Careers at NIBSC

NIBSC is currently investing in all areas of biological medicines and we are seeking to recruit to exciting roles across the Institute, both now and in the near future.  These opportunities comprise a whole range of roles, principal and senior scientists , post-doctoral and new graduate scientists, as well as posts that are vital in support such as quality assurance and maintenance.

NIBSC generally advertises its scientific posts on the websites of scientific journals such as Nature and New Scientist. You may wish to consider signing up for “alerts” on our careers page (external link) as all the roles at both NIBSC and its parent organisation the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency will be advertised there.

Current jobs at NIBSC are on the MHRA jobs website.

PhD studentships

We offer collaborative, multi-institutional PhD studentships that provide students with the opportunity to develop their knowledge and understanding of biological medicines and gain experience in different research environments. Find out more about current PhD studentship opportunities.

Working at NIBSC

Scientific excellence is a core principle of work at NIBSC and we aim to hire scientists with a strong research background who are able to use their knowledge and expertise to respond effectively to the needs of the job.  Scientists will usually be expected to apply these skills in one or more key areas of biological medicines related to their scientific expertise.  This may include projects to develop tests and reference materials for measuring the safety and potency of the medicines, testing batches of marketed products to make sure they meet the required specifications, and establishing a sustained programme of related research.   

NIBSC sits at the cusp of working with manufacturers of biological medicines, working with regulators and collaborating with academic research scientists and Institute staff are encouraged to interact and work with colleagues in all three types of organisation.

Because of their specialist expertise, NIBSC scientists are often required to respond rapidly to unfolding events, such as the emergence of pandemic influenza, or safety issues associated with use of biologics, and they routinely contribute both nationally and internationally to the development of policy related to use of biological medicines. 

Our aim is to ensure as far as possible that policies are based on the best possible scientific evidence, and so we encourage our scientists to contribute to key committees and policy making bodies nationally and internationally. They have consequently a high international profile and are in considerable demand for their expertise and advice. 

To enable the Institute to undertake all of these activities, it receives some core funding from the UK Department of Health, but charges made for supplying reference materials and undertaking control testing also contribute to the running of the Institute.  The majority of its research is supported by external research grant funding secured by its scientific team from a range of international as well as national grant awarding agencies.

Our support functions which include operations, stores, maintenance, processing, business development, quality assurance and biological services are vital to the operation of NIBSC and in working towards our goals. Careers at NIBSC offer an exciting opportunity to work in a world leading organisation with unique and interesting work and specialist facilities.

Our facilities

NIBSC has excellent laboratory facilities for carrying its work.  It has high-quality specialist laboratories able to deal with a wide variety of experimental work, including cell cultures work requiring clean rooms, infectious disease research under high containment, and in vivo studies.

Over £50m has been invested over the past 10 years to ensure that the facilities remain of a very high standard.  The Institute is close to the M25 and has good transport links with easy access to all of London’s international airports, a rapid rail link to central London.

Staff Profiles

Edward Mee, Postdoctoral Scientist

I joined NIBSC as a postdoc in 2005 after completing a D.Phil. at the University of Oxford, where I investigated the use of fusion lipoproteins as vaccine adjuvants.

Live attenuated vaccines, including MMR and Oral Poliovirus Vaccine, are highly effective at preventing many infectious diseases.  My research focuses on developing more sophisticated tests to ensure the continued safety and efficacy of such vaccines.

The first approach is to monitor batch-to-batch variation in the genetic composition of vaccines by deep sequencing. The second is the use of metagenomics to ensure potential contaminants in viral vaccines can be rapidly identified.

This involves wet-lab work to prepare RNA and DNA for sequencing, bioinformatics to subtract expected sequences and identify unexpected ones, and involvement in international studies to develop and evaluate reference materials for viral metagenomics.

I also work as part of a team performing quality control of rotavirus vaccines for release on the EU market.

The institute provides excellent laboratory space, state-of-the-art equipment and access to unique reagents and samples.

While modest in size, we boast expertise in all areas of biological medicine, and offer the opportunity to directly contribute to the safety of biological medicines.

In addition to developing my scientific skills, NIBSC has provided me with a unique insight into regulatory science, expanding my range of experience and career development options.

Dr Simon E Hufton, Principal Scientist

I joined NIBSC in 2009 as a principal scientist in the Biotherapeutics department.

I had previously worked in the biopharmaceutical industry.

My scientific interests lie in monoclonal antibody structure/function and how this relates to drug efficacy, quality and safety.

During my career I have worked in both academia and industry and am aware of the advantages and disadvantages of each career choice.

I think the principal attraction for my joining NIBSC is the unique position it has between academia and industry which means as a research scientist you can get the best of both worlds.

There is both the freedom to pursue academically interesting research whilst applying this to important healthcare problems.

The close links to industry, academia, regulators and health professionals means that the research done at NIBSC has the potential to translate into real public health benefits.

Dr Nicola Rose, Principal Scientist

I head up a team in the Virology division, having joined the institute in 2001.

I did my PhD in the genetics department at Leicester University after which I moved on to a post-doctoral position in virology at Cambridge University.

Cambridge was an excellent place for learning. Whether it was going to a conference or chatting over a coffee about someone’s pet virus, the relationships and experience I developed there proved invaluable as I formed my own group at NIBSC.

In my time at the institute I have primarily studied viral pathogenesis and have expanded my work into the control testing of live viral vaccines as well as development of materials (standards) that support the accurate testing of vaccine efficacy.

I really enjoy the diversity of my work and the interactions with other medicines control labs as well as our partners in academic research.

To me it feels as if the role of the institute bridges that of academia and industry.

This is a major attraction of NIBSC as many posts here offer a blend of regulatory and research programmes with tangible public health benefits from the work that we do.

The expertise that comes from the broad, translational science activities is of benefit within the agency as well as for careers in related public health sectors.