In Vivo Scientist in London

Your mission is to work at Engitix Therapeutics, a London-based biotechnology company unlocking the extracellular matrix (ECM) as a source of novel therapeutic targets for fibrosis and cancer. You will work closely with the In Vivo Pharmacology lead, project leads, and internal scientists to understand the scientific question each in vivo study is designed to answer and the decision it is intended to support.

What you'll do:

• Understand the science and operationalise agreed study designs.
• Work with internal project leads and scientists to understand the underlying biological question, study objectives, key readouts, and intended decision-making value of each study.
• Translate agreed study concepts into clear, executable CRO study plans covering model set-up, groups and controls, dosing, endpoints, sampling, tissue allocation, downstream readouts, and timelines.
• Critically review CRO proposals, protocols, and amendments for scientific coherence, practical feasibility, and alignment with the agreed study objective; challenge ambiguities or inconsistencies and escalate changes that could affect interpretation.
• Own day-to-day delivery of externally commissioned in vivo studies.
• Act as the primary day-to-day scientific contact for CRO partners conducting in vivo studies on Engitix's behalf.
• Support study scoping, vendor evaluation and selection, quotations/SOWs, and protocol finalisation, then coordinate kick-off, test-article and sample logistics, in-life communication, terminal collections, data transfer, and reporting.
• Manage multiple concurrent studies, dependencies, timelines, and deliverables; resolve operational issues where possible and flag material scientific, logistical, or schedule risks early.
• Monitor study execution, quality, and data.
• Review CRO study updates, amendments, deviations, sampling plans, and practical constraints throughout execution, checking them against the protocol and scientific objective.
• Review interim and final data for completeness, protocol consistency, data quality, and biological plausibility; identify discrepancies and work with internal and CRO scientists to determine whether issues are technical, executional, or biological.
• Communicate concise study status, results, deviations, risks, and unresolved issues to the In Vivo Pharmacology lead, project leads, and senior stakeholders, escalating promptly when scientific interpretation or programme-level decisions are required.
• Maintain rigorous study documentation and ways of working.
• Ensure outsourced studies are delivered to high standards of scientific rigour, animal welfare, data integrity, and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Identify opportunities to improve CRO ways of working, study execution, operational efficiency, and data quality across the in vivo portfolio.

Your profile:

• BSc or MSc in a relevant life sciences discipline with 4+ years of relevant professional experience, or a PhD with at least 1 year of relevant professional experience.
• Hands-on experience with mammalian in vivo studies and a strong practical understanding of preclinical pharmacology; experience with oncology and/or fibrosis models is strongly preferred.
• Sufficient biological and technical depth to understand the scientific rationale behind a study, interrogate protocols and data, challenge assumptions, and recognise when executional changes may compromise the intended question.
• Demonstrated experience working with CROs or comparable external research partners, including protocol review, scientific communication, study coordination, timeline and deliverable management, sample logistics, data review, and issue resolution.
• Excellent organisational and prioritisation skills, with the ability to manage several concurrent studies and fast-moving timelines without losing attention to detail.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, comfortable acting as the interface between external CRO teams and internal scientific and project stakeholders.
• A rigorous approach to documentation and data review, with confidence identifying inconsistencies, asking the right questions, and following issues through to resolution.

Nice to have:

• Experience with vendor evaluation/selection, quotations, SOWs, or scope/budget discussions for externally commissioned preclinical work.
• Experience with in vivo sample workflows, cell-based pharmacology, or complementary in vitro/ex vivo assay.
• Personal Home Office licence (or equivalent) is preferred but not essential.

How you work:

• Take ownership of agreed study packages and proactively drive them to high-quality delivery, while recognising when scientific strategy or programme-level decisions require input from relevant stakeholders.
• Work effectively in a matrix environment, build productive relationships, and proactively seek opportunities to contribute across a broad project portfolio.
• Communicate openly and directly, raise risks early, and give and receive feedback constructively.
• Stay pragmatic, adaptable, and resilient when priorities, data, or timelines change, while maintaining scientific standards and attention to detail.

Why us?

• Be part of a pioneering biotech transforming drug discovery through ECM biology.
• Work in a collaborative, fast-paced environment with the opportunity to make a visible contribution to fibrosis and oncology programmes.
• We offer a competitive package including private medical insurance, pension, bonus, employee perks, and more.

About us:

Engitix is a growing biotech company based in White City Place, West London. We are dedicated to developing better therapies for advanced fibrosis and solid tumours by leveraging our pioneering extracellular matrix (ECM) platform. Our platform allows the synthesis of realistic in vitro 3D models that serve as tools to transform our ability to identify new targets and biomarkers, determine mechanisms of action, and more accurately predict the efficacy of therapeutic candidates. Join us today in our mission to create a healthier future for patients with life-threatening diseases such as fibrosis and cancer.