000 employees within 90 facilities in 20 countries around the globe, we are strategically positioned to coordinate worldwide resources and apply multidisciplinary perspectives in resolving our client’s unique challenges. Our client base includes global pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, government agencies and hospitals and academic institutions around the world. And in 2019, revenue increased to $2.62 billion.

At Charles River, we are passionate about our role in improving the quality of people’s lives. Our mission, our excellent science and our strong sense of purpose guide us in all that we do, and we approach each day with the knowledge that our work helps to improve the health and well-being of many across the globe. We have proudly supported the development of ~85% of the drugs approved by the FDA in 2019.