Senior Associate Scientist, Oncology

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals•,

1d•$80,000 - $120,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Oncology Research group at Alnylam is seeking a highly motivated Senior Associate Scientist skilled in bioconjugation chemistry to join our growing interdisciplinary team aimed at developing RNAi therapeutics against cancer. The successful candidate will have hands-on expertise in the design and execution of protein conjugation experiments, as well as a strong working knowledge of the purification and characterization of protein conjugates with oligonucleotide or small molecule payloads. This position will work closely with colleagues in chemistry, biology and in vivo pharmacology to support various oncology drug discovery projects. The candidate must be motivated, have strong interpersonal and communication skills, and be able to work on a highly collaborative team. This position is onsite and will be primarily located in Cambridge, MA.

Requirements

BS/MS degree in Chemistry, Chemical Biology, or a related field with 3-5 years of hands-on industry experience in protein conjugation chemistry.
Deep expertise in biorthogonal chemistry with prior experience applying this knowledge to protein conjugation is required.
Proficiency in synthetic chemistry lab techniques and strong working knowledge of instrumentation such FPLC, analytical and prep HPLC (IEX, SEC, RP), LC-MS, TFF, UV-Vis spectrometry, etc.
Strong organizational, communication, and critical thinking skills.
Excellent communicator, execution-focused and team-oriented.
Good record keeping abilities to adequately document protocols and experimental data, experience with Benchling ELN is a plus.

Nice To Haves

Experience working with antibody-oligonucleotide conjugates is strongly preferred.
Experience with automation and/or plate-based protocols to improve conjugate throughput is a plus.
Passionate about scientific discovery and eager to learn new skills and contribute to the success of the organization.

Responsibilities

Independently plan and carry out protein conjugation experiments with oligonucleotide or other payloads to support in vitro and in vivo experiments.
Improve upon or develop purification methods for novel protein conjugates using FPLC, HPLC and TFF.
Design, synthesize and purify oligonucleotides modified with biorthogonal handles (e.g. maleimide, Azide, MeTz) for protein conjugation chemistry.
Develop automation and/or plate-based protocols for the high throughput generation of new protein conjugates.
Effectively troubleshoot synthetic and process challenges and independently come up with solutions.
Supports group by contributing to the maintenance of laboratory infrastructure and equipment.
Keep detailed and complete records in an electronic lab notebook and regularly communicate results to the team to progress drug discovery efforts.