Researcher/Scientist V

The University of Arizona•Tucson, AZ

11d•Onsite

About The Position

The High Throughput Biology Core at the University of Arizona is seeking a highly motivated, creative, and collaborative Researcher/Scientist V to join a rapidly growing translational drug discovery environment. In partnership with the Arizona Center for Drug Discovery, the University of Arizona Cancer Center, and other stakeholders across the university, the successful candidate will contribute to innovative drug discovery programs in various areas, including neuroscience, metabolic disease, and spanning cutting-edge bioassay design and chemical biology. Passionate, intellectually curious scientists with a strong desire to continuously learn and expand into new biological systems, technologies, and therapeutic areas are encouraged to apply. This position offers the opportunity to work across a varying portfolio of targets, assay modalities, and therapeutic areas in a highly interdisciplinary environment bridging academic innovation with industry-standard drug discovery. The candidate will play a central role in assay development, cellular engineering, high-throughput screening, hit validation, and translational biology workflows supporting projects across multiple colleges, centers, and external collaborations.

Requirements

Doctoral degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biology, Pharmacology or related field or equivalent terminal degree in a related discipline required.
Minimum of 10 years of relevant work experience, or equivalent combination of education and work experience.
Knowledge with multiple assay technologies including: TR-FRET, HTRF, AlphaLisa, enzyme activity assays, luminescence-based assays, proximity-based assay platforms.
Knowledge of high-content imaging platforms and associated image analysis software.
Extensive hands-on skills in culturing and maintaining multiple mammalian cell lines across diverse tissue types.
Ability to manage multiple parallel projects in a dynamic and fast-paced discovery environment.
Collaborative and team-oriented with strong communication and organizational skills.
Ability to independently drive projects forward while contributing effectively within multidisciplinary teams.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of cellular reporters, antibody staining, multiplexed imaging assays, phenotypic screening, and/or cell-painting approaches preferred.
Knowledge of screening and assay analysis software such as CDD Vault, Prism, JMP, Genedata, or related platforms desirable.
Experience working in drug discovery, translational research, or screening core environments.
Experience with small molecule screening libraries, hit-to-lead workflows, or medicinal chemistry support activities.
Experience with target validation strategies and translational biomarker development.
Experience integrating biological, pharmacological, and imaging datasets to support project progression.

Responsibilities

Perform complex experimental research using a diverse portfolio of targets, assay modalities and therapeutic areas to help further the advancement and discovery of new drugs.
Design, test and implement new procedures to optimize cell-based assays. Focus primarily on cellular constructs such as luc, nanoluc, BRET, nanoBRET, HiBiT, HaloTag.
Conduct complex miniaturization and scaling of multiple assay formats.
Analyze and validate multi-well assays for HTS.
Act as the lead and primary contact working closely with ACDD and UACC leadership (i) to establish timelines and milestones (ii) to provide out-facing announcements to faculty, including funding opportunities and (iii) to prepare reports and project updates in a timely fashion (iv) establish metrics of success (goals and objectives).
Partner with ORP and UACC centers and cores; for example GEMMS Core collaboration involving clients to establish cell-based assays.
Consult with research teams and PIs at project initiation.
Take primary responsibility for writing and supporting collaborative grant applications and components.
Present at seminars and workshops about the technical and strategic aspects of the field at the University, cognate institutions in southern Arizona, and be a representative at national meetings and conferences.
Speak and explain on the acceptance of new concepts, practices, and approaches in the field of drug discovery and development, particularly the importance of and approaches towards commercialization of university intellectual property.
Conduct briefings to senior leaders and act as a subject matter expert (SME) on strategic research matters.
Represent the organization externally as a thought leader in the professional discipline of academic drug discovery and development performed to industry standards.
Co-direct the automation of assays and cherry picking in collaboration with the Functional Genomics Core on automation and library selection/curation.
Utilize 96 and 384-well plate formats with automated liquid systems and compound dispensing technologies (Pintooling and Echo Acoustic dispensing).
Use high-content imaging platforms and advanced assay analysis software (CDD Vault, Prism, JMP or Genedata) to analyze and interpret complex data sets to help validate and establish HCS approaches to put in reports.