Scientist II, Lead Generation Biology

Neurocrine Biosciences • San Diego, CA

15h

About The Position

Neurocrine Biosciences is seeking an integral member of its Lead Generation Biology team to design, optimize, execute, and troubleshoot complex biochemical and cell-based assays across multiple discovery projects. The role has significant hands-on responsibility for establishing robust routine assays in biologically relevant cell systems, generating high-quality and reproducible data, and quantitatively analyzing and summarizing results to inform project decisions.

The successful candidate will communicate findings and recommendations to biology and multidisciplinary project teams, contribute scientific insight to experimental strategy and next steps, and provide relevant subject matter expertise to supported projects. The role works across a broad range of assay technologies, platforms, and automated equipment in a collaborative, dynamic environment, and contributes to process efficiency and research quality.

Neurocrine Biosciences is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing treatments for neurological, psychiatric, endocrine, and immunological disorders.

Requirements

• BS/BA degree in a scientific field and 4+ years of in vitro pharmacology experience; or MS/MA degree in a scientific field and 2+ years of similar experience; or a PhD in biology or a related field with some similar experience.
• Experience developing, optimizing, and routinely executing cell-based and biochemical assays.
• Ability to work effectively across functions and build productive scientific partnerships with disease-biology and project-team colleagues.
• Ability to independently plan and execute experiments while balancing routine assay delivery, assay optimization, and multiple project priorities.
• Ability to analyze complex data, translate experimental results into biological insights, and clearly communicate implications and recommendations to multidisciplinary project teams.
• Ability to maintain current scientific knowledge and develop deep expertise in biological mechanisms, assay approaches, and technologies relevant to assigned projects.
• Hands-on experience with primary mammalian cell culture, including immune-relevant cells such as PBMCs or monocyte/macrophage systems and/or CNS-relevant cell types.
• Working knowledge of cellular immunology, inflammatory signaling, and/or CNS biology, with the ability to translate mechanisms and hypotheses into robust, decision-enabling in vitro assays.
• Working knowledge of liquid handling automation and LIMS systems.
• Collaborative and highly motivated, with a solid understanding of project and group goals and methods.
• Consistently recognizes anomalous and inconsistent results and interprets experimental outcomes.
• Able to explain the process behind data and the implications of results.
• Strong knowledge of one or more scientific disciplines and scientific principles, methods, and techniques; developing expertise in one discipline.
• Demonstrated ability to work with a variety of laboratory equipment and tools.
• Ability to work as part of a team; may train lower-level colleagues.
• Strong communication, problem-solving, and analytical-thinking skills.
• Detail-oriented while able to see the broader picture of scientific impact on the team.
• Ability to meet multiple deadlines with a high degree of accuracy and efficiency.
• Strong project-management skills.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with primary cell culture, especially CNS, and related assay development.
• Experience with liquid handling automation and LIMS systems.
• Experience with flow cytometry, ELISA, HTRF, AlphaLISA, Meso-Scale Discovery (MSD), Bio-Layer Interferometry (BLI), or related technologies.
• Experience with complex or co-culture systems.
• Preferred PhD in biology or a related field.

Responsibilities

• Independently develop, optimize, troubleshoot, and routinely execute complex biochemical and cell-based assays to evaluate small molecules, peptides, and antibodies from hit-to-lead through development candidate selection.
• Apply quantitative pharmacology and rigorous data-quality practices to analyze concentration-response relationships, assay performance, reproducibility, and biological relevance; identify anomalous results and sources of variability, and recommend follow-up experiments.
• Perform molecular biology techniques as needed to understand mechanisms of action, such as Western blotting and transient transfections, as well as other techniques as needed.
• Support assay transfers and external studies with CROs or collaborators by executing internal bridging work, reviewing protocols and data, and troubleshooting technical issues.
• Partner with disease-biology scientists and multidisciplinary project teams to translate biological questions and hypotheses into fit-for-purpose in vitro assay strategies and experimental plans.
• Research other internal teams’ work and experiments relevant to target identification.
• May participate in patent and publication preparation.
• Recommend improvements to process efficiency and research quality.
• Stay current with relevant scientific literature, disease biology, assay technologies, and internal best practices to inform assay design, optimization, and interpretation.
• Research national and international guidance documentation to justify analytical limits, acceptance criteria, testing parameters, and method validation and execution.
• Document research and conduct work safely in accordance with company and departmental guidelines.
• Maintain accurate electronic laboratory records, protocols, and data packages; analyze, summarize, and communicate results, assay performance, technical risks, and recommended next experiments at biology and project-team meetings; use data to contribute to project decisions.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Retirement savings plan with company match.
• Paid vacation, holiday, and personal days.
• Paid caregiver/parental and medical leave.
• Medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage in accordance with applicable plan terms and conditions.
• Annual bonus with a target of 20% of earned base salary.
• Eligibility to participate in an equity-based long-term incentive program.

What This Job Offers

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