Associate Scientist I, Formulation Development

About the role

Avidity Biosciences is revolutionizing the field of RNA with its proprietary AOCs, designed to deliver a new class of RNA therapeutics. This role focuses on the clinical and commercial formulation development of AOC drug products and drug substances.

Responsibilities

• Work with TD&O team members to set up and conduct formulation stability studies of mAb and AOC liquid and lyophilized dosage forms
• Perform developability assessments of numerous early-stage protein biologics using a variety of predictive analytical and biophysical methods
• Conduct routine lab tasks including preparing buffers, managing laboratory consumables and supplies, and working with vendors for maintenance and troubleshooting of analytical instruments
• Support in-use compatibility studies of AOC drug products intended for intravenous and subcutaneous routes of administration
• Participate in mAb and AOC drug substance/product process development activities when needed
• Contribute to analytical and biophysical characterization as needed
• Specify, purchase, and manage the installation of formulation-related instrumentation and equipment
• Maintain good documentation in an electronic notebook and write technical reports as required
• Present data at regular team and cross-functional team meetings

Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree (or master’s) in chemistry, biology, pharmaceutical sciences, or a related field with a minimum of 5 years of industrial experience (3 years for a master’s degree)
• An understanding of protein physicochemical stability, particularly for common routes of mAb degradation
• Hands-on experience with a variety of analytical methods including SEC, IEX, RP-HPLC, CE-SDS, cIEF and subvisible particle analysis
• Experience using a variety of biophysical methods for characterizing and measuring conformational and colloidal stability of protein biologics including differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic and static light scattering techniques
• Demonstrated excellent communication (oral and written), teamwork, organizational, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills
• Experience using design of experiment (DOE) approaches, familiarity with mass spectrometry (MS) methods, experience in lyophilization formulation, cycle development, and analytical testing, experience in oligonucleotide chemistry and characterization methods, and experience working with external CMOs and CROs are preferred but not required

Qualifications

• Experience in setting up and managing formulation development and in-use compatibility studies
• Hands-on experience with a variety of analytical methods including SEC, IEX, RP-HPLC, CE-SDS, cIEF and subvisible particle analysis
• Experience using a variety of biophysical methods for characterizing and measuring conformational and colloidal stability of protein biologics including differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic and static light scattering techniques
• Multi-tasking and working in a fast-paced cross-functional matrix environment

Skills

• Strong interpersonal, organizational, and communication skills
• Excellent communication (oral and written)
• Teamwork
• Interpersonal skills
• Problem-solving skills

Benefits

The base salary range for this role is $99,750-$110,250. The final compensation will be commensurate with relevant experience, skillset, internal equity and market factors. Avidity offers competitive compensation and benefits, including the opportunity for annual bonus as well as a 401(k) with an employer match. In addition, the comprehensive wellness program includes coverage for medical, dental, vision, and LTD, and four weeks of time off. A commitment to learning and development includes a variety of programming internally developed by and for Avidity employees, opportunities for job-specific training offered by industry, and an education reimbursement program.