26-Sep-2023

Harvard Medical School

62769BR

Job Summary

About Us:
The Wyss Institute’s mission is to transform healthcare and the environment by emulating the way nature builds. We harness the freedom of academia to the focus of industry in order to translate revolutionary technologies into commercial products and solutions. At the Wyss Institute, faculty from premier academic and clinical institutions, collaborate with staff scientists, postdocs, graduate students, industry experts, business development leaders, and entrepreneurs across disciplines to invent and de- risk new technologies that don’t just succeed at making it to the market – they disrupt it. We support research that universities, companies, and venture capital firms don’t fund because they view it as too risky. We prefer to use the word “challenging,” and we love challenges. For more information, visit: http://wyss.harvard.edu/

About You:
You are a collaborative, impact-focused problem solver who wants to be part of a dynamic team dedicated to creating and commercializing novel approaches to global challenges in healthcare. You are excited by the prospect of supporting diverse efforts to make an impact on medicine potentially including becoming a member of a new therapeutics spin-out company. You want the opportunity to explore your scientific interests and apply your knowledge to tackle ambitious projects in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial-minded environment with resources and support from top-notch scientific, operations, and administrative professionals. You want to be involved in a wide range of cutting-edge technologies that have a high degree of technical rigor and creativity. You enjoy working with diverse groups of people and leveraging your expertise to create innovations that can change the world.

We are looking for an innovative Scientist II with significant expertise in immunology and microphysiological systems, specifically in human immune cell culture, virology, infectious diseases vaccines, autoimmunity or immuno-oncology to join our Bioinspired Therapeutics and Diagnostics Team.

Reporting to the Principal Scientist, you will be responsible for advancing preclinical testing and modeling of the human immune system using organ-on-chip technology. For more information visit: https://wyss.harvard.edu/technology/human-organs-on-chips/. As a member of the Advanced Technology Team, you will be exposed to many different technologies in areas ranging from therapeutics and diagnostics to synthetic biology and materials science, with the goal of identifying new product solutions.

Collaborating closely with cross-functional team members and Faculty, you will quickly learn important biological assays and contribute data in assays that will help support the research on infectious disease vaccines, immuno-oncology and autoimmunity. You will develop project plans and monitor progress on these projects. You will acquire and maintain knowledge of the state of the art and mentor postdoctoral fellows, students and technicians and provide feedback on experimental design, data analysis and technical writing. you will make significant contributions to the team’s efforts to develop a robust preclinical data packages that will be used as the basis for a commercialization end-point, likely the spin-out of a new companies on autoimmunity and immuno-oncology. You will have the opportunity to continue to follow your passion at the Wyss Institute or as part of the founding team of a Wyss start-up. You will ideate and develop new projects with pharma partners or philanthropic organizations.

Position Description

What you'll do:

• Independently develop and conduct scientific studies with a team of 2-5 people in support of the project’s goals using microfluidic organ-on-chip primary cell culture, attenuated vaccine strains of viral pathogens, adjuvants and various in vitro cell- based assays. These may include well-known techniques like qPCR/TaqMan, ELISA, western blots, enzymatic assays, imaging, and flow cytometry.
• Contribute to research programs in collaboration with industry partners or funded by philanthropic agencies. Current programs use the human lymph node chip and other immune models to identify effective vaccines and adjuvants.
• Initiate and develop projects in immuno-oncology, for example, the study of immunosuppression in cancer.
• Deploy new assays and techniques from their experience, learn new skills, troubleshoot and contribute intellectually to projects with minimal guidance.
• Develop creative solutions to scientific key questions related to using immune models.
• Write and review development documentation including protocols, test procedures for internal and external development work.
• Manages and directs research assistants and trainees in setting timelines, acquiring and maintaining inventory, designing and interpreting experiments.
• Present key results at group meetings, project teams, and stakeholders.
• Demonstrate a commitment to diversity, inclusion, and cultural awareness through actions, interactions, and communications with others.

Basic Qualifications

What you'll need:

• A Bachelor’s degree required in Immunology or related field.
• A minimum of 5 years of experience in aseptic primary human cell culture and biology techniques, such as ELISA, qPCR, microscopy or related experience required. Advanced education may count towards years of experience.

Additional Qualifications and Skills

Desirable Skills:

• Master’s degree and/or PhD in Immunology or related field, strongly preferred
• Strong interest in contributing to multidisciplinary teams (engineers, biologists/physiologists, clinicians) is critical for this position.
• Characterization of human response to viral infection and therapeutics in vitro
• Expertise in working with influenza and/or coronaviruses, in vitro culture, and inflammatory responses, as well as knowledge of gene editing techniques, flow cytometry, basic molecular and cell biology concepts and techniques is a must.
• Develop cell-based, molecular, and biochemical methods for a pre-clinical discovery and validation program.
• Previous experience in vaccines, viral engineering and/or gene editing technologies, such as CRISPR, is a plus.
• Experience in microbiology and host-microbiome interaction is a plus.
• Expertise in infectious diseases.
• Work experience in pharmaceutical or medical device companies will be a significant addition and will be strongly considered.
• Experience with cell culture in microfluidic device/three-dimensional cell culture/bioprinting is a plus.
• Ability to work well independently and to collaborate with a multidisciplinary group is essential.
• Experience in analysis software such as Prism, R, Imaris is a plus.
• Experience in preparation of technical reports, journal articles and presentations.
• Experience in authoring and critically reviewing technical documents, study protocols and reports related to assay development, qualification, validation, and clinical sample testing a plus.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, documentation skills and attention to detail, with the proven ability to work effectively as a member of a multidisciplinary team
• Excellent organizational skills, technical writing, record keeping and ability to manage multiple projects and the ability to be nimble and work in a fast-paced environment are crucial.
• The successful candidate will be an ambitious self-starter, have a strong work ethic, be able to generate high-quality work under tight deadlines, and enjoy working in a fast-paced team environment.

Working Conditions

This position will be based on our campus in Boston, MA and will require on-campus presence. Subject to business needs, the Wyss Institute generally supports flexible work arrangements.

The health of our workforce is a priority for Harvard University. With that in mind, we strongly encourage all employees to be up-to-date on CDC-recommended vaccines.

Additional Information

Offer contingent on successful completion of pre-placement medical evaluation.

Harvard is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position.

Why you’ll like working with us:

At the Wyss Institute, you’re a member of a supportive, dynamic community that is united by its shared goal of changing the world through groundbreaking technology development and commercialization. We encourage your professional growth and development through mentorship and tuition reimbursement to support continued learning, and more. We also support your physical, financial, and mental well-being through generous time off benefits, gym reimbursements, and other programs offered through Harvard. Our community will be relocating to a new, state of the art life sciences building in the lively Fenway neighborhood in late summer 2023, where you will have access to multiple amenities including a roof terrace with stunning views of Boston and proximity to numerous restaurants and cultural attractions. We value an inclusive and diverse workforce, and believe that our differences enrich the work environment for all.

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Benefits

We invite you to visit Harvard’s Total Rewards website to learn more about our outstanding benefits package, which may include:

• Paid Time Off: 3-4 weeks of accrued vacation time per year (3 weeks for support staff and 4 weeks for administrative/professional staff), 12 accrued sick days per year, 12.5 holidays plus a Winter Recess in December/January, 3 personal days per year (prorated based on date of hire), and up to 12 weeks of paid leave for new parents who are primary care givers.
• Health and Welfare: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits, disability and life insurance programs, along with voluntary benefits. Most coverage begins as of your start date.
• Work/Life and Wellness: Child and elder/adult care resources including on campus childcare centers, Employee Assistance Program, and wellness programs related to stress management, nutrition, meditation, and more.
• Retirement: University-funded retirement plan with contributions from 5% to 15% of eligible compensation, based on age and earnings with full vesting after 3 years of service.
• Tuition Assistance Program: Competitive program including $40 per class at the Harvard Extension School and reduced tuition through other participating Harvard graduate schools.
• Tuition Reimbursement: Program that provides 75% to 90% reimbursement up to $5,250 per calendar year for eligible courses taken at other accredited institutions.
• Professional Development: Programs and classes at little or no cost, including through the Harvard Center for Workplace Development and LinkedIn Learning.
• Commuting and Transportation: Various commuter options handled through the Parking Office, including discounted parking, half-priced public transportation passes and pre-tax transit passes, biking benefits, and more.
• Harvard Facilities Access, Discounts and Perks: Access to Harvard athletic and fitness facilities, libraries, campus events, credit union, and more, as well as discounts to various types of services (legal, financial, etc.) and cultural and leisure activities throughout metro-Boston.

Department Office Location

USA - MA - Boston

Job Code

RS0157 Researcher III Natural Science

Work Format

Hybrid (partially on-site, partially remote)

Union

00 - Non Union, Exempt or Temporary

Pre-Employment Screening

Education, Identity

Schedule

Monday - Friday 9am-5pm

Commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging

As a collaborative organization, we at the Wyss Institute know that great innovation happens when diverse perspectives come together to solve problems. As a result, we are committed to cultivating and preserving a culture of inclusion and connectedness both in and out of the lab. When recruiting for our team, we welcome the unique contributions that you will bring in terms of education, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, religion, disability, and sexual orientation. We believe these differences in background, experience, and perspective enrich our work environment and are essential to our mission of solving complex problems through technology development and translation.

EEO Statement

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, or any other characteristic protected by law.