Research Associate II - Center for the Development of Therapeutics (CDoT)

The Broad Institute•Cambridge, MA

7d•$58,000 - $80,667•Onsite

About The Position

Embedded within the Broad Institute , the Center for the Development of Therapeutics (CDoT) is a highly collaborative organization of professional drug discovery scientists. Our mission is to translate cutting-edge biological insights originating from the Broad community into impactful drug discovery projects. We partner with faculty from MIT, Harvard, and the Harvard teaching hospitals, along with industry partners in pharmaceutical, biotechnology and venture capital firms to validate druggable targets and identify leads. We combine our deep expertise in drug discovery with the knowledge and unique capabilities of the Broad Institute to address a wide range of disease areas (including oncology, cardiovascular, psychiatry, infectious and rare diseases). We use systematic approaches in genomics, biology, chemistry, and machine learning coupled with the Broad's culture of creativity, risk-taking, and open sharing, to successfully advance science and develop new treatments for patients. We are seeking an energetic and motivated Research Associate to be part of CDoT's Rapid Automated Binder Identification Technology (RABIT) platform. The ideal candidate is passionate about technology development and deeply appreciates operational efficiency, with a strong desire to work at scale using automation. Essential experience includes creating and utilizing affinity reagents (such as antibodies, scFvs, or nanobodies) across various display technologies (e.g., phage, yeast, or ribosome). The successful candidate will work closely with antibody engineers, automation engineers, biophysicists, data scientists, machine learning engineers, and subject matter experts to align and execute on platform goals. This position is a unique opportunity to help build a high-impact capability within the Broad.

Requirements

B.S./B.A. degree in Molecular or Cellular Biology or related field with 2+ years of experience or M.S with 0+ years of experience
Experience in affinity reagent discovery and/or engineering
Experience in biophysical and cellular characterization of affinity reagents
Strategic mindset and desire to constantly improve the status quo
Strong analytical skills and the ability to work as part of a multidisciplinary team
Flexibility and adaptability to respond to a dynamic research environment
Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills

Nice To Haves

Additional experience in protein science is a plus, but not required.
Experience with automated liquid handlers is preferred.

Responsibilities

Expertise in protein expression such as cell-free in vitro transcription/translation.
Identification, generation, production, and characterization (binding affinity, epitope binning, and functional characterization) of affinity reagents.
Familiarity with tasks such as DNA library preparation, assessment of protein Quality Control (QC) and analytical Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC).
Experience with NGS sample preparation and the use of sequencers (Illumina, etc.).
Effective time management skills that would enable effective scheduling and coordination of our high-throughput process.
Ability to identify technical and or methodological issues in a scientific protocol or process.
Attention to detail, the ability to reproduce existing protocols, and tracking performance metrics is critical.
Maintain a scientific lab notebook to record all experimental work
Present work clearly to leadership.