Senior Research Scientist, Lung Cell Biology

Job Description

Vertex Pharmaceuticals is seeking a highly motivated Senior Research Scientist to support early drug discovery in the Molecular & Cell Biology group in San Diego. The scientist will develop and validate translational, primary human lung cell models and drive cross-functional efforts towards a drug discovery campaign. The ideal candidate will have a solid background in lung biology, be well versed in primary cell culture and be able to communicate effectively with colleagues in pharmacology, protein sciences, and computational genomics. Day to day duties will include primary cell culture in 2D & 3D formats, model characterization and validation using mRNA and protein analyses as well as imaging techniques. The candidate requires excellent communication and organizational skills to succeed in a fast-paced, collaborative laboratory environment.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Designs and performs technically challenging experiments
• Distills complicated, multidimensional data to clear hypotheses and new experimental directions
• Prioritizes own studies within Projects and balances activities across Projects effectively
• Performs advanced experimental troubleshooting and methods development
• "Multi-tasks" to a modest degree and effectively manages efforts on multiple targets or themes
• Innovates on research methodology, in order to address more important questions
• Scours relevant scientific literature within field and surveys broadly beyond own discipline/field
• "Imports" new principles/concepts from other fields to develop useful new experimental approaches
• Researches external intellectual property relevant to Project(s) and areas of pursuit
• Contributes substantively to patent and publication preparation
• Performs other duties as assigned

Knowledge and Skills:

• Ability to design and execute more challenging experiments, including target identification, validation, and mechanistic investigation in disease-relevant contexts. A broad working knowledge of fundamental biology principles.
• Demonstrates astute understanding of how to deploy own talents most effectively
• Maintains a broad knowledge of relevant science beyond own discrete field(s)
• Demonstrates increased fluency in new fields and projects more quickly and generally handles "multi-tasking" better
• Displays greater ability to productively disseminate ideas across discipline- and Project-boundaries
• Communicates more effectively in verbal presentations and in writing technical reports
• Demonstrates ability to solve problems to attain crucial Project goals

Education and Experience:

• PhD in Lung Cell Biology or related field and 2-5+ years of relevant post doc experience or
• Masters Degree (or equivalent degree) in molecular biology, cell biology, biochemistry, or related disciplines and 5+ years of relevant employment experience, or
• Bachelors Degree (or equivalent degree) in molecular biology, cell biology, biochemistry, or related disciplines and 8+ years of relevant employment experience
• Experience in primary cell culture, particularly epithelial cells
• Experience with cell-based assay development and/or validation
• Diligence and impeccable attention to detail
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• A desire to be part of a highly innovative company aimed at transforming the lives of people with serious diseases, their families and society

Company Information

Vertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation.

Vertex is committed to equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to a person's race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, marital status, or any characteristic protected under applicable law. Vertex is an E-Verify Employer in the United States. Vertex will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities, in accordance with applicable law.

Please note that Vertex requires COVID-19 vaccination for all employees working in the U.S. as a condition of employment at Vertex, subject to medical, religious or other accommodations or exemptions required by law. We believe this requirement is vital to keeping everyone at Vertex and in our communities safe. This requirement applies to both existing and new employees who may at any time work on-site at a Vertex facility or visit another location on behalf of Vertex (e.g., conferences, customer visits, etc.), including all remote employees. Any applicant requiring an accommodation in connection with the hiring process and/or to perform the essential functions of the position for which the applicant has applied should make a request to the recruiter or hiring manager, or contact Talent Acquisition at ApplicationAssistance@vrtx.com.

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