Plant Transformation Scientist in Abingdon

At Wild Bio we are radically enhancing crops to feed the world sustainably and promote a wilder planet. Wild plants have had half a billion years to evolve natural solutions for thriving in almost every environment on Earth. Our proprietary genetics platform harnesses these wild innovations to enhance the world’s most important crops. Wild‑enhanced crops would simultaneously boost farm yields and promote gigaton‑scale carbon mitigation strategies. If you’re looking for a start‑up that has enormous potential for impact on growers, consumers, and the planet, please read on. Wild Bio is a well‑funded, fast‑paced Oxford University spin‑out working from state‑of‑the‑art labs and offices at Milton Park, Oxfordshire. We are about to enter an exciting phase of growth and are looking for a driven, and curious Scientist to join us and significantly contribute to delivering the change we believe in.

Our values

• Curiosity: We fuel our desire to explore the unknown, pushing the boundaries of knowledge and sparking innovation. We ask questions, seek answers, and embrace lifelong learning.
• Community: We believe in the strength and support gained through collaboration and inclusion. As part of a global community, we nurture connections to drive meaningful impact for both people and planet.
• Courage: We face challenges head‑on, take calculated risks, and stand up for our beliefs. Our bravery propels us to take action, even in the face of adversity.

If these values resonate with you, we invite you to join our team of passionate scientists and innovators working at the cutting edge of bioscience.

The role

We are looking for a highly skilled and motivated Scientist to support our R&D pipeline. The ideal candidate will combine deep expertise in plant transformation strategies, with a strong background in plant biotechnology including plant tissue culture and experimental design. This role will be central to ensuring efficient introgression of our pipeline of exciting traits into elite germplasm.

• Design, build and optimise cutting edge plant transformation techniques and create new, efficient workflows
• Develop SOPs, QC checkpoints and KPIs to drive continuous improvement and scale up successful processes and pipelines
• Co‑ordinate with molecular biologists, bioinformaticians and leadership to translate project goals into experiments and deliver output
• Present and report key data in meetings and provide written reports / slides to senior management.
• Stay current with emerging methods and tools and propose new methods and improvements
• Train and mentor engineering team colleagues on transformation protocols and procedures to support pipeline scale ups

Requirements

• A PhD in Plant Biology (or similar advanced degree) with at least 3 years of relevant work experience
• A deep understanding of plant transformation methods (eg. Agrobacterium, biolistics, protoplast transfection)
• A track record of developing methods to transform plant cells for transgenic, cisgenic, genome editing, homology directed repair ideally in soy, wheat, maize
• Experience setting up and orchestrating plant tissue culture pipelines
• Ability to translate results and outcomes into clear, actionable recommendations for non‑technical stakeholders.
• Able to work independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team.
• Take initiative where needed with tasks that have not been assigned.
• Collaborate effectively in a multi-disciplinary environment, building relationships, and gaining trust through honesty, compassion, and authenticity.
• A curious and courageous mindset – someone who enjoys trying new things and taking initiative in a fast‑paced environment.
• A desire to develop your skills, share your knowledge, and support the growth of your teammates.

Benefits

• Group life cover x4 of base salary
• Pension scheme with a 5% Company contribution
• Private medical insurance including dental and optical
• Enhanced maternity and paternity leave
• Regular company socials
• Complimentary refreshments throughout the week
• Team meals including breakfast on a Monday and lunch each Friday, creating opportunities for informal networking and team bonding
• Training and development opportunities
• Flexible working opportunities
• Opportunity to work with cutting edge science

Location

We’re headquartered in Milton Park, a business and technology park in Oxfordshire. While we do offer flexible and hybrid working, we are also a small, fast‑paced team working on cutting-edge science, and we believe the relationships forged and the work we do in‑person will be crucial for our success. For this reason, we are asking that applicants be able to work on‑site at least five days a week. The successful candidate will be required to provide proof of eligibility to work in the UK.