Scientist / Senior Scientist
Our team is looking for a highly motivated, intellectually curious Scientist / Senior Scientist to join our Central Research team in 2025. We are looking for multiple full-time hires, seeking candidates for our Cambridge, UK research lab with passion across molecule biology, ultra-high-throughput experiments, bioinformatics/data science, machine learning, and, most importantly, drug discovery.
We are committed to identifying, developing, and rewarding world-class talent, and, as such, all positions at Divergence Labs come with market-leading cash and equity compensation.
Divergence Labs
Divergence Labs is a next generation biotechnology company dedicated to transforming bold biologic insights into breakthrough medicines. We relentlessly hunt for the highest expected value opportunities and pursue a deliberate, rigorous process to realize them. Led by life science investing and drug development veterans, we're assembling the industry's highest performance team - uniting investment acumen, world‑class protein engineering, advanced computational science, and translational medicine - to create medicines that set new standards of value and impact. Divergence Labs has presence across San Francisco, Boston, and Cambridge, UK.
The Role
We are seeking a highly motivated, intellectually curious Scientist / Senior Scientist to join our Central Research team in Cambridge, UK (Granta Park). The role of Central Research is to maximize Divergence's probability of designing and selecting exceptional molecules which differentiate from competitors. The group also collaborates heavily with our Engineering team to establish methods to reliably collect, analyze, and learn from millions of disease-relevant datapoints. Tactically, our Research team behaves as a hybrid between a molecular biology, data science, and machine learning group.
Our ideal candidates have prior experience, whether in academia or industry, establishing and developing cellular assays to generate large amounts of biological data for use in machine learning, as well as experience in establishing computational infrastructure and models to extract insights from the data. They will have practical experience in handling mammalian and bacterial cultures, as well as in vitro DNA manipulation and other standard biochemical techniques. This is an unparalleled opportunity to generate and analyze high-quality, disease-relevant data at unprecedented scale, with a clear and direct understanding of how the data inform design of transformative medicines.
As a Scientist / Senior Scientist, you will play a major role in our interdisciplinary team to execute and improve our drug discovery workflow. This is a crucial role within Divergence, where you will have the opportunity to:
* Lead experimental design, protocol development, and execution for new drug discovery projects, including the most important R&D programs within Divergence Labs
* Design and validate cellular assays for the functional characterization of engineered biologics
* Collaborate with our Engineering team to convert and validate cellular assays to ultra-high-throughput format, enabling the exploration of up to millions of potential molecular designs
* Program and establish infrastructure for data collection, processing, and analysis, with the capability to handle large amounts of sequencing, fluorescence, biochemical, and other data
* Gain true end-to-end visibility across the drug discovery and development continuum and contribute to our high-performing, collegial culture
Additionally, as a member of the broader Divergence team, you will gain exposure to our Investment Team and R&D Committee, comprised of investment professionals from leading hedge funds and venture capital firms, as well as drug developers who have repeatedly brought medicines from concept to approval, including former Heads of R&D, Heads of Discovery, and Heads of Development from iconic biopharmaceutical companies, such as Genentech, Bioverativ, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Argenx, among others. We all work together as one team and one culture to shift probability and impact of R&D.
Responsibilities
* Develop and Run New Assays
: Play a central role in designing, validating, and executing new cellular assays for characterizing disease-relevant bioactivity of therapeutic programs.
* Establish Bioinformatics Infrastructure
: Lead and contribute to the development, deployment, and maintenance of our high-throughput data collection and analysis pipeline for machine learning.
* Deploy Machine Learning Models
: Propose and prototype machine learning models fine-tuned on internal data, capitalizing on both open source and "closed-source" tools from our partners.
* Play as a Team
: Collaborate closely with senior leadership, the Engineering team, and Investment team to initiate projects, kill ideas, iterate on solutions, and improve our overall discovery process.
* Support Operating Activities
: Assist in developing clear, concise presentations articulating our R&D approach and improvements for senior management, R&D Committee, and the Board of Directors.
Required Skills & Experience
* Deep interest in the biopharmaceutical industry, drug discovery, and translational medicine
* Strong background in biochemistry, biology, and/or computer science (Ph.D. a plus, but not required)
* Extensive experience in mammalian cell culture, fluorescence-based assays, and cloning of large protein libraries
* Strong proficiency in programming languages, such as Python, especially applied to bioinformatics
* Demonstrated analytical and quantitative abilities, with intellectual flexibility and drive required to design new solutions to complex problems from scratch
* Excellent interpersonal skills and efficient communication
Cultural Profile
At Divergence Labs, our culture is built on a foundation of intellectual honesty, independence of thought, and a relentless commitment to excellence. We believe in fostering a collaborative environment where every team member feels empowered to contribute and grow. We are looking for individuals who embody the following characteristics and can fit in with a high-performing team of drug hunters, investment professionals, and engineers:
* Intellectual Honesty
: We value candid and open discussion. Our team admits when wrong, advocates when right, and never shies away from constructive feedback.
* Bias for Action:
We take initiative and ownership of our work, actively seeking out new ideas, and taking well-researched and smart risks.
* Team First Attitude
: We win as a team and lose as a team. There are "no egos" at Divergence Labs, and we understand great ideas can come from anywhere.
* Independence of Thought
: We think critically and challenge assumptions. When it suits us, we develop hypotheses that may run counter to consensus, "zigging while others are zagging."
* Resilience:
Drug development is a tough sport. We persevere in the face of challenge.
* Embrace the Unfamiliar:
We are humbled and excited by how much there is left to learn.
Next Steps
Interested candidates can reach out to with their resume and two to three sentences expressing their interest.