Senior Associate Scientist – Viral Vaccines & Immunology
PfizerAbout the role
Use Your Power for Purpose
At Pfizer, our purpose is to deliver breakthroughs that change patients’ lives. As a Senior Associate Scientist Biology, you will be at the forefront of our mission, contributing to the development of innovative therapies and vaccines that have the potential to transform patient care. Reporting to the Research & Development division, you will leverage advanced science and cutting-edge technologies to make a tangible impact on global health. Your work will be instrumental in ensuring drug safety and efficacy, supporting clinical trials, and accelerating the delivery of top-tier medicines to patients worldwide.
What You Will Achieve
In this role, you will:
Conduct various assays to monitor immune responses elicited by vaccine candidates and document laboratory work involving bio-functional assays thoroughly
Maintain cell lines, process red blood cells weekly, and prepare samples for testing, assisting with molecular and virology work
Generate plasmid constructs for RNA and reverse genetic virus stocks, optimizing RNA vaccines
Ensure compliance with SOP guidelines, cGLP, and/or cGMP guidelines, and execute qualifications and validations of new instruments and custom methods
Contribute to work group goals, collaborate with team members, and participate as a team member
Prioritize work to meet project deadlines, apply technical skills to assignments, and organize work according to departmental priorities
Choose between alternatives to solve moderately complex problems, follow procedures with general instructions, and work under moderate supervision with regular review
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, and manage manual and robotic sample preparation
Identify and report experimental problems, troubleshoot causative factors, implement necessary corrections after discussing with the supervisor, and train other analysts on established technologies while managing direct reports
Qualifications
Must Have
BA/BS with at least 2 to 4 years of experience or MBA/MS with 0 to 3 years of experience
Hands-on experience in cell culture and cell-based assays
Proficiency in using relevant software for data analysis
Fundamental laboratory skills, including quantitative-PCR, molecular biology, western blotting, biochemical assays, and tissue processing
Strong background in experimental design and result interpretation
Effective verbal and written communication skills
Proficiency in using personal computers for word processing, Excel, PowerPoint, and scientific software
Nice to Have
Hands-on experience with mammalian cell culture and flow cytometry
Practical knowledge in cell culture techniques and flow cytometry analysis
Experience in drug discovery processes
Expertise in maintaining and manipulating cell lines for experimental purposes
Proficiency in analyzing cell populations and their characteristics
Strong problem-solving skills
Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment
Excellent organizational and time management skills
PHYSICAL/MENTAL REQUIREMENTS
Basic laboratory training in aseptic technique is essential.
Ability to work with infectious agents safely.
Standard laboratory conditions and computer work– sitting, standing.
This position may require the ability to stand and reach inside the hardware environment of various laboratory robotic equipment.
Math skills for basic laboratory calculations.
NON-STANDARD WORK SCHEDULE, TRAVEL OR ENVIRONMENT REQUIREMENTS
Work Location Assignment: On Premise
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