Biobank Scientist

Biobank group

Hays Life Sciences is now looking to recruit 2 Biobank Scientists to join the Biobank Group for 1-year contract assignments at AstraZeneca in Gothenburg.

AstraZeneca is a major international healthcare business engaged in the research, development, manufacture and marketing of prescription pharmaceuticals and the supply of healthcare services. However, as a company we are more than one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies, we are proud to have a unique workplace culture that inspires innovation and collaboration. AstraZeneca employees are empowered to express diverse perspectives - and are made to feel valued, energized and rewarded for their ideas and creativity.

The arena
Biobank scientists are responsible for the storage and timely supply of human biological samples (HBS) to AZ research projects. HBS are received from e.g. clinical studies or academic collaborations, stored in local biobanks and distributed to projects. The group primarily supports the Sweden Region but partners with other Biobank groups within the Biosamples department globally to provide efficient support across AZ and our partner organisations.

The Biobank group works collaboratively to provide support within agreed service levels with a strong focus on our customers. We strive hard to understand what fits their needs best and to add value through our services. With an increased focus on the value and use of biobank samples we actively seek ways to improve our process or exploit new technology to build a cutting-edge facility.

The role
We are currently recruiting for a temporary Biobank Scientist in the AZ Gothenburg Biobank group within the global Precision Medicine and Biosamples organization. This position will provide the opportunity to work in a dynamic and enthusiastic environment whilst supplying a critical service to drug discovery projects. The work is highly collaborative with the team having a collective responsibility for the overall delivery.
The role is focused on supporting drug discovery projects within R&D Gothenburg by maintaining a high-quality handling and storage of HBS and support projects with requested samples in a timely manner.

As a Biobank Research Scientist, you will be expected to:

* Work as part of the team rotating between the following typical tasks
* Receive and register incoming HBS
* Process requests for HBS to customers
* Manage customer orders using specialized informatics systems as well as databases
* Responding to customer queries via mail or telephone
* Partner with Biobank groups globally as well as internal and external customers and stakeholders
* Act upon day-to-day issues that occur whilst processing HBS samples to ensure continuous improvement
* Identify initiatives to improve efficiency or quality.

The group has a strong emphasis on continuous improvement which takes the form of individual and group projects within the team, the department and across Biobank groups within AZ.

Minimum experience
You should ideally have a degree in a Bioscience or Chemistry discipline and previous experience of laboratory work handling biological samples. Previous knowledge and experience of biobanking is preferred. Experience of working with various IT solutions, including extensive knowledge of Excel, LIMS systems and database usage, is also a clear advantage.
The biobank team is a highly collaborative group working to tight delivery schedules so the ability to be comfortable working at a fast pace with a goal orientated and team focused attitude is essential. Excellent communication skills with a proactive and service minded approach is key.

Preferred experience/requirements
Experience of automated liquid handling and/or tissue sectioning is advantageous. Good analytical and problem-solving skills involving large and complex datasets

Key Attributes

* Ability to plan, perform and evaluate experiments to investigate improvement possibilities in a process
* Knowledge of the drug discovery process
* Interest in logistics and developing processes through customer interactions and technology awareness
* Drive and enthusiasm to solve the root cause of problems and not only overcome the presenting problem
* Thrive on working in a committed team and gain satisfaction from the overall performance of the group