Scientist, Assay Development and Screening

Why Patients Need You

Pfizer's purpose is to deliver breakthroughs that change patients' lives. Research and Development is at the heart of fulfilling Pfizer's purpose as we work to translate advanced science and technologies into the therapies and vaccines that matter most. Whether you are in the discovery sciences, ensuring drug safety and efficacy or supporting clinical trials, you will apply cutting edge design and process development capabilities to accelerate and bring the best-in-class medicines to patients around the world.

What You Will Achieve

Pfizer colleagues have many perspectives, many backgrounds, and many strengths but we share one goal: to make the world a healthier place. Our investment in people is a commitment to strengthen an already remarkable company. Pfizer is a place for people who strive to learn, grow and lead.

We are seeking highly motivated laboratory researchers to join the Primary Pharmacology Group (PPG) at our Groton, CT campus. PPG is composed of 50 scientists that support hit identification and lead optimization activities for small molecule drug discovery programs through the design, development, and execution of in vitro plate-based screening assays for multiple therapeutic areas.

The successful candidates will play a key role in developing, optimizing, and validating in vitro biochemical and cell-based assays using physiologically relevant assay systems, to support target-based and phenotypic programs. They will work closely with Research Unit biologists and chemists in cross-functional teams, to deliver data for decision making at different drug discovery phases including target validation, hit identification, lead optimization and clinical candidate selection. The disease area of focus is metabolic disease including diabetes, NASH, obesity, heart failure and cachexia. A strong desire to learn in a collaborative environment is essential to the role as PPG is committed to the training and development of our colleagues.

How You Will Achieve It

This is an outstanding opportunity for passionate scientists, to work with a supervisor and project teams to build and apply their drug hunting skills while contributing to bringing new classes of medicines to patients.
Successful candidates will be expected to:

• Develop, optimize, validate, and execute biochemical and cell based in vitro assays with autonomy.
  
• Display consistent proficiency in data acquisition, analysis and quality control to provide timely, high-quality data to project teams. Learn new software applications rapidly (e.g., ABase, Excel, GraphPad Prism, Spotfire).
  
• Have a broad understanding of biology. Have some experience with independent experimental planning and execution and be capable of troubleshooting assays with support.
  
• Proactively respond to project team needs to answer specific questions on their work. Present results in individual and group settings. Build experience in assay transfer and data management (e.g., assays from Research Units or working with external vendors). Be an active team player with strong written/verbal communication skills and an enthusiastic/optimistic attitude.
  
• Maintain up to date electronic laboratory notebooks and records in accordance with Pfizer policy. Follow all safety guidelines and good laboratory practices.
  
• Adopt a continuous improvement mindset to improve quality, efficiency and/or cost of processes within lab. Demonstrate flexibility, a willingness to adopt new technologies, a good sense of humor and be adept at multi-tasking and building partnerships.
  

Qualifications

Must-Have

• BS with 6+ years of relevant experience or MS with +4 years of relevant experience in biology, biochemistry, cell biology, or related scientific discipline.
  
• 3 years prior experience in a laboratory, preferably in a drug discovery setting.
  
• Demonstrated experience in planning, designing, and executing experiments including data analysis.
  
• Excellent computer, verbal, and written communication skills.
  

Nice-to-Have

• Demonstrated experience with some biochemical and cell-based assay formats (e.g. qRT-PCR, HTRF, AlphaLISA, NanoBRET, FP, ELISA, FLIPR, radioactive binding, Western blot, mammalian cell culture, transfections, etc.), ideally including both execution and troubleshooting. Familiarity with plate-based screening techniques and equipment
  
• Experience in molecular biology tools, cloning and gene editing
  
• Experience working with some target classes such as GPCR, nuclear receptors, enzymes, or transporters
  
• Experience working with iPSCs and primary cells
  

Other Job details

• Relocation support available
  
• Work Location Assignment:On Premise, colleagues work in a Pfizer site because it's needed to get their job done. They may have flexibility to work remotely from time to time, but they are primarily on-site.
  

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Relocation assistance may be available based on business needs and/or eligibility.

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Pfizer requires all U.S. new hires to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 prior to the first date of employment. As required by applicable law, Pfizer will consider requests for Reasonable Accommodations.

Sunshine Act

Pfizer reports payments and other transfers of value to health care providers as required by federal and state transparency laws and implementing regulations. These laws and regulations require Pfizer to provide government agencies with information such as a health care provider's name, address and the type of payments or other value received, generally for public disclosure. Subject to further legal review and statutory or regulatory clarification, which Pfizer intends to pursue, reimbursement of recruiting expenses for licensed physicians may constitute a reportable transfer of value under the federal transparency law commonly known as the Sunshine Act. Therefore, if you are a licensed physician who incurs recruiting expenses as a result of interviewing with Pfizer that we pay or reimburse, your name, address and the amount of payments made currently will be reported to the government. If you have questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact your Talent Acquisition representative.

EEO & Employment Eligibility

Pfizer is committed to equal opportunity in the terms and conditions of employment for all employees and job applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, gender identity or gender expression, national origin, disability or veteran status. Pfizer also complies with all applicable national, state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements of the Immigration and Nationality Act and IRCA. Pfizer is an E-Verify employer.

Research and Development

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