Thursday, 03 August 2017 21:03

Employment opportunity: Roche Sequencing Solutions, Cape Town

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Employment opportunity: Roche Sequencing Solutions, Cape Town (Previously KAPA BIOSYSTEMS)
R&D Senior Scientist - Protein Engineering - R&D Department
Closing date: 20 August 2017



To apply for the position please submit, in a single MS Word or PDF file:

  1. Letter of motivation (one A4 page maximum).
  2. CV highlighting only relevant qualifications and experience.
  3. Email addresses and daytime phone numbers of at least 3 referees.

Apply at www.indeed.co.za or alternatively, send application to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Role and Responsibilities:

We are looking to appoint a full-time permanent R&D Senior Scientist. The successful candidate will report to the Team Leader and will be expected to contribute at all stages of engineered-product development, from conception to launch. Specifically, this includes ideation, protein-engineering methodology design and experimental execution followed by early stage product development.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Contribute to a multidisciplinary team that is dedicated to developing innovative, world-class products for the NGS market.
  • Keep abreast of advances in the NGS field, identify commercial opportunities and suggest new product ideas.
  • Design and carry out high-level proof-of-concept protein engineering research to explore and validate new product ideas.
  • Keep abreast of advances in the enzyme engineering field in order to develop strategies for engineering enzymes for relevant applications.
  • Plan and execute research in a logical and efficient manner.
  • Conduct regular project progress reviews to communicate key findings to team-members and management.
  • Keep detailed records of all experiments and project-related information.
  • Supervise, train and mentor junior scientists.
  • Collaborate with other departments to ensure knowledge transfer for effective further product development, launch and support.

Qualifications and Education Requirements:

Requirements include:


  • PhD or MSc in one or more relevant subjects such as molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics or biotechnology.
  • In-depth knowledge, insight and experience with regard to molecular biology and its practical application in biotechnology.
  • A proven history of innovative research and/or product development.


Preferences include:


  • Five years post-MSc or two years post-PhD relevant working experience.
  • Practical experience in protein engineering by design and/or directed evolution.
  • Practical experience with NGS and/or PCR-based methodologies.
  • Specialist knowledge of other relevant fields such as evolution, molecular diagnostics, forensics, microfluidics or medical research.
  • Previous experience supervising and mentoring junior scientists.
  • The ability to critically evaluate and interpret experimental results, and articulate key findings within cross-functional teams.
  • Experience in product or assay development.
  • Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).


Personal skills:

The position requires an individual with strong analytical thinking and problem solving abilities. They must be persistent, proactive and inventive. They must be self-motivated and able to work independently, or as part of a team. Other desirable attributes include accountability, well developed communication skills and a strong work ethic.

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