Senior Scientist Bioscience

Job Title: Senior Scientist (6-Month Contractor)

Location: Cambridge, MA - kendall Square location - would reccomend public transportation- park is limited and very expensive.
Department: Oncology Targeted Discovery, Small Molecules Bioscience
Term: 6-month contract

intake call:

• Work: work supporting drug discovery-from early project concepts toward clinical candidates. Key responsibilities include developing and troubleshooting assays, designing and conducting experiments, and generating, interpreting, and sharing data to help understand compound behavior, mechanism of action, and biomarkers.
• Top qualifications:
  • Cellular assay experience
  • Understanding of compounds' mechanisms of action
  • Biomarker experience
• Experience level: The manager prefers a more experienced, independent candidate. After discussion, 4 6 years of experience was acceptable; bachelors or masters
• Team: The role reports directly to the manager. The manager has five direct reports; the broader Cambridge/Kendall Square group has about 60 members.

Role Overview

We are seeking a highly motivated, lab-based biologist to join our group as a contractor. In this 6-month position, you will support our dynamic and collaborative cross-functional team working on small molecule drug discovery projects within Oncology. You will contribute to the development of cell-based assays, study novel biological mechanisms, identify lead molecules, and elucidate their underlying mechanisms of action. These activities will help progress oncology drug candidates toward clinical evaluation. This contract offers a unique opportunity to work on a diverse range of scientific projects and collaborate with scientists across disciplines in a matrixed environment, making a tangible impact on our oncology programs.

Major Responsibilities

• Validate oncology target biology using preclinical models such as cell lines and organoids, and generate derivative models using genetic approaches.
• Assay Development: Develop, implement, and troubleshoot cell-based phenotypic assays including proliferation, survival, cell cycle, and apoptosis across 2D/3D and clonogenic formats.
• Experimental Design & Execution: Design and conduct experiments to understand mechanisms of action and identify candidate biomarkers utilizing western blotting, ELISA, flow cytometry, RT-PCR, and high-content imaging approaches.
• Data Analysis & Communication: Analyze, interpret, and effectively communicate experimental data within the team and across projects.
• Record Keeping & Data Generation: Maintain clear and accurate records in accordance with best practices, including data generation for AI application and deployment.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in biology or a relevant scientific field with 6+ years post-graduation research experience, or PhD with 2+ years post-graduation research experience.
• Demonstrated skill in data generation, management, and analysis.
• Positive, collaborative attitude and a strong willingness to learn.
• Ability to work independently to execute experiments, identify key scientific questions, and analyze data.

Preferred Background

• Expertise in cancer cell biology and genetics.
• Drug discovery experience in academic, biotech, or pharmaceutical settings.
• Broad assay platform familiarity and experience with assay development or automation.
• High-throughput data generation experience, with the ability to analyze such large-scale datasets.

Additional Information

• This is a temporary contractor position for a defined 6-month term.
• Contractor will be expected to work on-site at our Cambridge, MA location and integrate closely with our project teams.
• Potential for contract extension or transition to other opportunities is subject to business needs.