Research Assistant

Research Assistant

Pay Scale: STANDARD RESEARCH GRADE 6

Salary (£): £35,681 - £41,636 per annum

Location: Department of Biochemistry, South Parks Road, Oxford

Contract type: Fixed Term Contract for up to 12 months in the first instance

Hours: Full Time (37.5 hours per week)

About the role

Applications are invited for a Research Assistant post, to join the Berrens lab. The post holder will report directly to the principal investigator, Dr Rebecca Berrens and will be a member of a research group with responsibility for the provision of research support for understanding the role of epigenetic regulators controlling locus specific transposable elements expression in cell fate choices. The post holder will provide advice and guidance to research students where appropriate.

We are looking for a talented and enthusiastic researcher to join our team and to work on technologies like single-cell long read transcriptomics and genome-editing approaches. The postholder will work with mouse embryonic stem cells as well as models of cellular differentiation and will be involved in the continued effort of adapting these state-of-the-art technologies to interrogate the role of Transposable elements in cell fate decision. The post is ideally suited for a candidate with an interest in developing a career that involves working at the interface of gene regulation and Developmental Biology with interest in transposable elements.

This full-time fixed-term post is funded by the Wellcome Trust for up to 12 months in the first instance.

The actual starting salary offered will be based on qualifications and relevant skills acquired and will also be determined by the funding available.

About you

You must hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, or a relevant field and have previous laboratory experience, including skills in advanced molecular biology methods. You should also have experience in working with mouse embryonic stem cells, neural progenitor differentiation, and experience in CRISPR methods. You will have previous experience in wet and dry lab genome-wide Omics approaches and have excellent communication skills, including the ability to write text that can be published, present data at conferences, and represent the research group at meetings. You should have the ability to manage your own research and administrative activities, demonstrating a meticulous and reliable approach to work and a willingness to work independently, taking initiative, and as part of a team, taking advice when appropriate. Experience in following and adapting protocols and selecting appropriate experimental methodologies is essential with the ability to learn new skills and to modify duties to fit a changing research environment.

What We Offer

Your happiness and wellbeing at work matters to us, so we offer a range of family-friendly and financial benefits including:

• An excellent contributory pension scheme
• 38 days annual leave
• A comprehensive range of childcare services
• Family leave schemes
• Cycle loan scheme
• Membership to a variety of social and sports clubs
• Discounted bus travel and Season Ticket travel loans

The University also runs an enormous amount of social groups and sports clubs for those looking for more than just a great place to work.

Application Process

Applications for this vacancy are to be made online via www.recruit.ox.ac.uk and Vacancy ID 185858. You will be required to upload your curriculum vitae and a supporting statement, setting out how you meet the selection criteria for the post, using examples of your skills and experience. Click here for information and advice on writing an effective Supporting Statement. As part of your application, you will be asked to provide details of two referees and indicate whether we can contact them now.

For further details, please refer to the How to apply section of the job description. Any further enquires may be directed to recruitment@bioch.ox.ac.uk.

The closing date for applications is 12.00 noon on Monday 27th April 2026. Only applications received before this time can be considered. Interviews for shortlisted candidates to be held as soon as possible thereafter.

Committed to equality and valuing diversity