King's College London

About us

The Department of Engineering builds upon this reputation with a focus on emerging technologies, with research in sustainable systems & manufacturing, telecommunications, robotics, and energy as key areas, with the more recent addition of process intensification and continuous manufacturing, where the post holder will be hosted. 

About the role

The Process Engineering research group in the Department of Engineering  The Post Doctoral Research Associate in Continuous Manufacture of biopharmaceuticals is aimed at applicants who have already completed or just submitted their thesis for a PhD degree or equivalent in an area related to process intensification, flow chemistry or continuous manufacturing for biopharmaceuticals and have a background in chemical or process engineering. 

 The post holder will complement the existing team researching continuous flow technologies for the scale up of the controlled synthesis of biopharmaceuticals using cell-based methods focusing on vaccines. 

The post holder will have the opportunity to access state of the art equipment and additionally will work together with other leading groups in the research domain at King’s College London. The post holder will require sound laboratory skills and will be expected to interface and collaborate with stakeholders and research groups both internal and external to King’s College including our Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, and will be expected to communicate and promote the outcomes of experimental work.  The post holder will also investigate and coordinate demonstration activities of our technology to the stakeholder network, primarily online through events and engagement. 

Key responsibilities

• Design, preparation and execution of experimental plans for the preparation of drug particles with novel properties   
• Design and conduct laboratory experiments on flow chemistry platforms available to the group with main focus on synthesis and preparation of drug substances in their sold form 
• Preparation and delivery of presentations as required
• Authorship of reports and journal papers
• Investigation/desk research of how the group’s technology could comply with standards, regulations and best practice and preparation of a document roadmap
• Work together with the PI on the preparation of a follow on grant proposal

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.  

This is a full time (35 hours per week), and you will be offered a fixed term contract for 24 months or until 29 February 2028, whichever is sooner.

Research staff at King’s are entitled to at least 10 days per year (pro-rata) for professional development. This entitlement, from the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers, applies to Postdocs, Research Assistants, Research and Teaching Technicians, Teaching Fellows and AEP equivalent up to and including grade 7. Visit the Centre for Research Staff Development for more information.

About you

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria

1.       First degree chemical engineering or in a related field in physical sciences

2.       PhD in process engineering, or related

3.       Chemical laboratory skills  

4.       Excellent written and verbal communications skills

5.       Presentation skills

6.       Basic understanding of process analytical tools and in particular spectroscopy

7.       Understanding, appreciation and some practical exposure to laboratory risk assessment procedures

8.       Some basic experience in Design of Experiments methodologies

9.       Basic understanding of organic chemistry or medicinal chemistry

Desirable criteria

1.     Skills in flow chemistry

2.     Some experience in fermentation

3.     Practical skills in setting up and operating fluid flow control components such as pumps

Downloading a copy of our Job Description

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the page. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

* Please note that this is a PhD level role but candidates who have submitted their thesis and are awaiting award of their PhDs will be considered. In these circumstances the appointment will be made at Grade 5, spine point 30 with the title of Research Assistant. Upon confirmation of the award of the PhD, the job title will become Research Associate and the salary will increase to Grade 6. 

Further Information

At King’s, we believe that the diversity of our community and a culture that is welcoming, open, inclusive and collaborative, are great strengths of the university.

The Equality Act of 2010 protects the rights of our students and staff and provides a framework to fulfil our duties to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and in addition, to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between those who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. At times, this will include balancing rights and beliefs that can feel in tension.

We are committed to free speech and to academic freedom, believing that our foundational purpose as a university, is to create spaces where a wide range of ideas, including ideas that are controversial, can be discussed and debated, and where members of our community can express lawful views without fear of intimidation, harassment or discrimination.

When engaging in the robust exchange of ideas, we ask that our community is mindful of our Dignity at King’s guidance.

We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the person specification section of the job description. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

We reserve the right to close adverts early due to the volume of applications we receive. While the closing date may change, all adverts will close at 23:59 to allow sufficient time for applications to be submitted on that day.

We encourage you to apply at the earliest opportunity to avoid disappointment as once we have closed a vacancy you will be unable to submit your application.

To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ‘How we Recruit’ pages.