RESEARCH ASSISTANT II - Chanda Lab

Scripps Research • San Diego, CA

1d

About The Position

The Chanda and Götte Labs at Calibr-Skaggs Institute for Innovative Medicines are seeking a highly motivated Research Assistant II to support mechanism-driven antiviral drug discovery and development. The role supports a team developing workflows to select and evaluate compounds with promising properties. The labs focus on small-molecule inhibitors of viral polymerases and use multidisciplinary approaches involving medicinal chemistry, biochemistry, structural biology, and virology. Structure-activity relationship analyses and mechanistic studies guide drug development efforts.

The position requires careful attention to detail, manual dexterity, troubleshooting ability, and flexibility in a fast-paced environment. It is based in a laboratory or vivarium environment. A letter of recommendation and/or at least one professional reference is required. Visa sponsorship is not available. The expected hiring range is $70,304 to $79,500 per year, commensurate with experience; consideration will be given to experience exceeding the listed requirements.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in biology, biochemistry, microbiology, or a related scientific discipline, with 3–5 years of relevant experience; candidates with a master’s degree require 2 or more years of experience.
• Experience working with proteins.
• Great attention to detail, manual dexterity, troubleshooting capability, and flexibility to adapt to a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• A letter of recommendation and/or at least one professional reference is required.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with polymerases or enzymes is preferred.
• Experience with antiviral assays in cell cultures is preferred.
• Experience with database interfaces and data analysis using Excel and Prism is preferred.
• Experience with automated liquid-handling instruments is a plus.
• Experience with gene expression analysis, such as RT-qPCR or NGS, is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Perform molecular cloning and/or synthetic virology.
• Express proteins in bacterial and insect cells.
• Purify proteins.
• Execute biochemical assays in gel- and plate-based formats.
• Conduct structure-activity relationship studies.
• Analyze data and document work in a laboratory notebook.

Benefits

• Employer-contributed retirement plan, subject to eligibility, with no required employee contribution.
• Option to contribute to a 403(b) plan.
• Medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability, and employee assistance program plans.
• Flexible spending accounts for medical and dependent care.
• Competitive vacation and sick leave policies.
• Free on-site parking.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level