Associate Scientist I: Cell Engager Therapies: Invivo Tumor Biologist

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Job Description

Are you looking for a patient-focused, innovation-driven company that will inspire you and empower you to shine?

At Takeda, we are transforming the pharmaceutical industry through our R&D-driven market leadership and being a values-led company. To do this, we empower our people to realize their potential through life-changing work. Certified as a Global Top Employer, we offer stimulating careers, encourage innovation, and strive for excellence in everything we do. We foster an inclusive, collaborative workplace, in which our global teams are united by an unwavering commitment to deliver Better Health and a Brighter Future to people around the world.

Here, you will be a vital contributor to our inspiring, bold mission.

Takeda is proud in its commitment to creating a diverse workforce and providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, parental status, national origin, age, disability, citizenship status, genetic information or characteristics, marital status, status as a Vietnam era veteran, special disabled veteran, or other protected veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws, and any other characteristic protected by law.

OBJECTIVES/PURPOSE

The Cell Engager team of the Oncology DDU is looking for a Associate Scientist to join a highly collaborative and dynamic team. You will be responsible for the discovery and development of novel therapeutics in the T cell engager space supporting new and ongoing pipeline programs using the COBRA platform. You will work with project leaders and help build critical path activities demonstrated research skills in immuno-oncology drug discovery or translational sciences. You should have a foundation in redirected T cell immunity and hands-on experience in their evaluation in both in vitro and in vivo pre-clinical models of cancer. You will apply immunological MOAs to characterize and develop multi specific cell engager molecules aligned with COBRA platform using in vitro and in vivo methodologies as an important member of the Cell Engager and broader drug discovery unit. As an essential member of the team, you will be responsible for target validation, assessing therapeutic concepts and strategy of various immune engager molecules and advancing development candidates and IND. You will require you to be hands-on. You will collaborate and demonstrate documentation of results with key stakeholders in in the ODDU (IOI, C2H) GB, DSRE, DMPK, Translational teams and CTI.

ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Design and execute human and mouse T cell based functional assays to understand MOA of novel cell engager molecules to support in vivo data findings
• Design, develop and validate in vivo mouse tumor model studies to confirm the mechanism of action of therapeutic candidates.
• Participate in analysis of in vivo studies to help establish PK / PD / efficacy relationships.
• Support target validation and biomarker discovery.
• Conduct in vitro characterization and selection of therapeutic candidates, including target tumor antigen expression, T cell immunophenotyping, T cell dependent cytotoxicity and cytokine release.
• Immunophenotyping and gene profiling experiments using a variety of techniques including mRNA profiling, multicolor flow cytometry
• Co-ordinates in vivo studies with CROs and establish new protocols where necessary
• Genetically manipulate mammalian cell lines and primary immune cells with standard molecular biology techniques including Lentiviral transduction systems and genome editing technology such as CRISPR
• Execute experiments with minimum supervision and deliver comprehensive high quality data sets to enable decision making
• Identify state of the art experimental protocols and relevant IO models and assays
• Keep up with published literature centered around cancer targets and IO therapies relevant to the Takeda's CE strategy
• Identify, plans and execute well defined scientific projects and communicate program strategy and timelines to management.
• Use relevant information, technology and resources, contributing to complex team problem resolution and objectives
• Interpret results of complex experiments
• Prepares and presents comprehensive technical or project reports and formal presentations / posters to full range of internal/external audiences
• Maintain laboratory notebooks and follow laboratory practices in compliance

DIMENSIONS AND ASPECTS

Technical/Functional (Line) Expertise

• Demonstrate theoretical knowledge of cell engager platforms
• Keeps current with latest trends in immune cell engagers for application in cancer therapy
• Able to clarify requests and provide suggestions and put data into context especially in context of assay design and quality of data
• Demonstrate in-depth technical knowledge within various assay development platforms

Leadership

• Independently investigate new immunological techniques, that can be applied to team projects
• Serve as the in vitro immunobiology lead on projects providing key scientific feedback to advance programs in a matrixed environment.

Decision-making and Autonomy

• Independently manage own workload
• Scientifically independent
• Provide information to project teams to influence direction, align with departmental goals and business

Interaction

• Conduct scientific presentations to internal audiences
• Collaborate with others across sites, and acts as scientific resource for in vitro pharmacology
• Participates in and supervises external interactions and collaborations with companies and academic research groups and potential collaborator

Innovation

• Expected to participate in new target identification / validation process
• Strive towards expanding scientific knowledge in immunology
• Receive high level instructions on work; determine methods on new assignments; demonstrated greater independence; may manage interns

EDUCATION, BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS:

• MS with 5+ BS with 8+ years experience (industry experience preferred), Cellular Immunology, Immuno-oncology, T cell biology, pharmacology.
• Current knowledge of oncology research, drug discovery and development with an emphasis on immune cell activation, checkpoint blockade, and markers for anti-tumor efficacy
• Experience culturing and maintaining human tumor cell lines and primary human cells T cells, with best practices in tissue culture is essential.
• Experience in mouse tumor model systems (syngeneic, xenograft and PDXs) is required
• Experience with biologics is required (Antibodies, ADCs, Cell therapies )
• Hands -on basic experience with multi-color flow cytometry, molecular biology techniques (PCR, Gibson assembly, cloning ), ELISA, MSD and other standard cell based and non-cell based biochemical assays
• Have deep understanding of T cell cytotoxicity and functional assays applied in Immuno-oncology and cancer therapeutics.
• Experience in molecular biology and biochemical techniques such as western blot, molecular cloning, qPCR.
• Experience with immunohistochemistry and fluorescence microscopy is desired
• Use of scientific databases and application for data management and data analysis (Graph Pad Prism, Soft Max Pro,, FlowJo etc)

LOCATION & TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS:

• This role is considered a hybrid position and you must be able to work onsite in Cambridge, MA on average 2-3 days per week.

WHAT TAKEDA CAN OFFER YOU:

• 401(k) with company match and Annual Retirement Contribution Plan
• Tuition reimbursement Company match of charitable contributions
• Health & Wellness programs including onsite flu shots and health screenings
• Generous time off for vacation and the option to purchase additional vacation days
• Community Outreach Programs

Effective November 1, 2021, absent an approved religious or medical reason, all US office-based and lab-based Takeda employees who work fully on-site or in a hybrid model (as determined by Takeda) must be fully vaccinated to work at a Takeda site or to engage with Takeda colleagues or anyone else on behalf of Takeda. As of the same date, absent an approved religious or medical reason, US field-based employees, employees must be fully vaccinated in order to continue in their current roles. US employees who work at a Takeda manufacturing facility, and those who work at a BioLife center or BioLife lab, may be subject to different guidelines. Candidates are encouraged to speak with their recruiter to seek further information on the applicable guidelines for the Business Unit/Function for which they have applied.

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EEO Statement

Takeda is proud in its commitment to creating a diverse workforce and providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, parental status, national origin, age, disability, citizenship status, genetic information or characteristics, marital status, status as a Vietnam era veteran, special disabled veteran, or other protected veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws, and any other characteristic protected by law.

Locations

Boston, MA

Worker Type

Employee

Worker Sub-Type

Regular

Time Type

Full time