Vertex Fall Co-op 2026, Protein Sciences

Vertex Pharmaceuticals•San Diego, CA

2d•$20 - $35•Onsite

About The Position

Kickstart Your Career at Vertex! Are you ready to make a real impact? At Vertex, our mission is to tackle serious diseases and to change lives, for the better, for the future. Our aim is to give you the skills, insights, and career guidance to be an important part of that future; to turn your potential into progression. As a Vertex intern or co-op, you’ll work on meaningful projects, collaborate with talented teams, and learn from industry leaders. We’re passionate about innovation, inclusion, and supporting your growth—inside and outside the lab. Why Vertex? Real Projects: You’ll work on assignments that make a real impact, not just busy work. Mentorship & Networking: Connect with leaders and peers who want to see you succeed through professional networks, connections, and collaborations that will shape your longer-term career. Flexible & Supportive: We offer flexible work options with Flex @ Vertex and prioritize your wellbeing. Inclusive Culture: Collaboration and inclusion are embedded in everything we do. Career Launchpad: Build skills, explore career paths, and get guidance for your future career. Ready to apply? Submit your application and let’s turn possibilities into reality! Your Impact The Vertex Protein Sciences Co-Op program is a 6-month experiential training program for students currently working towards undergraduate or advanced degree in Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biological Engineering, Biochemical Engineering, or other related fields. If you are passionate, collaborative, and growth-minded, a co-op at Vertex will help you gain meaningful experience in our Protein Sciences functional areas and serve as a launchpad for your career. The application deadline for this role is April 3rd, 2026. Please note that Vertex reviews applications on a rolling basis and reserves the right to close this job posting prior to the listed deadline. Important Notice Regarding Internship and Co-op Inquiries At Vertex Pharmaceuticals, we are committed to providing a fair and structured recruitment process for all students interested in internship and co-op opportunities. To ensure consistency and equity, all student applications must go through our Early Talent Acquisition Team. Due to the high volume of interest, we are unable to respond to individual solicitation. Direct solicitation to Vertex employees- including senior leaders via email will result in removal from the recruiting process. We appreciate your enthusiasm and interest in Vertex. To be considered for internship or co-op roles, please apply directly through our official application channels. (https://www.vrtx.com/careers/career-growth-and-opportunities/co-ops/) Thank you for respecting our process and helping us maintain a fair experience for all candidates. What you will be doing: Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. is seeking a highly motivated, creative, and innovative co-op scientist to join our Protein Sciences San Diego team. As part of this program, the candidate will have the opportunity to work directly with a team of scientists responsible for applying integrative approaches to identify and characterize protein-protein interactions, new biding sites, and modes of action for therapeutics. The co-op will have an opportunity to propose and test new technologies to improve current workflows and facilitate the structure determination of challenging targets using single particle CryoEM analysis.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree, and currently enrolled in a graduate degree program.
Major in biology, biochemistry, chemistry, or chemical/biological/biochemical engineering.
Basic knowledge of integral membrane protein purification techniques and biochemical/biophysical analysis methods.
Attention to detail, ability to accurately establish and follow protocols.
Strong communication and organization skills.
An open mindset and willingness to learn new techniques as needed to support the Protein Sciences group is desirable.
Capacity to work full-time onsite in San Diego, CA
Legal authorization to work in the United States, now and in the future. Please note that Vertex does not provide sponsorship for internships or entry level roles within this part of the organization.
You must be enrolled in an advanced degree program if graduating before December 2026
You must be available to work full-time, 40 hours per week from July – December 2026

Nice To Haves

CryoEM experience is desirable but not required.
An open mindset and willingness to learn new techniques as needed to support the Protein Sciences group is desirable.

Responsibilities

Develop new tools that allow characterization of hits for a new therapeutic approach at Vertex
Under the supervision of a senior scientist at Vertex, Express and purify proteins from recombinant sources and characterize them to ensure protein quality is suitable for assay development and/or CryoEM structural studies.
Propose and test new and emerging technologies to unravel the molecular mechanism of target engagement and functional inhibition using biochemical, cell-based, and biophysical approaches (could include radiolabeled binding assays, kinetic assays, cell-based enzymatic assays, mass spectrometry, and/or fluorescent assays)