Scientist

Join Ivy Farm Technologies as a Research Associate / Associate Scientist / Scientist I – Help Shape the Future of Sustainable Food! At Ivy Farm our mission is to create the world’s best guilt free and sustainable meat, it’s cultivated meat, just like real meat, only made differently - and we’re super excited by it. We are a fun and humble community of 40+ technical and scientific crew; a team where you can make a true difference to animal well-being and global sustainability. We're looking for a variety of levels of experience - so come and talk to us you never know where this may lead!

Your Purpose: The purpose of this role is to conduct scientific work to support the development and production of animal-derived mammalian cell lines for cultivated meat.

Key Responsibilities:

• Joining the Cell Biology Team, you will:
• Culture mammalian cells in suspension across a range of small-scale models, including shake flasks, AMBR15 and (where applicable) bench-scale bioreactors up to ~3L
• Contribute to the development and optimisation of cell culture media to support cell line and bioprocess performance
• Culture cell clones through a cloning pipeline
• Characterise cells through a range of techniques including imaging, PCR and flow cytometry
• Design, plan, and execute R&D experiments, ensuring deliverables are met within timelines
• Document research findings clearly and traceably in an electronic lab notebook
• Communicate regularly in group meetings and prepare and deliver presentations to the project team and internal stakeholders
• Along with team members, provide routine laboratory maintenance, including equipment upkeep, cleaning rotas and consumables stock management
• Share responsibility for out-of-hours cell culture maintenance
• Ensure laboratory health, safety and quality procedures are followed
• Select, follow, and adapt experimental protocols and generate laboratory SOPs
• Support the preparation of laboratory risk assessments and maintenance of health and safety protocols
• Maintain the confidentiality of the project and protocols
• Keep abreast of current technologies and relevant scientific literature to identify opportunities for improvement and cost reduction

This role might be for you if you have:

• Experience in mammalian cell culture, with knowledge of cell metabolism and development
• Experience of aseptic technique
• Experience in cell line development and subcloning techniques
• Experience in cell culture media development and/or optimisation
• Experience in molecular biology techniques such as PCR, qRT-PCR, Western Blot, flow cytometry and imaging
• Basic understanding of CRISPR knock-out technology and its application to mammalian cell line engineering
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Skilled in troubleshooting and conducting multi-factorial experiments
• Good numeracy, computer and communication skills

The skills that you’ll bring, aka: Qualifications / Requirements:

• Essential qualifications:
• BSc/MSc in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology or related field
• BSc/MSc with two or more years of post-doctoral or industry experience in mammalian cell line development, cell culture media development, and/or bioprocess development
• Other experience you may have:
• Hands-on experience with the AMBR15 micro-bioreactor system
• Experience operating bench-scale stirred-tank bioreactors (up to ~3L) for mammalian cell culture
• Experience with automation and high-throughput technologies applied to mammalian cell line generation
• Application of Design of Experiments (DoE) to rationalise experimental design
• Experience writing SOPs and risk assessments
• Proven experience in statistical experimental design, data analysis and multi-step optimisation
• Ability to apply mathematical characterisation to biological processes

To be an Ivy Farmer, we need you to have/be:

• Enthusiasm and initiative
• Comfortable in a fast-paced environment
• Attention to Detail: Commitment to ensuring high standards are met
• Analytical Skills: Strong ability to analyse data and spot trends
• Problem-Solving: Skilled in identifying and resolving issues quickly – innovative and lateral thinking
• Confident communicator, both written and verbal, happy to work with a team in a matrix structure or alone to achieve deadlines
• Excellent time-management & organisational skills

Why Ivy Farm?

At Ivy Farm, you won’t just be part of a company - you’ll be part of a movement. We’re driving innovation that will change the future of food, and we need visionaries like you to help us get there. We offer competitive compensation, opportunities for career growth, and the chance to work on something truly groundbreaking. We’re an innovative bunch, with a can-do attitude and one that’s unafraid to think differently. We also have project targets, compliance expectations and – as in any fast-growing business – sometimes competing priorities. That’ll be something you have not just experienced previously but somewhere you thrive. We’ll be looking to you to share your expertise and experience with the team. We also realise this may well be your first venture into cultivated meat – and that’s absolutely fine – we have a great team that will be excited to help you get to grips with that.

So, if you’re ready to join an emerging groundbreaking industry, that’s both able to think differently and actively looking to do so, and one where you can make a difference to animal well-being and sustainability then we’re waiting to hear from you!

And just to confirm, here at Ivy Farm, we're an employer that believes in creating a workplace where everyone feels included and valued, no matter who they are.

Total Package: These roles are initially on a 12-month fixed term contract basis. At Ivy Farm, we believe that every employee should be compensated fairly. Based on the skill and level of experience required for this role. You will also be eligible for:

• 25 days annual leave + bank holidays
• Company pension contribution 5%
• Private health care from day one
• Shares
• Company Bonus, eligible from day one
• Oodles of amazing fresh ground coffee, tea and snacks
• Company events
• Fabulous super cool office environment, we’re biased, but let’s face it – it’s cool