Scientist II – Translational Sciences (Contract)

Pliant Therapeutics, Inc. • South San Francisco, CA

5h • $71 - $79

About The Position

We have an immediate opening for a contract Scientist within our Translational Sciences group. This is a full-time (40 hours per week) contract position with a duration of 6 months. This individual will join a team focused on discovery and advancement of tissue-specific delivery of drug payloads utilizing integrin receptor-binding molecules. The primary responsibility of this position will be to design and manage preclinical in vivo and in vitro experiments supporting one or more of Pliant’s tissue-specific delivery platforms.

Requirements

• PhD in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Immunology, Cell Biology or related field, with 2+ years industry experience in drug development
• Experience designing wet-lab assays that utilize basic cell biology laboratory procedures including cell culture, cell transfection, qRT-PCR, ELISA, flow cytometry/FACS, Western blot, fluorescent microscopy, immunofluorescence-based staining, etc.
• Experience designing, managing and analyzing results from in vivo studies evaluating drug PD/efficacy
• Experience with evaluating CROs and managing in vivo and/or in vitro work performed by CROs
• Strong evidence of conceptual thinking, active follow-through, and vigorous scientific curiosity
• Exceptional interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills
• Candidate should be flexible with rapid changes in schedule based on scope/prioritization of projects
• Candidate should exhibit strong, positive attitude for teamwork and learning

Nice To Haves

• Expertise in cardiovascular, autoimmune, immuno-oncology or fibrotic disease preferred
• Having experience working with Operetta CLS High content imaging and Sony Sorter is a plus
• Experience working with iPSC cells is a plus

Responsibilities

• Plan, design and execute in vitro and in vivo experiments related to Pliant’s novel drug delivery platform
• Design and manage experiments run at external CROs to advance our understanding of tissue-specific drug delivery platforms across multiple disease indications
• Advance drug discovery programs by interacting with and communicating results to interdisciplinary team
• Manage and supervise the day-to-day work of one or more Research Associates including training and coaching
• Contribute to development and adoption of new technologies
• Provide support for various research team projects using dynamic prioritization
• Actively lead and/or participate in project meetings
• Prepare detailed protocols, document experimental observations, analyze data promptly, and maintain accurate, well-organized records
• Evaluate and clearly report experimental results to research team on a routine basis

Benefits

• The hourly rate for this role is $71/hr – $79/hr. Individual pay may vary based on additional factors, including, and without limitation job-related skills, experience, work location and relevant education or training.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree