Associate Research Scientist III

Alexion Pharmaceuticals - New Haven, CT

Full-time - Mid Level

New Haven, CT

Chemical Manufacturing

About the position

As a part of our growing Translational Research team, Alexion Pharmaceuticals is seeking a highly motivated research scientist with diverse laboratory skills to join our collaborative team focused on developing innovative therapies for rare diseases. This candidate would ideally have experience in cellular and molecular biology or related disciplines such as immunology or genetics. Experience in bone biology is a plus. This is a lab-based position, and the role will be based in New Haven, CT within Alexion's state-of-the-art laboratories where you will follow the science to help drive innovation and advance medicine to help improve patient lives. This position offers a unique opportunity to work in a dynamic and innovative research environment developing your career at the interface of research and clinical development. In this role, you will independently design, conduct, and analyze complex experiments to investigate a variety of cellular and molecular biology processes relevant to our research interests, with a focus on linking biomarkers of disease and therapeutic response. You will develop and optimize new research protocols to support the translational research goals of the team, bridging the gap between basic science, disease linkage, biomarker discovery, and clinical development. You will troubleshoot and implement a wide range of research tools and techniques, ensuring incorporation of the latest technologies and reliable and reproducible data generation. Additionally, you will foster a collaborative and productive research environment, analyze and interpret complex experimental data, and draw sound scientific conclusions while presenting findings to scientific teams and management. You will actively participate in the development and execution of research plans, contributing to the advancement of scientific knowledge across a broad spectrum of areas. Writing reports, participating in meetings, and presenting data will be key components of your responsibilities. You will also contribute to publications within your area of expertise and stay up-to-date on the latest advancements in cellular and molecular biology research methodologies and instrumentation, particularly those relevant to translational research and biomarker discovery. Maintaining detailed laboratory notebooks and research documentation will be essential to your role.

Responsibilities

• Independently design, conduct, and analyze complex experiments to investigate cellular and molecular biology processes relevant to research interests.
• Develop and optimize new research protocols to support translational research goals, bridging basic science, disease linkage, biomarker discovery, and clinical development.
• Troubleshoot and implement a wide range of research tools and techniques, ensuring incorporation of latest technologies and reliable data generation.
• Foster a collaborative and productive research environment.
• Analyze and interpret complex experimental data, drawing sound scientific conclusions and presenting findings to scientific teams and management.
• Actively participate in the development and execution of research plans, contributing to the advancement of scientific knowledge.
• Write reports, participate in meetings, and present data.
• Contribute to publications within own area of expertise.
• Stay up-to-date on advancements in cellular and molecular biology research methodologies and instrumentation.
• Prepare and maintain detailed laboratory notebooks and research documentation.

Requirements

• Master's degree in Cell Biology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, or a closely related field, with a focus on bone biology preferred.
• Minimum of 3-5 years of experience preferably in pharmaceutical research with a strong focus on cellular and molecular biology techniques.
• Hands-on experience with molecular biology techniques (e.g., qPCR, gene expression studies, cloning) is strongly preferred.
• Experience with bioinformatics tools (e.g., BLAST, CLUSTAL) and scientific analysis software such as Prism GraphPad or comparable applications.
• Experience with aseptic cell culture technique is required; hands-on skills in basic immunological assays preferred (e.g., primary cell culture, functional cell-based assays, protein analysis, ELISA, Western blot, MSD, Luminex, and histological analysis is a plus).
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to independently identify and troubleshoot experimental issues.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly document research findings and present complex data to scientific audiences.
• Proven ability to work independently and manage multiple projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience in bone biology is a plus.
• Familiarity with additional scientific analysis software beyond those listed in requirements.

Benefits

• Opportunity to make a significant impact on the development of life-changing therapies for patients with rare diseases.
• Work in a collaborative and innovative research environment with talented scientists.
• Continuous learning and growth in scientific expertise in a dynamic research setting.
• Contribute to the advancement of scientific knowledge across a broad spectrum of areas.