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Senior Associate Scientist, Fibrosis

Employer
Pfizer
Location
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Salary
Competitive
Closing date
Sep 27, 2022

View more

Discipline
Physical Sciences, Chemistry
Position Type
Full Time
Job Type
Staff Scientist
Organization Type
All Industry, Pharma
Why Patients Need You

Pfizer's purpose is to deliver breakthroughs that change patients' lives. Research and Development is at the heart of fulfilling Pfizer's purpose as we work to translate advanced science and technologies into the therapies and vaccines that matter most. Whether you are in the discovery sciences, ensuring drug safety and efficacy or supporting clinical trials, you will apply cutting edge design and process development capabilities to accelerate and bring the best in class medicines to patients around the world.

What You Will Achieve

As a Senior Associate Scientist, you will be at the center of our operations and you'll find that everything we do, every day, is in line with an unwavering commitment to quality. You will be responsible for supporting the preclinical evaluation and early clinical development of candidate viral vaccines. You will perform various assays to monitor the immune responses elicited by vaccine candidates and maintaining cell lines, weekly processing of red blood cells, and preparing samples for testing. You will also assist with molecular and virology work to generate plasmid constructs for RNA and reverse genetic virus stocks plus optimizing RNA vaccines. Your skills and expertise will ensure that all work is to be done in a compliant manner according to relevant Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) guidelines and Good Lab Practices cGLP and/or (Current) Good Manufacturing Practices (part of GxP) cGMP guidelines.

Your significant experience of applying knowledge of principles, concepts, and practices of the discipline will make you a critical member of the team. You are proactive in contributing to all team discussions and creating an environment of collaboration.

It is your hard work and focus that will help in making Pfizer ready to achieve new milestones and help patients across the globe.

How You Will Achieve It

  • Contribute to achievement of immediate work group goals and collaborate with other team members.
  • Satisfactorily completes all cGLP (current Good Laboratory Practices) and safety training in conformance with requirements.
  • Perform sample preparation for preclinical and clinical serology in biofunctional assays to support vaccine development and clinical studies.
  • Complete required documentation for laboratory work involving bio-functional assays.
  • Execute qualifications/validations of new instruments and custom methods.
  • Organize assigned work according to established departmental priorities.
  • Collaborate with the Primary Pharmacology Group to ensure alignment around assay technology selection, assay quality criteria and validation requirements.
  • Interact with external vendors to obtain quotes, and purchase reagents for clinical testing where applicable.
  • Identify and report any experimental problems, proactively troubleshoot causative factors, and implement necessary corrections following discussion with supervisor.
  • Manage manual and robotic sample preparation, use and maintenance of appropriate equipment, and preparation of relevant reagents.
  • Train other analysts on established technologies and manage direct reports.


Role Summary

The Discovery Fibrosis Group in the Inflammation and Immunology Research Unit (I&I) is looking for a motivated, innovative and enthusiastic researcher to join our group in studying the interplay between macrophages and fibrosis and developing novel therapeutics for the treatment of fibrotic diseases. This Senior Associate Scientist will work in a matrix structure within the department supporting both in vitro and in/ex vivo studies that investigate mechanisms for fibrosis and novel targets and assets for the Discovery Fibrosis Group. The ideal candidate will have an immunology background and the drive to learn new assays and technics. The candidate will be a key contributor in delivering data and recommendations for decisions of proposed and active fibrosis programs.

The Senior Associate Scientist will support a cross-disciplinary team of scientists focusing on inflammation and fibrosis. The team collaborates across research units to develop novel therapeutics at the intersection between immunology and these respective disciplines. He/She will help conduct experiments in breaking areas of science, collaborate with others to employ cutting edge technologies including high-parameter flow cytometry, optical microscopy, high content screening, systems immunology and single cell RNA techniques.

Role Responsibilities

  • Isolate monocytes and differentiate macrophages through cytokine stimulation for analysis using multiparametric assays to inform target decision.
  • Run high-parameter flow cytometry for target validation, drug screening, assay development, and technological advancement.
  • Run high-parameter tissue imaging to validate target expression and determine cell components and localization.
  • Support ex vivo studies as needed within Fibrosis Group through isolation of cells from tissues for analysis using multiparametric assays including flow cytometry, histology, and biochemical assays.
  • Collaborate with other Discovery and Preclinical groups in I&I as well as key individuals in relevant partner lines.
  • Maintain high quality experimental records within electronic laboratory notebook.


Qualifications

Must-Have
  • Bachelor's Degree
  • 3+ years of experience in cell culture and cell based assays
  • Ability to use appropriate software to perform analysis of data
  • Basic laboratory skills in the area of quantitative-PCR, molecular biology, western blotting, biochemical assays and tissue processing
  • Experience with experimental design and the interpretation of results
  • Effective verbal and written communication skills
  • Proficiency with personal computers, including word processing, Excel, PowerPoint and relevant scientific software
  • Must be scientifically self- motivated and capable of independently conceiving, conducting, and critically analyzing their own innovative research with minimal supervision.
  • Experience with primary culture of human and murine monocytes.
  • Experience with differentiation and polarization of macrophages.
  • Experience with cell isolation from tissue.
  • Experience with high-parameter flow cytometry. Spectral flow cytometry preferred.
  • Experience with high-parameter immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence.
  • Experience with immunological assays.
  • Experience with assay development methodologies.
  • Knowledge in molecular biology.
  • Ability to conduct data analysis using Microsoft Excel, GraphPad Prism, FlowJo, or equivalent software. Experience in R preferred.
  • Ability to complete experiments and present results in individual and group settings.
  • Ability to learn novel skills and flourish in a highly-matrixed organization as well as work well within multidisciplinary teams.
  • Ability to make recommendations to effectively resolve issues by using sound judgment that is consistent with standards, practices, policies, procedures, and regulations.
  • Proven verbal and written communication skills, and the ability to work in a collaborative team environment


Nice-to-Have
  • Hands-on experience with mammalian cell culture and flow cytometry
  • Drug discovery experience
  • Experience with key techniques and protocols such as histology, imaging, nucleic acid isolation, high parameter flow cytometry, qPCR, and ELISAs.
  • Ability to adapt quickly and triage new targets that arise from ongoing discovery efforts in the group.
  • Willingness and ability to learn and apply new techniques.


Non-Standard Work Schedule, Travel, Or Environment Requirements
  • Work Location Assignment:On Premise


#LI-PFE

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Pfizer requires all U.S. new hires to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 prior to the first date of employment. As required by applicable law, Pfizer will consider requests for Reasonable Accommodations.

Sunshine Act

Pfizer reports payments and other transfers of value to health care providers as required by federal and state transparency laws and implementing regulations. These laws and regulations require Pfizer to provide government agencies with information such as a health care provider's name, address and the type of payments or other value received, generally for public disclosure. Subject to further legal review and statutory or regulatory clarification, which Pfizer intends to pursue, reimbursement of recruiting expenses for licensed physicians may constitute a reportable transfer of value under the federal transparency law commonly known as the Sunshine Act. Therefore, if you are a licensed physician who incurs recruiting expenses as a result of interviewing with Pfizer that we pay or reimburse, your name, address and the amount of payments made currently will be reported to the government. If you have questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact your Talent Acquisition representative.

EEO & Employment Eligibility

Pfizer is committed to equal opportunity in the terms and conditions of employment for all employees and job applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, gender identity or gender expression, national origin, disability or veteran status. Pfizer also complies with all applicable national, state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements of the Immigration and Nationality Act and IRCA. Pfizer is an E-Verify employer.

Research and Development

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