Associate Scientist - Discovery Immunoassays

For 75 years, Charles River employees have worked together to assist in the discovery, development and safe manufacture of new drug therapies. When you join our family, you will have a significant impact on the health and well-being of people across the globe. Whether your background is in life sciences, finance, IT, sales or another area, your skills will play an important role in the work we perform. In return, we’ll help you build a career that you can feel passionate about.

Job Summary

The Immunology and Immunochemistry disciplines support large molecule drug development using ligand binding assays (LBA), such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), to measure large molecules and their immune responses. The main types of assays include Pharmacokinetic (PK) assays to measure drug and Immunogenicity assay to measure anti-drug antibodies (ADA) and neutralizing antibodies (NAb). Other assay types also performed are branched DNA (bDNA) and cell-based assays. An array of platforms are used to support these assays that include spectrophotometer, Meso Scale Discovery (MSD), Luminex and Gyrolab. Utilizing these platforms/assays, the teams are responsible for the method development, validation and routine sample analysis in both the regulated and nonregulated space of non-clinical and clinical studies.

Essential Functions (The fundamental Competencies/Skills & Responsibilities of the role (products and services provided/results accomplished) include, but are not limited to, those listed:

• Efficiently perform and document all procedures, materials and results in compliance with applicable regulatory standards as applicable (protocols, methods, SOPs, etc.)
• Actively communicate and collaborate across operational areas in order to adhere to timelines and produce quality data
• Assist with the completion of laboratory investigations, assay troubleshooting, quality observations, and problem solving of technical and/or regulatory issues with oversight
• Effectively develop and validate quantitative/qualitative methods/procedures with limited complexity/scope in one operational area with oversight
• Perform data analysis in appropriate software for at least one analytical platform with oversight
• Operate laboratory instruments including their respective software applications with oversight
• Develop critical thinking, troubleshooting and time management skills aligned with needs of operational areas
• Demonstrate effective communication skills through informal discussions with peers, supervisor, and team
• Develop ability to recognize method and/or data issues and communicate them to management to minimize study impact with oversight
• Prepare summary of method development data with oversight
• Write both study and non-study deviations with oversight
• Performs all other related duties as assigned

Job Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree (BA/BS) with 3-5 years of relevant working experience. Master’s degree (MS) with no previous work experience
• An equivalent combination of education and experience may be accepted as a satisfactory substitute for the specific education and experience listed above
• Ability to communicate verbally and in writing at all levels inside and outside the organization
• Basic familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite Computer skills, commensurate with Essential Functions, including the ability to learn a validated system
• Ability to work extended hours beyond normal work schedule to include, but not limited to evenings, weekends, extended shifts, and/or extra shifts; sometimes on short notice
• Ability to work under specific time constraints

Physical Demands:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee must be able to perform general office and/or laboratory procedures, which require, talking, hearing, standing, or sitting for long periods of time, typing/entering data into a computer, using appropriate instruments, reaching with hands and arms, and wearing safety equipment (PPE) according to OSHA regulations and company standards.
Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment:

• General office working conditions, the noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.
• While performing the duties of this job the employee may occasionally be required to wear protective clothing (goggles, face shield, surgical mask, cap, gloves, scrubs, boots), work near toxic or caustic chemicals, work with biohazards, and/or work with live animals with risk of exposure to allergens and/or zoonotic diseases.
• The employee may occasionally be exposed to fumes or airborne particles, unpleasant odors, and/or
  wet, humid and/or extreme temperature conditions

The pay rate for this role is $70k/year.

About Safety Assessment
Charles River is committed to helping our partners expedite their preclinical drug development with exceptional safety assessment services, state-of-the-art facilities and expert regulatory guidance. From individual specialty toxicology and IND enabling studies to tailored packages and total laboratory support, our deeply experienced team can design and execute programs that anticipate challenges and avoid roadblocks for a smooth, efficient journey to market. Each year approximately 300 investigational new drug (IND) programs are conducted in our Safety Assessment facilities.

About Charles River
Charles River is an early-stage contract research organization (CRO). We have built upon our foundation of laboratory animal medicine and science to develop a diverse portfolio of discovery and safety assessment services, both Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and non-GLP, to support clients from target identification through preclinical development. Charles River also provides a suite of products and services to support our clients’ clinical laboratory testing needs and manufacturing activities. Utilizing this broad portfolio of products and services enables our clients to create a more flexible drug development model, which reduces their costs, enhances their productivity and effectiveness to increase speed to market.

With over 20,000 employees within 110 facilities in over 20 countries around the globe, we are strategically positioned to coordinate worldwide resources and apply multidisciplinary perspectives in resolving our client’s unique challenges. Our client base includes global pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, government agencies and hospitals and academic institutions around the world.

At Charles River, we are passionate about our role in improving the quality of people’s lives. Our mission, our excellent science and our strong sense of purpose guide us in all that we do, and we approach each day with the knowledge that our work helps to improve the health and well-being of many across the globe. We have proudly worked on 80% of the drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the past five years.

We’re committed to providing benefits that elevate your quality of life. Based on your position these may include: bonus/incentives based on performance, 401K, paid time off, stock purchase program, Health and wellness coverage, employee and family wellbeing support programs, and work life balance flexibility.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Charles River is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, mental or physical disability, family status, pregnancy, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

It is unlawful in some states (including Massachusetts) to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

If you are interested in applying to Charles River Laboratories and need special assistance or an accommodation due to a disability to complete any forms or to otherwise participate in the resume submission process, please contact a member of our Human Resources team by sending an e-mail message to [email protected]. This contact is for accommodation requests for individuals with disabilities only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.

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