Molecular biologist - Experimental Systems Biologist – Functional Genomics and Cellular Systems
Defence Science and Technology Laboratory
- Department
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory
- Location
- Salisbury
- Openings
- 1 post
- Grade
- SEO
- Salary
- £41,431 to £47,139
- Closing
- 21 days left
- Profession
- Science
- Contract
- Permanent
- Security clearance
- DV
- Working pattern
- Flexible working, Full-time, Part-time, Compressed hours
Job summary
This is an exciting opportunity to make a real difference to the UK's safety and security by applying your scientific knowledge in this defence-critical area.
Join our multidisciplinary engineering biology team to design and execute experiments to generate biological datasets and develop mechanistic insights into cellular regulation. You will work closely with the computational systems biologist to apply modern genetics, functional genomics, and cellular biology approaches to systematically test biological variations and measure their phenotypic consequences. This work will establish the experimental foundation for AI-driven biological discovery by creating datasets that connect genetic variation to cellular behaviour. Areas of work including; Functional Genomics and Cellular Phenotyping in a collaborative approach with in silico scientists.
Dstl recognises the importance of diversity and inclusion as people from diverse backgrounds bring fresh ideas. We are committed to building an inclusive working environment in which each employee fulfils their potential and maximises their contribution.
What they’re looking for
- We are looking for:
- An experienced molecular biology researcher, with a proven ability to deliver high-quality scientific outputs, solve complex technical challenges, and contribute effectively within multidisciplinary teams.
- You will will possess strong communication skills, enabling them to present evidence based findings to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.
- You will have substantial practical experience in molecular biology and be proficient in the application of a range of laboratory techniques and methodologies to support innovative research and development activities, including but not limited to the approaches listed below.
- CRISPR/Cas technologies
- Synthetic biology approaches
- Cell line generation and validation
- Cell culture or microbial engineering
- Functional genomics
- Gene expression analysis and other gene function assays e.g. ChIP-seq
- Statistical analysis
- Experimental design
- Please see full job description below
- Important Information
- Our work in defence, security and intelligence requires our employees to be UK Nationals who are able to gain a high level of security clearance to undertake the projects we are involved in to protect us from security threats. For this reason, only UK Nationals will be able to apply for this role. If you are an international or dual-national candidate, and you think you have the skills we need, please consider applying to any of our government, security or defence partners.
- This role will require full UK security clearance and you should have resided in the UK for the past 5 years. For this role Developed Vetting will also be required, in this case you should have resided in the UK for the past 10 years.
Behaviours you’ll be assessed on
This advert says the panel will score you against these behaviours at SEO level. Each one links to worked examples.
Job description
In this role you will:
Work closely with computational and systems biologists to design model-informed experiments, develop biological hypotheses for testing, and generate high-quality, reproducible datasets that support advanced data analysis and machine learning applications
For more information on the job responsibilities, please see the job profile attached below.
Qualifications
Bachelor of Science in a relevant discipline (e.g. molecular biology; biochemistry; biological sciences) and/or equivalent scientific experience.
Nationality requirements
Open to UK nationals only.
This job is not open to candidates who hold a dual nationality.
Selection process
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
We want you to have your best chance of success in our recruitment process, so If at any stage of the application process you would like help or assistance please contact the Dstl Recruitment Team dstlrecruitment@dstl.gov.uk and we will do all we can to support you.
Sifting will take place week commencing the 14th December 2026 with interviews to be arranged for the week commencing 08th January 2027 at Dstl Porton Down.
Your interview will consist of behavioural and technical competency based questions. You will also be required to deliver a 10 minute presentation. Further details for the presentation will be provided to candidates invited to interview. At interview we will pose a scientific question the candidate will be asked to work through.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Practise before you apply
Civil Service panels score every answer against the Success Profiles behaviours at SEO level. Practise STAR answers and get them marked against the same framework.
3 free questions · No card needed
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