Market Research Intern in Manchester

LanthaGen Bio is a biotech startup building biotechnologies for selective metal binding and recovery from various waste streams, such as electronic waste. We are looking for a Market Research Intern in a highly strategic role to plan and execute a structured market research and customer discovery programme across the electronic waste, rare earth element, and bio-enabled metal recovery sectors. This is a hands-on role with strategic input, close interaction with the leadership team, and direct impact on commercial strategy and partnership development.

Salary: 38k per annum (pro-rota, project 3-6 months), with progression subject to SPRIN-D project continuation and performance review. Candidates must have full right to work in the U.K.

Location: Hybrid/Remote, Reynold building, SISTER, Manchester. Role can be largely home based with occasional office-based work for team collaboration.

Working Hours: Full time; 32 hours. This role is full time, and is designed to support accessible working patterns, increase productivity, and promote work life balance.

What You Will Do

• Plan and deliver a programme of 100–150 structured interviews with potential customers, feedstock suppliers, strategic collaborators, and industry stakeholders.
• Identify and segment interview targets across e-waste recyclers, urban mining operators, battery recyclers, PCB processors, and related value chains.
• Drive market hypothesis development by synthesising interview data into actionable commercial insight, including thematic coding, pain point identification, and customer persona development.
• Map the competitive landscape for metal recovery from e-waste, including incumbent operators, emerging bio-based competitors, and adjacent technology providers.
• Develop feedstock supply chain maps covering PCB waste stream compositions, volumes, and regulatory requirements.
• Identify and assess potential collaboration partners across the value chain.

Required Skills (Must Have)

• Demonstrable experience in a startup or early-stage venture environment.
• Strong interpersonal skills and confidence in approaching senior stakeholders.
• Ability to work independently within a fast-moving team.
• Comfort operating in technical environments and synthesising complex information for non-specialist audiences.
• Existing connections or prior exposure to one or more of: electronic waste processing, synthetic biology, mining, waste management, or secondary raw materials supply.
• Proficiency in structured interview design and qualitative data analysis.

Nice to Have (Desirable – these can be developed on the job)

• Experience with customer discovery frameworks (e.g. Jobs To Be Done, Lean Startup validation).
• Market sizing or commercial analysis experience.
• Knowledge of hydrometallurgical or pyrometallurgical processing.
• Experience working in fast moving or early-stage biotech.
• Using interview and market data to build commercial models and inform go-to-market strategy.

What success looks like (first 3 months in the role)

• A completed programme of 50–100 structured interviews with stakeholders across the e-waste, mining, and bio-enabled metal recovery value chains, with documented and coded transcripts.
• A comprehensive competitive and market landscape report with customer personas, pain point analysis, and partnership opportunities.
• Feedstock supply chain maps and a clear synthesis of validated insights versus informed hypotheses, with explicit discussion of limitations.

Interview Process

• Stage 1: Teams call to assess CV and skill fit for the role.
• Stage 2: Market research task with 72-hour completion window, present to leadership team on site.

Annual Leave

You are entitled to 20 working days (pro-rota) paid annual leave per leave year, based on a four-day working week (equivalent to five weeks’ flexible leave) + paid leave for UK bank holidays on your normal working days/paid leave during the Company’s Christmas closure.

Benefits

• Fully paid volunteer day with local charity.
• Paid leave on your birthday.
• £500 learning and development budget: can be used for independent online courses, conference attendance etc.

Experience needed

• MBA candidate or recent business graduate with demonstrable experience in a startup or early-stage venture environment. Candidates with existing sector connections in e-waste, mining, or synthetic biology will be strongly considered.
• BSc/MSc in a relevant discipline with 1-3 years industry experience in market research, business development, or commercial strategy will also be considered.

Additional

This role is funded as part of the SPRIN-D Tech Metal Challenge for 3-6 months initially (depending on candidates availability), with continuation based on satisfactory performance and progression to year 2 of the challenge.

Interview Location and Accessibility

The interview will take place in our meeting room in Manchester city centre; details of access will be circulated before interview. This is a collaborative process, and this is an opportunity for you to assess if LanthaGen Bio is the right fit for you. The building is fully accessible.

If you are outside Manchester, we will pay for your open return train ticket to interview. Please forward details of your preferred train journey and if you have a rail card or not.

Equalities and Values Statement

LanthaGen Bio is committed to an inclusive, respectful, and safe workplace. We do not tolerate discrimination, harassment, or exclusion on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, religion or belief, age, or any other characteristic protected under UK law. We respect that individuals may hold a wide range of personal, cultural, religious, or philosophical beliefs. However, all employees are expected to act professionally and respectfully at work. Behaviour that creates a hostile, intimidating, or exclusionary environment is not acceptable, regardless of personal belief or intent. These expectations apply to all work-related interactions, including communications, meetings, and events. LanthaGen Bio complies fully with the Equality Act 2010 and relevant UK employment law.