Bioinformatics Lead - antibody design

Your new companyOff the back of a successful Series A funding round, this exciting and innovative biotech are increasing their team to help develop the next generation of universal vaccines. They're hiring multiple positions as they move their portfolio through preclinical discovery and are looking to expand their bioinformatics / computational biology team to take on a number of projects.With world leading scientists helping advise their research, and significant development plans, there'll be plenty of opportunities for career progression and development.Your new roleYou will be leading projects related to the discovery and development of new cutting-edge vaccines, primarily through the analysis and interpretation of genetic, genomic and other biological / immunological data sets to identify, design and validate antigens.This is a senior, hands-on role with plenty of input into strategy, working as part of a cross-functional team, interacting closely with biologists, computer scientists and senior/C-Level stakeholders and giving you the chance to input into the company's research direction and overall platform.The position offers good scope for flexible working and can even be fully remote within the UK.Working closely with the Head of Bioinformatics, as well as the CTO, you will lead projects and strategy focused on developing their discovery platform and taking a leading role within the business.Major responsibilities will include:

• Spearhead the development of innovative computational techniques to advance immunological research, with an emphasis on vaccine development.
• Analyse and predict immune response factors using state-of-the-art machine learning and statistical approaches, integrating extensive immunological datasets.
• Direct the computational design of innovative vaccine candidates and novel proteins/antigens.
• Lead cross-disciplinary collaborations to test and refine computational predictions with experimental data.
• Craft and steer a long-term vision for the immunoinformatics division, ensuring alignment with the broader goals of the organisation.
• Champion research initiatives and technological advancements within the team to maintain a competitive edge.
• Cultivate a dynamic team of computational biologists, providing mentorship and overseeing project milestones while promoting a cooperative work environment.
• Work closely with the C-suite and senior leadership team to deliver on projects and strategy.

What you'll need to succeedAs well as strong communication, organisational and time management skills, you should have:

• An MSc / PhD (or equivalent experience) in a relevant scientific discipline such as Immunology, Bioinformatics, Data Science or Computational Biology.
• Significant experience in the field of immunoinformatics, preferably including leadership of projects / people / strategy.
• Hands-on experience with using advanced computational techniques or novel statistical methods to assess large biological datasets, preferably within immunology, vaccinology or a related area, eg for immunogenicity
• In-depth understanding of both traditional statistical and modern machine learning applications in immunological studies.
• Comprehensive insight into the architecture and mechanics of antibodies.
• Skilled in the use of computational tools and databases related to the identification of antigens and the formulation of vaccines, with a strong preference for hands-on expertise designing de novo proteins
• Exceptional quantitative acumen, with a knack for strategic analysis and resolution of complex problems.
• Strong interpersonal and communication abilities, with a history of productive teamwork across various scientific disciplines.

Candidates with pharmaceutical / biotech industry experience are preferred for this role, as are those with a track record of antibody design for vaccines, though this is not essential.What you'll get in returnFully remote working available.The chance to work on a range of cutting edge projects for a really exciting company, as well as the ability to directly influence the discovery and development of vaccines that will make a real difference to patients the world over.You'll be joining the company as they go into their next growth phase, so there will be chances to further develop your skills and career and directly influence research strategy.What you need to do nowIf you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call me on .If this job isn't quite right for you but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion on your career, especially as there are a number of other bioinformatics, data science and statistics positions available.Keywords: lead, principal, manager, vaccine, antibody, antigen, immunology, immune, immunoinformatics, infectious, disease, bioinformatics, bioinformatician, tool, pipeline, model, computational, machine, learning, data, science, statistics, python, R, platform, project, discovery, research, development, algorithm, genetics, epitope, NGS, RNA, sequence, programmer, programming, scientist, immuneinformatics, Rosetta, Alphafold, ESMFold, LLM, language, AIRR, affinity, avidity, BCR, TCR, model, specificity