Senior Research Assistant/Scientist Cell Biology in London

Relation is a sector defining TechBio company developing transformational medicines, with technology at our core. Our ambition is to understand human biology in unprecedented ways, discovering therapies to treat some of life’s most devastating diseases. We leverage single-cell multi-omics from patient tissue, functional assays, and machine learning to drive disease understanding, from cause to cure. We are scaling rapidly and building a team of exceptional individuals to push the boundaries of drug discovery.

You will work in highly interdisciplinary teams where biology, computation and engineering come together to solve complex problems that have not been solved before. Our state‑of‑the‑art wet and dry labs in the heart of London are designed to accelerate this integration and translate insight into impact. We are committed to building diverse and inclusive teams.

The opportunity

Relation is offering an outstanding opportunity for an experienced Senior Research Assistant in Cell Biology to help drive our growing drug discovery portfolio. We are looking for a drug discovery scientist with hands‑on experience in experimental design and assay development, data collection, analysis and interpretation. In this role, you will be at the forefront of scientific discovery and make a meaningful impact in the field of biology, working at the intersection of science and technology within a rapidly growing TechBio company. You will partner closely with colleagues across Discovery and have the opportunity to develop your skills, work independently and advance your knowledge in assay development and optimisation.

Day to day, you will:

• Design and execute cellular and biochemical assays to support drug discovery, including compound screening and profiling using molecular biology, cell culture, microscopy and biochemical techniques.
• Maintain primary and immortalised mammalian cell lines, taking responsibility for sample tracking and quality control (QC).
• Monitor laboratory operations, including managing reagent stock levels, equipment maintenance and adherence to good laboratory practice.
• Carry out data analysis and relevant quality assurance protocols.
• Communicate the outcomes of your work to team members and external parties through written and verbal reports.
• Proactively identify potential project issues and communicate proposed solutions to the team.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of new technologies, workflows and operational infrastructure.
• Stay up to date with relevant scientific literature and incorporate new findings into research project planning and experimental design.
• Collaborate closely with cross‑functional colleagues across Biology, Machine Learning, Translational Sciences, Toxicology, DMPK and related disciplines to help solve complex scientific challenges and accelerate programme delivery.

Professionally, you will have:

• Master’s degree in a Biological Science with 4+ years of relevant experience within a drug discovery function.
• Prior experience working within biotech, pharmaceutical or CRO environments.
• Strong practical experience in cell culture techniques, including cell line generation.
• Ability to develop cellular, molecular biology and immunological assays to characterise cell phenotypes, e.g. flow cytometry, RT‑qPCR, ELISA, etc.
• Hands‑on experience with high‑content imaging instrumentation and software.
• Experience with ‘walk‑up’ automated laboratory systems (e.g. liquid handling).
• Competence in data handling, curve fitting and statistical analysis.
• Experience with industry‑standard record‑keeping.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to thrive in a collaborative, cross‑functional, matrixed environment.
• Highly motivated, scientifically rigorous and comfortable operating in a fast‑paced, evolving biotech setting.

Bonus experience:

• ‘Walk‑up’ automated laboratory systems (e.g. liquid handling).
• Working with ’omics experiments and datasets.
• Generating knock‑out/knock‑in cell lines using siRNA and CRISPR.
• Working in indications relevant to Relation (e.g. osteoporosis) and with a range of modalities in addition to small molecules, such as peptides, ADCs, oligonucleotides or targeted delivery approaches.

Personally, you:

• Are comfortable working in a matrixed environment, balancing multiple stakeholders and contributing effectively across teams.
• Take ownership of your work, proactively seek opportunities to contribute and enable others to do their best work.
• Communicate openly and directly, give and receive feedback constructively and handle challenging conversations with respect.
• Actively seek out diverse perspectives, build strong working relationships and contribute to shared goals across teams.
• Embrace challenges with openness and resilience, set high standards for yourself and strive to deliver meaningful outcomes.

Working Style & Culture at Relation

At Relation, we operate in a matrixed, interdisciplinary environment, where impact is driven through collaboration across scientific, technical and operational domains. We collaborate and you will partner with colleagues across multiple teams and projects, contributing your expertise while aligning to shared company priorities. We work together and win together! The patient is waiting!