JOB DESCRIPTION

Department: Research

Reports to: Associate Director, Research

Direct Reports: 4-5 FTE

MAIN PURPOSE OF JOB

We are looking for an individual who will thrive in a highly agile and fast paced environment, who is able to lead, motivate, innovate, and will relish the sense of accomplishment each day brings in our exciting company.

As a Group Leader, you will be a pivotal member of the Exosome Engineering RNA team at Evox. This role will be key in supporting the development and advancement of Evox’s pipeline of RNA-based exosome therapeutics (these can be either proprietary or partnered programs). This is an exciting opportunity for a highly talented scientist to take a leading role in the development of a new class of biotherapeutic products. You will be responsible for leading all operational aspects of the team and will be involved in designing and developing exosome-based RNA drugs for the treatment of rare diseases.

This position is based at our newly established Evox Therapeutics facility at the Oxford Business Park, Oxford, UK and will initially report to the Associate Director, Research.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Lead a team of Exosome Engineering RNA scientists, as well as taking on a ‘hands-on’ approach to deliver project requirements.
• Work with members of your group to set and regularly review objectives aligned to the corporate goals.
• Provide operational leadership within Exosome Engineering RNA group in designing and developing exosome-based drugs to treat disease.
• Work in a multi-disciplinary team to identify new engineering strategies for RNA-exosome drugs development.
• Work collaboratively with other R&D groups to design and characterize these exosome-based drugs.
• Ensure the scientists within the team are appropriately trained, coached and mentored and maintain high quality record keeping and documentation of experiments aligned with Evox data integrity policies.
• Provide scientific and technical leadership in the RNA field, implementing best practice approaches and techniques.
• Responsible for the resolution of all technical and scientific issues that affect, or have the potential to affect, the delivery of objectives and milestones, ensuring early visibility and awareness into implementation risks, identifying preventative measures, investigating, and troubleshooting equipment.
• Deliver Research reports ensuring timely completion and high-quality documentation.
• Work collaboratively with the technical and operational stakeholders within the Exosome Engineering RNA team, other colleagues within Research and those across the R&D organisation.
• Ensure a healthy and safe working environment.
• Expected to be a role model for the Company values and embedding leadership behaviours, cultivating high performing and highly engaged teams.
• Build strong working relationships with enabling functions, including Finance, IP, Legal, Project Management, Business Development and HR to ensure the optimal environment for the delivery of objectives.
• Present regularly to the internal senior R&D team and provide timely provision of data and documentation reports to support intellectual property filings and regulatory submissions.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Education and Qualifications:

• PhD in RNA biology, Molecular Biology or, related biological field with at least 6 years post-PhD experience.

• Candidates must demonstrate a background in RNA biology.

• Industry experience is desirable but not strictly required for outstanding candidates.

• Established knowledge and understanding of AAV gene therapy and ideally exosome biology and RNA therapeutics.

• Ability to work independently and lead and motivate others.
• Good conceptual, analytical thinking, problem solving, and organisational skills.
• Ability to work in a high paced team environment, meet deadlines, and prioritise work from multiple projects.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with demonstrated ability to work within a team environment.
• Ability to balance multiple priorities and projects at the same time and be able to change priorities as needed by the business.

Experience & knowledge

Essential

• Strong background in RNA biology.
• Highly experienced in molecular biology and construct design.
• Desire to learn and explore new science.
• Adept at interacting and working closely with both academic and industry partners.

• Significant experience leading a team.

• Will have an entrepreneurial attitude and able to work in a fast paced and agile environment, self-motivated with a high level of attention to detail.

• Proven communication & interpersonal skills with experience managing and presenting complex scientific data.

• Excellent general problem solving and project management skills, with a proven ability to oversee operational aspects.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Strong collaborative and team-oriented mindset.

Desirable

• Good understanding of AAV gene therapy and RNA therapeutics.
• Good understanding of cellular secretion and uptake pathways as relevant to exosomes.
• Experience with Exosome work and/or HPLC, TFF, NTA, flow cytometry, digital PCR, and stable cell line generation.
• Library screen design and bioinformatics knowledge.
• Pharmaceutical and/or biotech industry experience.

KEY BEHAVIOURAL ATTRIBUTES – ALL STAFF

People with Purpose – We are innovative and creative in the way we work and deliver. We treat each other with respect and dignity and work collaboratively to learn from each other’s strengths.

Driven to Deliver – We strive to deliver our objectives, and then look for our next challenge. We recognise our achievements and celebrate our successes.

Agile and Accountable – We respond to challenges impacting our progress and find creative and innovative solutions to overcome obstacles. We are brave and not afraid to change our approach to achieve a positive outcome in optimum time.

Candid and Constructive – We communicate with honesty and transparency throughout the team. We value giving and receiving constructive feedback to each other and our partners.