Senior Scientist, Protein and Structural Chemistry

Job Description

This position within our company’s Protein and Structural Chemistry (PSC) group in the Discovery Chemistry Department will support drug discovery through the use of atomic resolution macromolecular single particle CryoEM and X-ray crystallography to determine the structures of therapeutically important drug targets to accelerate the discovery of new medicines.

We are seeking a creative, self-motivated structural biologist with exceptional interpersonal and problem-solving skills to join our growing PSC group in Rahway, New Jersey headquarters, USA. PSC is a diverse and inclusive team of approximately 40 structural biologists that collaborate closely with medicinal and computational chemists, informaticians, mass spectrometrists, biophysicists, and protein scientists who employ state of the art capabilities to drive drug design.

The successful candidate will be responsible for all aspects of the experimental process from sample preparation and data collection through data processing, structure determination, as well as the effective communication of structural analyses with key stakeholders. Additionally, the candidate will work proactively with colleagues in Modeling & Informatics, Discovery Chemistry, Screening and Compound Profiling, and Mass Spectrometry and Biophysics, and will also be expected to identify and manage internal and external scientific partnerships, as necessary.

Our research team occupies newly renovated lab and office space within our vibrant research campus in Rahway, New Jersey, our company’s headquarters. Our new labs are equipped with state-of-the-art labs for cryoEM grid preparation, crystallization, data collection at synchrotron facilities and three microscopes for single particle reconstruction and cryo-electron tomography.

Productive and collaborative interactions with other members of our global, cross-functional department are required in this role. Inclusive and collaborative use of internal expertise and resources will be essential to success. The successful candidate is expected to foster and contribute to a diverse workforce where colleagues and partners feel comfortable bringing their unique perspectives to work.

The position requires active interaction with the external scientific community to continually improve scientific understanding, including presentations at external meetings.

There is an expectation for periodic travel.

Education:

• Ph.D. in structural biology, biochemistry, or related discipline and relevant experience

Required Experience and Skills:

• Demonstrated experience in a broad range of activities for X-ray crystallography, including crystallization screening and optimization, crystal harvesting, data collection, and structure determination
• Demonstrated experience in a broad range of activities for atomic resolution single particle CryoEM, including sample preparation, data collection, image processing and structure determination
• Excellent written and oral communication skills that enhance team-based progress and application of those skills both within and outside the department to ensure the maximum understanding of program status for therapeutic area project teams and management
• Demonstrated organizational skills
• Ability to work effectively and flexibly within timelines
• Ability and track record of preparing peer-reviewed publications

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Experience with structure determination of small molecule protein complexes and multi-subunit protein complexes
• Experience with fragment-based lead identification, including primary X-ray fragment screening
• Experience with automation for x-ray crystallography (Mosquito, NT8, etc.)
• In-depth knowledge of current biophysical and functional characterization methods (e.g. SPR, thermal shift, ligand-binding, and calorimetric assays) to guide construct design and optimization
• Experience using computational tools for protein engineering and design
• Experience with scientific programming (e.g. Python) and interest in the application of computational tools to answer structural biology questions
• Ability to manage multiple projects and subsequent prioritization

NOTICE FOR INTERNAL APPLICANTS

In accordance with Managers' Policy - Job Posting and Employee Placement, all employees subject to this policy are required to have a minimum of twel