Principal Scientist - In Vitro Pharmacology - Assay Development and Screening

About the Department

Our Research & Development organization brings together the best minds in life science innovation. The teams located in Lexington, Watertown, Cambridge and Plainsboro reflect the full R&D continuum, from early research through late‑stage clinical development. We are building a distinct R&D community based on collaboration, partnerships and cutting‑edge research across multiple modalities and therapeutic areas. We recognize that improving human health starts here and that patients rely on us.

Our R&D hub merges biotech speed and agility with large pharmaceutical company quality, resources and stability, uniting the best of both worlds to develop new medicines for patients.

Principal Scientist – In Vitro Pharmacology responsible for developing cell‑based assays for emerging targets and for functional screening of drug candidates to guide candidate design and selection across diverse modalities (small molecules, peptides, proteins, drug conjugates and occasionally oligonucleotides). Provide early‐screening strategy and execution to identify hits and lead candidates with desired in vitro potency, efficacy and selectivity. Evaluate and implement new bioassay techniques and in‑vitro pharmacology protocols, recommending acquisition and application of instrumentation and technologies within high‑throughput screening and mechanistic biology.

Demonstrate subject‑matter knowledge throughout early‑stage drug discovery and support other scientific disciplines in applied drug research. Develop, execute and document experimental procedures, ensuring data interpretation, processing and storage adhere to FAIR data principles. Lead experiment teams, set timelines, manage collaborations with external partners (CROs, biotech companies, academic groups) and present results to department, site and global project teams. Mentor junior team members as required.

Operate independently with minimal guidance, solving high‑complexity problems and driving innovation in cell‑based pharmacology.

• Work closely with researchers and scientific leadership within Greater Boston R&D Hub and global research sites.
• Collaborate with the Chemical Biology team and other US R&D Hub teams.
• Engage external research collaborators, both academia and industry, representing the department and project team.

• Advance research projects by applying broad knowledge of early drug discovery.
• Support target validation and maturation, conduct mode‑of‑action studies and high‑throughput screening in collaboration with colleagues from therapeutic areas, chemistry, formulation, data stewardship and other stakeholders.
• Design and execute early screening strategies to identify lead candidates with desired pharmacological profiles.
• Develop, validate and implement in‑vitro assay technologies from genetically encoded biosensors to cell‑line engineering and assay validation.
• Stay updated on latest scientific advancements and technologies; evaluate, source and implement novel tools and methodologies for ligand binding, target engagement and pharmacodynamic characterization.
• Provide expert guidance on drug candidate design and selection, ensuring alignment with target product profile in potency and selectivity bioassays.
• Analyze, interpret and communicate data from in‑vitro studies to provide insights and recommendations internally and externally, including regulatory submissions.
• Ensure data integrity so the in‑vitro pharmacology area abides by FAIR data standards, furnishing high‑quality data to enable efficient decision‑making and long‑term data repurposing.
• Lead projects, manage collaborations and coordinate cross‑functional teams to achieve strategic objectives, integrating insights from in‑vitro pharmacology with other disciplines to inform data‑driven drug development.
• Represent the organization and provide guidance within the field of expertise to project teams and scientific leadership.
• Contribute to the strategic direction of the team and organizational area by providing insights and recommendations beyond core expertise.
• Actively contribute to building a psychologically and physically safe work…