Principal Scientist - In Vitro Pharmacology - Assay Development and Screening

Principal Scientist – In Vitro Pharmacology – Assay Development and Screening

Location:

Lexington, MA, US

Facility:
Research

As the Principal Scientist – In Vitro Pharmacology, you will develop cell-based assays for emerging targets and conduct functional screening of drug candidates to guide candidate design and selection. Your work will span small molecules, peptides, proteins, drug conjugates, and occasionally oligonucleotides, contributing to early screening strategy, execution, and technology adoption for high-throughput screening and mechanistic biology. You will execute, document, and interpret experimental procedures in line with FAIR data principles, and you may serve as a project lead or subject‑specific coordinator.

Collaboration with scientists across the R&D hub and global project teams will be critical, and responsibilities may include mentoring junior staff and managing external collaborations with CROs, biotech companies, and academic groups.

• Advances research projects by applying broad knowledge of early drug discovery.
• Supports target validation and maturation, conducts mode‑of‑action studies and high‑throughput screening in collaboration with therapeutic area scientists, chemists, formulation scientists, data stewards, and other stakeholders.
• Designs and executes early screening strategies to identify lead candidates with desired pharmacological profiles.
• Develops, validates, and implements in‑vitro assay technologies from molecular design of genetically encoded biosensors through cell line engineering and assay validation.
• Stays updated on the latest scientific advancements and technologies; evaluates, sources and implements novel tools and methodologies suitable for studying ligand binding, evaluating target engagement, and characterizing pharmacodynamic properties of drug candidates.
• Provides expert guidance on the design and selection of drug candidates, ensuring alignment with target product profile in relevant potency and selectivity bioassays.
• Analyzes, interprets and communicates data from in‑vitro studies to provide insights and recommendations internally and externally, including regulatory submissions.
• Ensures data integrity so that the in‑vitro pharmacology area abides by FAIR data standards, furnishing project teams with high‑quality data in a timely fashion to enable efficient decision‑making and long‑term data repurposing and machine learning ambitions.
• Leads projects, manages collaborations and coordinates cross‑functional teams to achieve strategic objectives, integrating insights from in‑vitro pharmacology with other related disciplines to inform data‑driven drug development processes.
• Recognized as an expert within the organization and externally, represents the organization and provides guidance within the field of expertise to project teams and scientific leadership.
• Contributes to the strategic direction of the team and organizational area by providing insights and recommendations within and beyond subject‑matter expertise.
• Actively contributes to building a psychologically and physically safe work environment; fosters a culture of continuous learning and development within the team, integrity, cooperativity, and mutual respect across the organization.
• Serves as a mentor for peers and supervises junior staff members as required.

• Master’s Degree with 12 years of experience, or a PhD with 8 years of relevant experience; a degree within pharmacological, biological or biochemical sciences preferred.
• Profound understanding of molecular pharmacology principles and practical experience working with cutting‑edge in‑vitro screening technologies.
• Hands‑on experience in developing and improving in‑vitro cell‑based models and detection systems for pharmacodynamic studies and high‑throughput screening.
• Broad understanding of pharmaceutical industry dynamics and drug discovery processes in a matrix organization from ideation to lead candidate selection.
• Proven experience in leading/managing complex projects of strategic importance, including managing relationships with external partners (CROs, biotech companies, academic groups).
• Track…