Senior Scientist, Cell Engineering
Lead mammalian cell engineering work for a platform team moving from proof-of-concept science into something more reproducible, better documented, and harder to break under programme pressure.
About the role
Take ownership of cell engineering strategy across a small but serious synthetic biology group in Paris. You will guide construct design, troubleshoot experimental bottlenecks, and help the team turn a handful of strong proof points into a platform that behaves consistently enough to support multiple programmes without constant reinvention.
Role details
- Stage
- Venture-backed synthetic biology team, 34 people, 7 across cell engineering and assay development
- Reporting line
- Head of Platform Biology
- Rhythm
- Paris lab presence expected four to five days weekly
What you'll do
- Lead construct and cell engineering decisions: Set experimental direction for vector design, editing strategy, and validation logic across the most critical programmes on the platform.
- Improve repeatability in the lab: Identify where protocol drift, inconsistent controls, or weak documentation are reducing confidence in the results and fix those issues at the source.
- Partner across assay and analytics teams: Work closely with downstream scientists so engineered systems are evaluated against the right readouts and the team learns quickly from failures.
- Coach more junior scientists: Review plans, troubleshoot with the team, and raise experimental quality without turning the role into people management for its own sake.
Requirements
- PhD in synthetic biology, molecular biology, cell biology, bioengineering, or a closely related field with substantial hands-on postdoctoral or industry depth.
- Strong experience in mammalian cell engineering, vector design, and troubleshooting experimental systems that do not behave cleanly on the first pass.
- Evidence of improving scientific rigour and reproducibility, not just generating interesting one-off results.
- Comfort operating as a senior bench-facing scientist in a lean environment where timelines are real and process is still maturing.
- Clear communication in English, with enough flexibility to work in a bilingual lab environment as needed.
Nice to have
- Experience with CRISPR editing, stable cell line generation, or high-content functional readouts.
- Exposure to automation handoffs, assay development, or platform-scale documentation practices.
- Previous time in a European biotech where cross-functional collaboration spanned multiple working styles.
- Practical French ability, even if not fully fluent.
Tools and environment
Mammalian cell engineering, CRISPR, Flow cytometry, qPCR, NGS readouts, Benchling, DoE
Compensation and package
- Base salary
- €72k-€90k, depending on platform depth and seniority range
- Bonus
- Annual cash bonus plus venture-backed stock options
- Benefits
- French benefits package, meal support, transport allowance, and training budget
- Timing
- Search is active now ahead of a planned platform build-out later this year
Interview process
- 1.Introductory screen: Discussion on technical range, Paris-based expectations, and whether the role fits your desired balance of bench work and ownership.
- 2.Scientific deep dive: Detailed conversation on cell engineering decisions, experimental failure modes, and how you raise quality in a growing team.
- 3.Case discussion: Walk through a realistic platform bottleneck and explain how you would redesign the workflow or controls.
- 4.On-site final: Meet the broader platform group, review practical working style, and complete references before offer stage.
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