159 Best a&p Jobs in Cambridge (September 2026)

Principal Scientist, Cell Engineering Antibody Discovery

6 days ago

Cambridge

Principal Scientist, Cell Engineering & Antibody DiscoveryDivergence Labs is hiring a full-time Principal Scientist focused on Cell Engineering to join our Antibody Discovery team. We are seeking an experienced candidate with a track record of scientific and professional achievement, including but not limited to 5+ years of industry experience in Cell Engineering with an emphasis on assay development. The role is based in our Cambridge, UK research site and will sit within a unique team with expertise across antibody discovery, cellular and molecular biology, and hardware engineering. About Divergence Divergence Labs is a biotechnology company on a mission to reshape standard of care across all disease areas. Founded in 2025 by an interdisciplinary team of biotechnology investors, drug hunters, hardware engineers, and machine learning scientists, we have assembled a high-performance team that unites investment acumen, world-class protein engineering, advanced computational research, and excellence in translational medicine to build repeatable methods for discovering new medicines which transform patient care. Divergence has presence across San Francisco, CA, Minnetonka, MN, New York, NY, and Cambridge, UK. Although we have not publicly disclosed our financing details, Divergence is well capitalized and backed by world-leading investors, each of whom are among the earliest investors in companies such as Isomorphic Labs, Xaira Therapeutics, Coefficient Bio (acq. by Anthropic), and Chai Discovery, among others. We are committed to identifying, developing, and rewarding world-class talent, and, as such, all positions at Divergence Labs come with market-leading cash and equity compensation. The RoleWe are hiring an experienced, hands-on cell biologist to lead a defined area of our cell line engineering and cell-based assay work which underpins our antibody and biologics discovery platform. The Cambridge, UK group is interdisciplinary and tightly-coupled: screening scientists running our ultra-high-throughput functional screening platform work alongside cell and molecular biologists who build the engineered cells and reagents that platform depends on. You will be one of our technical leads for cell engineering and cell assays, setting the standard for how lines and assays are built, validated and documented within Divergence. Your key objective is to ensure what leaves your hands works for your internal “customers” (i.e., your team members who complete our screens). The engineered cells and assays you build are foundational in identifying our lead candidates which move into clinical trials. You will work in close partnership with the screening and assay development teams, translating their requirements into engineering specs and iterating as data comes back. Ideal Candidate ProfileWe are looking for an experienced cell biologist who thrives in a small, integrated team and wants meaningful ownership over a defined area within a high-performance discovery platform. Your background should include: Strong track record in cell-line engineering and cell-based assays: Designing, building and characterising mammalian cell lines and complex cell-based assays end-to-end, from engineering through to execution and QC.Practical industry biologics engineering and drug discovery experience: A clear sense of how engineered cells and cell-based assays feed a discovery pipeline and what it takes to set an objective for and execute against a target product profile.Collaborative judgement: Comfortable operating as a peer in a small, integrated team across disciplines and willing to seek input from diverse sources, incorporate feedback, and refine designs to meet end-user specifications. Key ResponsibilitiesBuild and troubleshoot engineered reporter cell lines: Design and deliver lines end-to-end, from construct design and build through to full QC and stability analysis, so candidate molecules can be functionally verified in high- and low-throughput screening assays.Develop and troubleshoot functional assays: Build the cell-based and biochemical assays that measure function and potency (IC50/EC50) to enable ranking of lead candidates for further characterisation.Optimise reporter lines and assays for signal-to-noise: Design systems to ensuring a wide assay window and low background that hold in our screening format.Own banking and documentation: Keep lines reproducible, traceable and recoverable, including master/working banks, records, and clear handover specs maintained in the electronic lab notebook (ELN).Partner with internal end users on your team: Understand the needs of and iterate with your screening and assay development colleagues so engineered cells consistently have the right expression window, reporter dynamic range, growth behaviour and format.Support the discovery programmes: Design lines for new targets, modalities and assay formats as our portfolio moves: multispecific antibodies, VHHs, Fabs, Fc fusions and whatever comes next.Lead the technical work: Set best practice, mentor colleagues, and grow the team’s capability as our platform scales.Embody good lab citizenship: Maintain lab cleanliness and organisation, comply with local SOPs and health-and-safety/risk-assessment requirements, and keep detailed records. Required ExperienceWe envision candidate coming from one of two potential paths: Path A: PhD in cell biology, molecular biology, biochemistry or a related discipline, plus 5+ years of relevant post-PhD experience building and characterising mammalian cell lines.Path B: MSc or BSc in a related discipline, plus 7+ years of relevant industry experience. In either path, the candidate must have:Experience in an industry drug discovery environment, with a clear understanding of how engineered cells and cell-based assays feed a discovery pipeline and what it takes to progress a molecule.Biologics experience (e.g., antibodies, bispecifics, fusion proteins) and familiarity with the cell systems used to express, present and characterise them.Deep practical mammalian cell culture: primary and cell-line work such as transfection/transduction, stable line generation, selection and single-cell cloning.Strong knowledge in either (or both) CRISPR knock-in/KO/KD or landing-pad/integrase systems (Bxb1, Flp/FRT, attP/attB, or similar) in mammalian hosts.Good awareness and practical experience of setting up cell-based or biological assays to perturb biological processes or test candidate molecules for function.Fluency across the required characterisation toolkit, including strong knowledge of flow cytometry and cell sorting, qPCR/ddPCR, functional/reporter assays and genomic sequencing.Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, appropriate for a small, integrated team where cross-domain conversation happens daily.A genuine desire to be in the lab with a passion for being hands-on, rigorous, and organised about documentation and banking. Additional Experience WelcomedNot required, but candidates with one or more of the following will be at an advantage:Experience with reporter cells for immune signalling or receptor/ligand systems.Experience generating large libraries for high-throughput screening, and an appreciation for what makes a line suitable for screening at scale.Experience developing HTS-compatible or automated assays including 384-well formats, acoustic dispensing or liquid handlers.Experience with viral vector production (lentiviral, AAV) for cell engineering.Primary immune cell work, or arrayed and pooled screening experience.Experience mentoring or managing junior scientists. Cultural ProfileAt Divergence Labs, our culture is built on a foundation of intellectual honesty, independence of thought, and a relentless commitment to excellence. We believe in fostering a collaborative environment where every team member feels empowered to contribute and grow. We are looking for individuals who embody the following characteristics and can fit in with a high-performing team of drug hunters, investors, engineers, and machine learning researchers: Intellectual Honesty: We value candid and open discussion. Our team admits when wrong, advocates when right, and never shies away from constructive feedback.Bias for Action: We take initiative and ownership of our work, actively seeking out new ideas, and taking well-researched and smart risks.Team First Attitude: We win as a team and lose as a team. There are "no egos" at Divergence Labs, and we understand great ideas can come from anywhere.Independence of Thought: We think critically and challenge assumptions. When it suits us, we develop hypotheses that may run counter to consensus, "zigging while others are zagging."Resilience: Drug development is a tough sport. We persevere in the face of challenge.Embrace the Unfamiliar: We are humbled and excited by how much there is left to learn. Next StepsInterested candidates can reach out to careers@divergencelabs.com with their resume and two to three sentences expressing their interest. Divergence Labs is an equal-opportunity employer. We are committed to building a team that reflects a wide range of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences.

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