Sosei Heptares is an international biopharmaceutical company with a mission to make a significant contribution to improving the quality of life and health of people around the world. To achieve this, we will discover, design, and develop the most innovative and effective medicines for patients worldwide, through our world-leading patent-protected technology and platform.

Our core focus is on the discovery and early development of new medicines originating from our proprietary G Protein-Coupled Receptor (GPCR) targeted StaR® technology and Structure Based Drug Design (SBDD) platform capabilities. Today, we are advancing a broad and deep pipeline of novel medicines across multiple therapeutic areas, including neurology, immunology, gastroenterology, and inflammation diseases.

We have established partnerships with some of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies and multiple emerging technology companies, including AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Biohaven, Genentech (Roche), GSK, Neurocrine Biosciences, Novartis, Pfizer, Takeda and Verily.

Sosei Heptares is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan with corporate and R&D facilities in London and Cambridge, UK. We have approximately 170 employees based at our state-of-the-art R&D research centre at Granta Park, Cambridge. The size of our company ensures optimum agility and transparent linkage between all activities from early discovery through to clinical development.

For more information, please visit https://soseiheptares.com/. LinkedIn: @soseiheptaresco | Twitter: @soseiheptaresco | YouTube: @soseiheptaresco

We are now seeking a membrane protein biochemist to join the Biochemistry group at our research facility on Granta Park, Cambridge, UK, working on membrane protein biochemical characterisation to enable drug discovery efforts.

At Sosei Heptares we are equipped with state-of-the-art protein expression, purification, SPR, mass-spectrometry, crystallisation and cryoEM facilities. Applicants should have experience in the expression and purification of challenging membrane proteins destined for biochemical, biophysical and structural studies. Applicants with a proven track record of publications related to the expression, purification, and biochemical characterisation of difficult membrane protein targets in peer-reviewed journals would be advantageous.

This is an exceptional opportunity to participate in pioneering science with an industry-leading drug discovery company.

The successful candidate is expected to:

• Express and purify membrane proteins
• Perform appropriate quality control analyses and biochemically and biophysically characterise purified membrane proteins
• Keep up to date, propose, develop, implement and optimise new techniques in the fields of membrane protein expression, purification and biochemical characterisation
• Work together with scientists responsible for successfully progressing membrane protein targets through Sosei Heptares’ structure-based drug design pipeline
• Collaborate with other Sosei Heptares scientists on research projects, working closely with molecular biologists, biophysicists, structural biologists, molecular pharmacologists, computational and medicinal chemists
• Prepare and effectively present results (written and oral) to project teams
• Have strong interpersonal skills and interact effectively with collaborators across a wide range of disciplines

The preferred candidate will have the following:

• A PhD in biochemistry, biophysics, or a related discipline
• Good molecular biology skills
• Knowledge in prokaryotic and eukaryotic expression vectors
• Knowledge in expression construct design and engineering to successfully express membrane proteins destined for biochemical, biophysical, and structural studies
• Expertise in the expression of membrane proteins from mammalian and insect cells
• Expertise in the purification and extensive biochemical characterisation of membrane proteins
• Experience in the reconstitution of purified membrane proteins in membrane-mimetic environments
• Familiarity with biochemical and biophysical techniques used to characterise membrane proteins such as luminescence, fluorescence, and FRET-based techniques
• Understanding of the requirements of purified membrane proteins destined for structural (X-ray and/or CryoEM) and biophysical studies (SPR, mass spectrometry)
• Excellent organisational skills

What’s in it for you?

• State-of-the-art R&D centre located in the heart of the Cambridge science cluster
• Competitive compensation package including discretionary cash bonuses
• Eligible for grants of Restricted Stock Units in Sosei Group Corporation
• 25 days annual leave in addition to public holidays
• Employer contribution to pension
• Private Medical Insurance and a cash plan for dental and optical reimbursement
• Health and wellbeing benefits including a subsidised individual gym membership
• Income protection to cover long term absences due to ill health
• Group Death in Service equal to 4x basic annual salary

Why Sosei Heptares?

At Sosei Heptares, we are dedicated to the pursuit of scientific innovation. Our mission is to make a significant contribution to improving the quality of life and health of people around the world. To achieve this, we will discover, design, and develop the most innovative and effective medicines for patients worldwide, through our world-leading patent-protected technology and platform

Working at Sosei Heptares

The Sosei Heptares R&D centre is a modern, state-of-the-art centre located within easy shuttle reach of Cambridge and Whittlesford Parkway train stations. We offer a collaborative, diverse and inclusive working environment that considers your individual needs and believes in maintaining a sustainable work-life balance. You will be welcomed by a team of colleagues with decades of accumulated experience in their areas of expertise, happy to help you develop your own skills in a highly collaborative environment and who are keen to provide guidance and support in your personal and career development plans.

Our Vision and Values

To become one of Japan’s science and technology-led biopharmaceutical drug discovery champions. To achieve this, we will leverage our global know-how and operating agility to deliver a sustainable pipeline of first or best-in-class therapeutics, ensuring our place amongst the next generation of leading innovators.

We are guided by three fundamental values.

• Limitless Compassion
• Unswerving passion
• Continuous self-innovation

These unchanging set of core values that serves as a guide across all our activities

Join Us!

The successful candidate will be employed by Heptares Therapeutics Ltd, a UK wholly owned subsidiary of Sosei Group Corporation.

Sosei Heptares is committed to building a diverse and ambitious workforce, and to promoting equal opportunities in employment. We recognize that diverse and inclusive teams build a stronger and more innovative company. Therefore, all qualified applicants will be considered for employment: we do not discriminate based on age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, or any other classification prescribed by law.

Applications should include a CV and covering letter, providing a short description of the background of your interest in the role, and apply via our on-line jobs’ portal: in pdf format, quoting reference number 2022-RS-Biochemist. Closing date for applications is 31st January 2023.