Immunologist - Senior Scientist

AbbVie

Oxford, United Kingdom

Job Description

About the role:

This role will span mechanistic biology, pharmacology, target selection and antibody discovery. The primary focus will be to develop an understanding of the background biology and signal transduction pathways of the proteins targeted by candidate antibodies, and then design and conduct experiments using in vitro systems to dissect the pharmacology and mechanism of action of the candidate antibodies. This will inform disease positioning, rational drug combinations, dose selection, clinical biomarker selection, and future target selection. In line with this, the role will connect back to our discovery group, inputting into the identification of targets for new discovery programs.

The successful applicant should have a track record of immunology research in industry or academia. They will be an experimentalist, skilled at interpreting insights from the literature and translating them into actionable experiments. Day-to-day, they will work collaboratively in project teams who are focussed on different programs at different stages of the R&D process. They should therefore be keen to get involved with all aspects of research at DJS. This will necessitate clear communication and excellent time management. Alongside organisational skills, however, they must enjoy adapt to changing priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Successful applicant's key responsibilities:

Bringing energy, enthusiasm and positivity to the company
Engaging with the literature to build deep understanding of target biology
Establish and implement in vitro experimental models for assessing antibody pharmacology and mode of action
Perform critical laboratory experiments and analysis to develop and extend existing methodologies
Mentor junior scientists from the benchside in new and novel immunological techniques and methodologies
Keeping up-to-date with latest developments in immunology by reading literature and attending conferences
Contribute ideas and suggestions to all DJS programs
Gather, analyse and present data from a variety of sources to the wider team and organization
Critical and impartial review of self- and peer-generated laboratory data to create tangible actions
Maintenance of laboratory experimental records

Qualifications

Applicant’s required attributes:

A PhD in Immunology or a related field or equivalent level of experience
Have a passion for immunology and translational biology
Enthusiasm and commitment to drug development research
Willingness to work with human tissue samples under an HTA
Proven expertise and experience in:
Establishing in vitro models for inflammatory disorders
Secondary ex vivo cell-based assays (such as, for example, FACS/cell sorting, imaging, ELISA/MSD, Western-blot and omics-based approaches such as RNA-seq)
Statistical analysis, power calculations and experimental design
Establishing primary cell assays and developing them for reproducible high throughput screening

Applicants desirable characteristics:

Working with preclinical models for therapeutic antibody development
Have previously held a UK PIL licence (or equivalent) with experience in executing in vivo studies in pre-clinical models
Building and maintaining collaborative networks across multiple organizations
Working within an industrial setting on a drug development program
Working with organoids or organ on a chip models
Working with contract research organisations
Antibody binding techniques; ELISA, FACS, SPR etc.
Evidence of excellent organizational and interpersonal skills including:
work both independently and as part of a team
Ability to work efficiently with strong attention to detail
Ability to build effective working relationships within large organizations and across different time zones
Ability to work flexible hours when required
Proven written and oral communicative ability
Problem-solving skills
Flexible and adaptable with an all-inclusive goal-orientated mindset
Working under a Human Tissue Authority license