Senior Scientist Protein Biochemistry

$111,400 - $175,300/Yr

Merck KGaA Darmstadt Germany - Rahway, NJ

Full-time - Entry Level

Onsite - Rahway, NJ

Chemical Manufacturing

About the position

The Protein Biochemistry team within the Mass Spectrometry & Biophysics department is seeking a highly motivated candidate to contribute to drug discovery efforts by producing and characterizing proteins. This research position emphasizes collaboration across therapeutic areas and requires critical thinking and problem-solving skills to evaluate new technologies for challenging protein targets, particularly integral membrane proteins. The successful candidate will work with a diverse team of scientists and contribute to a culture of inclusion and engagement.

Responsibilities

• Express, purify and characterize recombinant proteins to enable screening, hit validation and hit-to-lead activities.
• Perform biophysical studies to characterize and advance hits from functional and affinity screening campaigns as required.
• Support generation of recombinant proteins at external partners and contract research organizations (CROs) by providing scientific input and guidance.
• Partner with colleagues to produce proteins fit for structure determination (including labeled protein production for NMR) as required.
• Serve as a representative on cross-functional program teams with accountability for delivering progress updates, presenting data & contributing to strategic direction.
• Contribute to a high-performance culture of inclusion, collaboration, engagement, and self-accountability.
• Promote the external reputation of our department by contributing to publications and participating in external symposia.

Requirements

• Post-graduate degree in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Pharmacology or another related field, including years of relevant industry experience as appropriate: Ph.D., M.Sc. (3+ years) or B.Sc. (6+ years).
• Demonstrated success in the cloning, expression and purification of G-protein coupled receptors and broad knowledge of receptor pharmacology is required.
• Experience with recombinant protein production supporting affinity screening techniques such as fragment-based lead discovery, DNA-encoded libraries, mRNA-display or affinity-selection mass spectrometry.
• Prior experience working with multiple microbial and eukaryotic expression systems (e.g. yeast, bacteria, insect and mammalian cells).
• Demonstrated proficiency in various chromatography techniques including affinity, ion exchange, gel filtration, HIC, and reverse phase.
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage multiple projects under tight timelines in a collaborative, team-oriented setting.
• Passion for fostering a diverse and inclusive culture and contributing to the growth and success of colleagues.
• Strong external reputation as evidenced through publications, presentations, and/or scientific community engagement.
• Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills with a proven track-record of maintaining strong relationships with stakeholders.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience using computational tools for protein design would be a significant advantage.
• Expertise with biophysical methods such as MALS, SPR, ITC and thermal shift assays is beneficial.
• Experience with traditional Western blot techniques is desirable; knowledge of the Protein Simple high-throughput western-blotting system would be a significant advantage.

Benefits

• Bonus eligibility
• Long term incentive if applicable
• Health care and other insurance benefits (for employee and family)
• Retirement benefits
• Paid holidays
• Vacation
• Sick days