Scientist - II (Associate)

AllSTEM Connections; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

AllSTEM Connections is seeking a lab-based biochemistry/biophysics assay scientist for the Biochemistry and Biophysics Group at MRL-Boston. The role requires BS/BA with 1–5 years or MS with 2+ years industry experience, focusing on assay development and compound profiling in a drug-discovery setting.

Responsibilities include developing and running quantitative assays, studying ligand interactions, data analysis, troubleshooting, and collaboration with a small team in a larger department.

Qualifications

• BS/BA with 1–5 years industry experience or MS with 2+ years in assay development and compound profiling.
• Experience with basic biochemical and biophysical techniques; strong communication; team player.

Responsibilities

• Develop and run quantitative biochemical and biophysical assays to support HTS and medicinal chemistry efforts.
• Conduct studies to elucidate ligand interaction modes and mechanisms of action on target proteins.

Skills

Biochemistry

Biophysics

Molecular biology

Data analysis

Spreadsheets

Databases

Team player

Communication skills

Independence after training

Education

BS/BA in biochemistry/biophysics or related

MS in biochemistry/biophysics or related

Tools

Echo

Bravo

Biomek

Hamilton

Spotfire

Excel

PowerPoint

GraphPad Prism

Job description

• BS/BA degree in biochemistry, biophysics or a related discipline with a minimum of 1-5 years industry experience; or a MS degree in biochemistry, biophysics or a related discipline with 2 or more years of industry experience, preferably with a focus on assay development and compound profiling within a drug discovery environment.

Required Skills:

• Candidate should have basic knowledge of biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology
• Candidate should have prior experience with basic biochemical and/or biophysical techniques
• Candidate should be highly motivated, driven, and willing to take the initiative to learn new scientific methodologies
• Candidate should be a strong team player
• Candidate should have excellent oral and written communication skills
• Candidate should be comfortable using a PC computer and proficient in Windows-based operating systems and basic applications for data analysis, such as spreadsheets and databases

Preferred Attributes:

• Proven ability to independently design, develop and implement biochemical and biophysical screening assays using detection modalities such as: TR-FRET, FP, LC-MS, radiochemical, surface plasmon resonance (BIAcore), fluorescence-based thermal shift (TdF), and/or isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC).
• Hands-on experience performing steady-state and transient-state kinetic experiments to study enzymes and inhibitors.
• Experience in the use of automated liquid handlers such as Echo, Bravo, Biomek, or Hamilton and data analysis and presentation software such as TIBCO Spotfire, Excel and PowerPoint.

Key Notes:

• The role is for a lab-facing biophysics/biochemical assay position, and the team needs someone who can ramp up quickly rather than a fresh graduate.
• Key assay experience to prioritize includes TR-FRET/FRET, ADP-Glo, fluorescence polarization, and similar biochemical assay formats; ELISA is less relevant for this role.
• Liquid handling experience is nice to have, not required; the specific instrumentation is considered trainable, and basic pipetting/instrument awareness is sufficient.
• Ideal candidates should have approximately 3-5 years of industry experience.
• No PhD candidates.
• The day-to-day work is primarily lab-based, involving routine assay execution, data analysis, documentation, troubleshooting, and communication of unusual results to the team.
• The candidate should be fairly independent after training, but collaboration will be needed for less routine experiments or troubleshooting.
• Helpful software experience includes TIBCO Spotfire and GraphPad Prism; other Merck-specific tools can be trained.
• The biophysics group is relatively small, about 12 people, within a larger Boston department of around 95 people and a global department of roughly 350-400 people.

Responsibilities

This is an exciting opportunity in the Biochemistry and Biophysics Group within the Department of Pharmacology at MRL-Boston. The successful candidate is expected to:

• Develop and/or run quantitative biochemical and biophysical assays to support identification, characterization, and optimization of small molecule ligands from high throughput screening campaigns and medicinal chemistry efforts.
• Conduct biochemical and biophysical studies to elucidate the modes of ligand interaction and mechanisms of action on target proteins.