Senior Molecular Ecologist- Metabarcoding Lead

Job Purpose

Drive the development and expansion of our metabarcoding services, applying advanced molecular techniques to support ecological and biodiversity assessments. This role will lead scientific innovation in metabarcoding workflows while training and mentoring the technical team to ensure high-quality, scalable service delivery.

Key Accountabilities and Responsibilities:

• Technical Leadership in Metabarcoding: Lead the development, optimisation, and validation of metabarcoding workflows (e.g. sample prep, DNA extraction, amplification, library prep, sequencing, and bioinformatics) across a range of environmental and ecological sample types. Write, edit, and maintain standard operating procedures for metabarcoding and broader molecular ecology workflows. Ensure adherence to quality standards and laboratory best practices, with a focus on contamination prevention and repeatability.
• Training and Mentorship: Provide advanced technical training and day-to-day mentoring for technical team. Support their development in molecular techniques, lab protocols, and quality control processes. Support Technical Team members on individual research assignments.
• Commercial & Strategic Input: Collaborate with management, sales, and marketing teams to align metabarcoding services with customer needs. Contribute technical expertise to sales and marketing content and tender applications, grant proposals, and commercial project bids. Attend technical meetings with customers, collaborators, universities and suppliers (remotely and in person) to advise on project design, sample requirements, and interpretation of results. Respond to advanced technical enquiries and support business development activities.
• Routine Analysis: Be a part of the technical team and support laboratory operations by coordinating complex workloads, troubleshooting technical issues, and maintaining high-throughput sample processing efficiency. Oversee lab cleanliness, contamination control, and appropriate storage and tracking of samples. Support the technical team with hands on work during busy periods and staff holidays.

Key Relationships:

Internal

• Managing director
• Technical team
• Sales team
• Marketing team
• Office Team

External

• Universities
• Customers
• Suppliers

Qualifications, skills, and experience:

• A PhD in molecular ecology, conservation genetics, environmental genomics, or a closely related field (essential). A postgraduate qualification (MSc) with substantial, demonstrable experience in metabarcoding may be considered.
• Hands-on experience with DNA metabarcoding, including environmental sample processing, DNA extraction, PCR/amplicon generation, library preparation, sequencing (fine to be outsourced), and data interpretation (essential)
• Strong understanding of molecular ecology techniques, including qPCR, PCR, and DNA sequencing methods, with particular emphasis on biodiversity monitoring and environmental DNA (eDNA)
• Experience developing and validating new molecular protocols, including primer testing, assay optimisation, contamination control, and quality assurance procedures
• Experience training and mentoring staff, with an ability to communicate complex scientific processes clearly and confidently
• Commercial awareness with the ability to understand and adapt scientific methods to meet client needs, inform service design, and contribute to tenders, proposals, and contracts
• Well-organised and methodical approach to scientific tasks, with excellent attention to detail and documentation practices
• Proactive and self-motivated, with a strong sense of ownership, urgency, and continuous improvement
• Positive, team-oriented mindset, with the ability to work collaboratively under pressure and adapt to changing project demands
• Desire to lead innovation in molecular ecology and contribute to the company’s reputation as a specialist in DNA-based species identification

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