Principal Scientist, Structural Biology and Biophysics

Job Description

Position Summary:

The Structural Biology and Biophysics group at Vertex Pharmaceuticals is responsible for generating reagents as well as biophysical and structural information that is critical for the advancement of research programs to create transformative medicines for patients with serious diseases. The group is seeking a highly motivated and collaborative Principal Research Scientist with significant experience utilizing biophysical methods and CryoEM for structure-based drug design to help guide these efforts. The ideal candidate for this lab-based role will possess excellent technical skills in sample handling for biophysical studies of small molecule ligand binding and utilization of CryoEM, a proven track record in drug discovery, strong communication skills, and the ability to collaborate with members of an interdisciplinary project team.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Work within drug discovery project teams to design and execute biophysical experiments that answer key questions and aid in molecular design

• Develop and execute ligand binding studies using Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR), Thermal Shift Analysis (TSA), Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC)

• Design and generation of reagents for biophysical studies

• Determine structures using CryoEM and application for structure-based design

• Sample preparation, execution of experiments, and organized reporting of results

• Keep up to date with the scientific literature in the field and beyond

• Actively participate in group and cross-disciplinary project team meetings

• Present results to project teams in a clear and understandable way

Knowledge and Skills:

• Significant experience working with integrated drug discovery teams utilizing structure-based drug design.

• Deep understanding of biophysical and structural methods

• Ability to develop and execute biophysical assays to measure ligand binding

• Experience with CryoEM data collection, structure determination, and analysis

• Experience with hit-to-lead activities

• Track record of productivity as evidenced by a strong publication record

• Self-motivation, organization, and ability to communicate effectively with project teams

Education and Experience:

• Ph.D. (or equivalent degree) in biological science and 4-7 years of relevant post-doctoral employment experience, or

• Masters Degree (or equivalent degree) in biological science and 7+ years of relevant employment experience, or

• Bachelors Degree (or equivalent degree) in biological science and 10+ years of relevant employment experience

Flex Designation:

Flex Eligibility Status:

Company Information

Vertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation.

Vertex is committed to equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to a person's race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, marital status, or any characteristic protected under applicable law. Vertex is an E-Verify Employer in the United States. Vertex will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities, in accordance with applicable law.

Any applicant requiring an accommodation in connection with the hiring process and/or to perform the essential functions of the position for which the applicant has applied should make a request to the recruiter or hiring manager, or contact Talent Acquisition at ApplicationAssistance@vrtx.com