Senior Scientist - Organoid Model Development

Job description

At Orakl Oncology, we are accelerating the development of oncology treatments. Today, fewer than 5% of new cancer drugs succeed in clinical trials. Clearly, new methods are needed. We combine cutting-edge biology and AI to build the next generation of insight platforms with the world's largest cohort of patient tumor avatars. These avatars fuel our AI-powered predictive engine, helping to anticipate clinical trial outcomes, validate therapies, and uncover new drug candidates.

Our mission is simple yet ambitious: to bring more effective treatments to patients who need them — and to make drug development smarter, faster, and more personalised. We collaborate with top hospitals, research institutes, and pharmaceutical companies worldwide. Backed by leading investors, we are a fast-growing, mission-driven startup at the intersection of science and technology.

We are looking for a passionate, hands-on Senior Scientist to expand Orakl's biobank to new indications. Working with significant autonomy and reporting to Gizem Altay, Principal Scientist, you will own the establishment of patient-derived organoids from fresh surgical specimens — starting with NSCLC and extending to additional tumour types — from tissue receipt and dissociation through to stable, well-characterised lines ready for downstream applications. You will develop and optimise robust culture protocols, ensure reproducibility across donors, and generate the high-quality biological models that power our AI predictive engine and our partnerships with hospitals and pharma.

Preferred experience

Must have

• PhD in cancer biology, molecular biology, cell biology, biotechnology, or a related field, as well as 5+ years of hands-on experience, including industry or translational settings.

• Proven, hands-on experience establishing NSCLC patient-derived organoids from fresh surgical specimens — including tissue handling, dissociation, embedding, and long-term expansion.

• Strong track record in primary tumour culture, including troubleshooting low take-rates, and donor-to-donor variability and other optimization including: media formulation, matrix selection, passaging strategies, cryopreservation etc.

• Exceptional wet-lab fundamentals: sterile technique, routine culture, assay development, and QC.

• Prior experience in building scientific direction, ownership of QC/characterisation strategy, and decision-making

• Demonstrated ability to independently plan, prioritise, and execute complex experimental pipelines with high quality and reproducibility.

• Strong analytical and quantitative data-interpretation skills, with clear documentation and reporting.

Nice to have

• Direct experience collaborating with hospitals, pathology departments, or surgical teams on biospecimen workflows.

• Experience with drug-response profiling in organoids (dose–response, time-course, combination assays).

• Knowledge of molecular biology techniques and NGS workflows (WES, RNA-seq) for organoid characterisation and tumour-organoid concordance.

• Previous responsibility for managing CROs or academic collaborations.

• Experience mentoring junior scientists or lab technicians, and establishing lab standards.

What will you find at Orakl

• Mission: Work in a cutting-edge environment, on the bleeding edge of cancer research.

• Growth opportunities: we’re rapidly expanding the scope of our work and you will be offered multiple opportunities to grow with it!

• Impact: you’re going to be participating in a fast-growing, multi-faceted project with multiple opportunities to shape it according to your interests.

• More about Orakl on our Welcome to the Jungle page and on our website

Recruitment steps

1. Introduction call (20min) – An initial discussion to better understand your background, experiences, and motivations.

2. Technical Interview (45min) – A deep dive into your technical skills and expertise relevant to the role.

3. Case Interview (1h) – A case study or problem-solving exercise to assess your strategic thinking and analytical abilities. In-person when possible to meet the team.

• Reference calls - 2-3 references including at least a direct manager.

1. Culture Fit Interview (45min) – A conversation with our team to ensure alignment with our company culture, values, and ways of working.