Scientist II - Molecular Analytics & NGS
About the role
The Gene Therapy Vector Core group is seeking a Scientist II in Upstream Process Development and Bioprocess Analytics team to support genetic medicine projects and AAV gene therapy platform development. The candidate will work across functional teams and will be responsible for developing analytical methods including short- and long-read NGS, cell-based potency assays for AAV, and ddPCR assay development. Additional responsibilities include supporting routine testing for characterization of research grade materials and for guiding process development activities.
Responsibilities
Leading the development and execution of custom molecular assays including ddPCR and qPCR to support gene therapy analytics
Optimizing and applying cutting-edge next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies to characterize impurities and assess heterogeneity in AAV drug products
Utilizing strong biology foundations to help guide or run cell-based potency assays to evaluate biological function and activity
Supporting gene therapy platform development through the application of evolving analytical methodologies and cross-team collaborations activities, including capsid engineering
Function independently and cross-functionally across various UCB teams (data scientists, cell biologists, disease area experts, CMC professionals, etc.)
Able to manage priorities, engage/communicate in a multidisciplinary environment, and provide exemplary documentation of experimental work
Required Education, Skills and Experience
MS degree in Molecular Biology, or related field, with over 10 years of experience – OR – PhD or Post Doc with 2+ years of experience
4+ years expertise in PCR based assay development and molecular characterization of AAVs or biomolecular characterization for gene therapies
4+ years of NGS (long and/or short read technology) development experience (genomic DNA, targeted amplicon, small RNA, and RNA-seq) to enable genomic and transcriptomic analyses for early drug discovery and drug substance analytics
Preferred Education, Skills and Experience
PhD in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, or related field with direct AAV characterization experience supporting molecular analytics of AAV vectors
6+ years of experience in molecular analytical characterization of AAV vectors
6+ years of hands-on experience with NGS library preparation, Illumina and PacBio data acquisition and QC to support drug discovery activities
6+ years of experience in drug discovery or development in a pre-clinical setting with a focus on molecular characterization, analytical method development, characterizing impurities and identifying biological complexities
Serve as the primary owner of developing, optimizing, and/or routinely conducting cell based potency assays to evaluate biological function and activity
Salary
This position’s reasonably anticipated base salary range is $99,200 to $130,200 per year. The actual salary offered will consider internal equity and may also vary depending on the candidate’s region, job-related knowledge, skills and experience, among other factors.
About Us
UCB is a global biopharmaceutical company, focusing on neurology and immunology. We are over 9,000 people in all four corners of the globe, inspired by patients and driven by science. Why work with us? At UCB, we don’t just complete tasks, we create value. We aren’t afraid to push forward, collaborate, and innovate to make our mark for patients. We have a caring, supportive culture where everyone feels included, respected, and has equal opportunities to do their best work. We ‘go beyond’ to create value for our patients, and always with a human focus, whether that’s on our patients, our employees, or our planet.
Working for us
At UCB, we invite you to voluntarily self-identify during the application process. Provision of self-identification information is entirely voluntary and a decision to provide or not provide such information will not have any effect on your application for employment, your employment with UCB, or otherwise subject you to any adverse treatment. Any information you provide will be considered confidential and will be kept separate from your application and/or personnel file and will only be used in accordance with applicable laws, orders, and regulations. Should you require any adjustments to our process to assist you in demonstrating your strengths and capabilities contact us on US-Reasonable_Accommodation@ucb.com for application to US based roles. Please note should your enquiry not relate to adjustments; we will not be able to support you through this channel.