Senior Scientist - Genetics · Cape Town at Synexa Life Sciences

Main areas of responsibility:

Laboratory & Scientific Duties

• Take on responsibility as Analytical Project Manager (APM) on clinical projects.
• Oversees the work of others team members (Lab technicians/Research Associates/Scientists)
• Assists in capacity and reagent planning and inventory as needed.
• Develop and validate genetic/genomic assays to meet the company or client’s needs as per SOPs and latest guidelines.
• Sample analysis and reporting.
• Reporting and presenting genetic data generated to clients.
• Draft guidance and reporting documents for projects (lab manual, VPP, MDP, SAP, SAR etc).
• Trouble shooting when required: doing literature research and sharing solutions.
• Sharing of knowledge and providing input on training and scientific development of junior staff.
• Use of Odoo platform to complete timesheets and planning.
• Involvement in pre- and post- contracted phase (eg. reagent plans, quote review, protocols, out of scope work, etc).

Ad-hoc

• Write and/or review SOPs and forms.
• Oversee the work of others (RA/other Scientists) – assist in capacity planning as needed.
• Provide training and share insights regularly.
• Support in achieving Synexa revenue targets and reaching monthly targets.
• Study lead on 3+ studies.
• Direct communication with a client
• Assess systems being used and identify areas for improvement.

Qualification/Experience required:

• A minimum level of a PhD degree in genetics, or 5+ years of experience in a relevant field of work is required.
• On-going general International Organization for Standardization - ISO, Good Clinical Practice (GCP), Good Clinical Laboratory Practice - GCLP and Good Laboratory Practice - GLP awareness training needs to be provided to all staff.
• Experience in pipette handling, following protocols and using basic equipment (e.g. centrifuges, biosafety cabinets, incubators). The ideal candidate should have significant prior experience working with PCR and sequencing instruments.
• Experience in genetic data analysis, database searching, unique primer design and optimisation.
• Previous work experience in a relevant field.
• Working within a good practice (GxP) and/or Good Clinical Laboratory Practice (GCLP) accredited environment.

Skills and Competencies required:

• Strong project leadership skills with a proven track record of leading projects to timely completion.
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to prioritise multiple tasks.
• Ability to work both independently and in a team, with a proactive approach to resolving technical challenges.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and presentation skills.
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Ability to review and assimilate new information rapidly and effectively.
• On-going professional development is strongly encouraged; this may take the form of training, workshops, seminars etc.
• Good knowledge of written and spoken English

Genetics:

• Excellent practical knowledge of genetic and molecular biology techniques, including microbiology and virology.
• Expert knowledge and use of molecular biology equipment such as next generation sequencers, digital and quantitative PCR instruments.
• Experience working as part of a multi-disciplinary scientific team, with a strong academic research background. 
• Expertise in various genetic assays including nucleic acid isolations, genotyping, microbiome sequencing, DNA sequencing, multiplex analysis, absolute quantification, relative quantification and gene expression.)
• Proven experience in genetic data analysis and working knowledge of analytical software platforms.