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Associate Principal Scientist – Cellular Pharmacology and Lead Discovery
| Company | Merck |
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| Location | San Bruno, CA, USA |
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| Salary | $151900 – $239200 |
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| Type | Full-Time |
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| Degrees | PhD |
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| Experience Level | Senior |
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Requirements
- Ph.D. in Pharmacology, Cell Biology or relevant scientific discipline with a minimum of five (5) years of drug discovery experience in a biotech or pharmaceutical setting
- Solid understanding of drug discovery strategies and processes from target identification and validation to preclinical candidate selection
- Demonstrated quantitative pharmacology expertise with accompanying knowledge in cardiovascular and metabolic disease pathways and mechanisms
- Highly skilled in physiologically relevant assay development (primary cells, co-culture, etc.) for cardiometabolic disease modeling, translational pharmacology, and biomarker discovery
- Experienced in lead optimization and SAR support, plate-based detection methods, and the utilization of advanced lab automation
- Proficiency with automated data processing, curve fitting, and visualization software tools
- Excellent organization and communication skills with a strong growth mindset
- Demonstrated ability to multi-task and work collaboratively in a cross-functional team environment to influence strategy and tactics to advance drug discovery
- Proven record of publications in peer-reviewed journals and/or patent literatures
Responsibilities
- Support pharmacology strategies targeting obesity, immuno-metabolic, and cardiovascular diseases to enable a robust drug discovery pipeline
- Develop and implement potency, selectivity, and mechanistic assays to characterize molecules targeting diverse targets, pathways, and areas of biology
- Design and execute complex cell assays using diverse model systems and advanced technologies to support translational research and biomarker discovery
- Serve as a core member in matrixed project teams and governance committees to enable pharmacology strategy and provide robust scientific and technical support
- Ensure high-quality and timely data generation, analysis, and reporting to project teams, governance bodies, and regulatory agencies
- Drive scientific innovation and champion new enabling technologies and methods to enhance functional capabilities and productivity
- Collaborate extensively across our company’s network and with external partners to drive project progression toward key milestones and contribute to business development diligence
Preferred Qualifications
- Prior working experience with multiple therapeutic modalities (small molecule, peptide, biologics, etc.)
- Prior experience of leading drug discovery projects and/or mentoring junior staff
