Company Description

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

Position

We are seeking an experienced cryo-electron microscopy scientist to join the Biomolecular Structure group at our research facility on Granta Park, Cambridge, UK, working on structure determination to enable drug discovery efforts.

At Sosei Heptares we are equipped with a ThermoFisher Glacios 200keV microscope and purpose-built sample preparation facilities and have routine access to two Krios microscopes at the Cambridge Pharmaceutical CryoEM Consortium equipped with the latest cameras.

Applicants should be proficient in the following areas:

• The preparation and optimisation of challenging samples for cryoEM and other biophysical and structural techniques.
• Have strong expertise in the operation of new generation electron microscopes and high-resolution data collection.
• Extensive experience in data processing, automated pre-processing pipelines, reconstruction of high-resolution maps, model building and validation and interpretation of structural data.

Experience of using EM for structure determination of membrane proteins would be a distinct advantage. This is an exceptional opportunity to participate in pioneering science with an Industry-leading Drug Discovery company. A proven track record of publications related to cryo-EM applications in peer reviewed journals is desirable.

Requirements

• Have received a PhD in biochemistry/biophysics or a related discipline or equivalent training in an industry setting.
• Collaboratively troubleshoot and optimise samples and grid preparation.
• Perform screening of samples and automated data-collection (EPU) on both Glacios and Krios cryo-electron microscopes equipped with Thermo Fisher Scientific and Gatan electron detectors.
• Demonstrate in depth knowledge of diverse software packages and their application to interpret cryo-EM image data and determine structures.
• Provide detailed analysis of structural data and contribute to hypotheses for structure-based design.
• Have strong interpersonal skills and interact effectively with scientists across disciplines and external collaborators.
• Maintain excellent records and prepare and present results (written and oral) to program teams.
• Keep up to date with developments in the field, proposing and implementing changes as necessary and learning and establishing new techniques where appropriate.
• Exposure to the drug discovery process where structural and biophysical studies are used to drive medicinal chemistry is desirable, but not essential.

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!

Other information

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-CryoEM. Closing date for applications is 30th September 2022.

Sosei Heptares does not accept speculative or unsolicited CVs from agencies. All speculative or unsolicited CVs submitted without an agreement in place will be considered Sosei Heptares property and will not obligate us to pay a referral fee.

For more information about Sosei Heptares and how we use your data please go to: https://soseiheptares.com/privacy-notice