ROLE SUMMARY

BioMedicine Design (BMD) group at La Jolla, CA is seeking a highly driven and innovative Ph.D.-level scientist to join our biotherapeutics discovery group as postdoctoral research fellow in driving therapeutic innovation through technology development. This is a unique opportunity to be trained at the interface of protein engineering and synthetic biology, work collaboratively with diverse research teams within Pfizer, and publish at high-impact journals. By the end of the program, the postdoc will be proficient in protein engineering, cell assays, fusion protein generation, protein expression and purification, nucleic acid design, and will be fully prepared to contribute to early-stage target identification and novel technology development. The ideal candidate should have solid training in protein biochemistry, synthetic biology or molecular biology and good understanding of biology/oncology.

ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Demonstrate strong technical and scientific rigor in project planning and gap identification
• Proactively conduct literature search to gather relevant information to form hypothesis for testing experimentally
• Design and produce protein fusion molecules to further our understanding of underlying biology; develop and utilize cell-based assays to test hypothesis and screen and rank molecules
• Generate and effectively communicate results regularly at internal meetings, drive data-driven decisions in shaping the direction of research project
• Participate in developing creative approaches to discover and optimize protein fusion-based modalities, and evaluate them in vitro

QUALIFICATIONS

Basic Qualifications

• PhD in molecular biology, biochemistry, biomolecular engineering, cell biology or a related discipline is required
• Technically proficient in (at least) some of molecular and cell biology tools, including construct design, cloning, mammalian cell culture, protein purification and characterization, development of cell-based assays, high-throughput functional characterization of protein hits
• Proficient with data reporting and analysis software
• Strong planning and organizational skills
• Strong motivation, passion and commitment to science and engineering of novel entities
• Ability and desire to work in a fast-paced, interdisciplinary scientific team both independently and as part of a team, strong problem-solving and analytical skills
• Excellent written and oral communication skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with synthetic biology modalities based on protein fusions such as biomolecular switches and/or circuits
• Experience with synthetic binding domains such as antibodies or antibody-based scaffolds
• Experience with development of cell-based assays is highly desired
• Good understanding of cellular signaling pathways is preferred
• Prior experience with immunizations or display technologies is a plus
• Prior experience with nucleic acids is a plus

OTHER JOB DETAILS

MUST have Work Authorization in the United States