Senior Assay and Automation Scientist

AstraZeneca•Gaithersburg, MD

8d•$116,284 - $174,426•Onsite

About The Position

The Assays Profiling and Pharmacology (APP) team at Gaithersburg within Biologics Engineering (BE) is responsible for the development of high throughput (HT), robust and innovative assay platforms for the characterization of novel biologics in collaboration with AstraZeneca’s therapeutic area functions and providing cutting edge drug discovery capabilities to support our expanding portfolio. A large part of APP activities involve the development and implementation of industry leading automation workflows designed to run HT biochemical and cellular assays. BE is responsible for the discovery and optimization of biological candidate drugs across all AZ therapy areas such as oncology, respiratory and inflammation, cardiovascular, renal and metabolic diseases. We are constantly pushing the boundaries of science to deliver life-changing medicines to patients, with a passion for the development of in-house biologics discovery platforms and novel drug modalities to address unmet medical needs. In this role you will be working closely with the Automation team for the evaluation and implementation of robotics and liquid handling workflows for HT assay development. You will be the primary assay and automation scientist responsible for creating end-to-end workflows for a number of standardized cellular assays, ultimately to be implemented on a fully integrated robotics system. This is a lab-based role involving independent design, execution and interpretation of scientific experiments, and effective communication of findings and recommendations as part of a multi-disciplinary project team.

Requirements

Master’s Degree in Cell biology, Biochemistry or similar with at least 5 years of relevant experience in industry or academia OR PhD in Biotechnology, Cell Biology or similar with 2 years’ experience in industry or academia.
Experience using liquid handling systems like Hamilton, Tecan or similar for HT screening.
Experience with multi-instrument integrated systems preferred.
Experience using scheduling software for dynamic scheduling of assay methods.
Experience in 96/384 well HT cellular and biochemical.
Experience and in-depth technical knowledge of assay development with a dedication to quality and scientific rigor.
Strong teammate with good communication skills and experience of working in multi-disciplinary teams.
Ability to tackle challenges creatively, which contribute and improve assay technologies and processes.

Nice To Haves

Ph. D. with industry experience.
Experience using scheduling software for dynamic scheduling of assay methods.
Experience in coding and robotics for assay development.
Experience working in industry within matrix teams.

Responsibilities

Work in cross-functional teams to standardize and automate HT biochemical and cellular assays.
Identify and implement large data analysis packages (Eg: Spotfire) to automate HT data analysis.
Develop methods on liquid handling systems like the Hamilton and Bravo for complex assay plate set up.
Design assays for functional screening of T-cell engagers, ADCs and cytokine-fusions among other complex modalities.
Develop assays using primary immune cells and apply imaging, ELISA and flow-based methods for profiling and characterization.
Work closely with automation experts and IT to create integrated workflows that can be applied to projects team wide.
Identify creative solutions to sophisticated assay, technology or drug discovery project problems.
Lead and contribute to peer reviewed publications, patents and participate at international conferences.
Provide technical training and supervise members of the team where required.
Ensure own work, and work of peers, follow Good Laboratory Practice, Safety, Health and Environment standards and all other relevant internal AstraZeneca standards and external regulations.