Senior Associate Scientist, Cell Therapy

About the role

Senior Associate Scientist, Cell Therapy – PharmaEssentia Corporation is seeking a Senior Associate Scientist to join the Cell Therapy team and contribute to the development of novel immunotherapies for immunology and oncology. The successful candidate will be responsible for mRNA-based CAR T cell engineering and characterization. The successful candidate will be a highly motivated bench scientist and will be responsible for immuno-assay execution for discovery projects and technology evaluations. They will generate data to support key decisions for project teams and actively participate in the interpretation of data and design of experiments. They will have the opportunity to work independently and collaboratively to advance portfolio programs in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.

PharmaEssentia Corporation is a rapidly growing biopharmaceutical innovator leveraging deep expertise and proven scientific principles to deliver effective new biologics for challenging diseases in hematology and oncology, with one approved product and a diversifying pipeline. Founded in 2003 by Taiwanese-American executives and renowned scientists from U.S. biotech and pharma companies, listed on the Taipei Exchange (TPEx: 6446), expanding globally with operations in the U.S., Japan, China and Korea, and a world‑class biologics production facility in Taichung, Taiwan. The new PharmaEssentia Innovation Research Center (PIRC) builds on invention‑discovery efforts that led to a transformative advancement for treating polycythemia vera, aiming to expand expertise in related therapeutic areas and identify novel therapeutic approaches in early‑ to mid‑stage discovery and development.

Responsibilities

• Perform primary immune cell isolation and culture, as well as cancer cell line culture.
• Perform mRNA‑based CAR T cell engineering using electroporation and tLNP.
• Lead functional characterization of CAR T cells with immunoassays.
• Data analysis and thorough documentation of work in the Company’s ELN system.
• Present results at team meetings, in other group settings, and at external scientific conferences.
• Work cross‑functionally as part of internal multi‑disciplinary project teams.
• Maintain a safe and clean laboratory environment following all precautions required for a BSL2/BSL2+ setting.

Requirements

• B.S./M.S. in immunology, biology, oncology or related discipline with BS 6+ years or MS 4+ years of relevant industry experience.
• Strong hands‑on experience with primary human immune cell and cancer cell line culture, T cell transfection via mRNA electroporation, cell immunophenotyping using multicolor flow cytometry, cytotoxicity assays, multiplex ELISA, live‑cell analysis using Incucyte system.
• Proficiency operating instruments such as BD Fortessa flow cytometer, Lonza 4D‑Nucleofector, Meso Scale Discovery plate reader, xCELLigence RTCA.
• Working knowledge of CAR T cell therapy discovery.
• Ability to follow defined procedures and protocols, and strong attention to detail.
• Proficiency with data analysis software such as FlowJo, GraphPad Prism, etc.
• Willingness to learn new research methods and a desire for continued learning and development.
• Excellent organization and record‑keeping skills.
• Collaborative, flexible, and team‑oriented mindset, with the ability to contribute effectively within a dynamic research environment.

Qualifications

• Direct experience with mRNA/tLNP CAR T engineering and characterization.
• Knowledge of building high‑throughput T cell engineering and characterization workflow.
• Track record of assay development and optimization in an in vitro pharmacology setting.
• Knowledge of molecular biology techniques, including mRNA IVT, real‑time PCR, and ddPCR.
• Experience in immunophenotyping tumor‑infiltrating T cells in CDX/PDX mouse models.