Senior Principal Scientist – Molecular Biology/Genetics

Why Patients Need You

Pfizer’s purpose is to deliver breakthroughs that change patients’ lives. Research and Development is at the heart of fulfilling Pfizer’s purpose as we work to translate advanced science and technologies into the therapies and vaccines that matter most. Whether you are in discovery sciences, pharmaceutical sciences or global supply, you will apply cutting edge design and process development capabilities to accelerate and bring the best in class medicines to patients around the world.

What You Will Achieve

The position of Senior Principal Scientist – Molecular Biology/Genetics will work as part of an interdisciplinary team as well as providing scientific leadership to improve Pfizer’s production processes through biotransformation, biocatalysis and microbial culture improvement projects. Principal duties include protein engineering, enzyme evolution, high through-put screening, strain construction and improvement, pathway and metabolic engineering, and development of new molecular biology tools to accomplish these tasks. You will undertake mentoring activities to guide team members. It is your innovative scientific temperament that will help in making Pfizer ready to achieve new milestones and help patients across the globe.

How You Will Achieve It

• Build robust production strains, and work with fermentation scientists to identify desirable culture traits and to develop the production process for important industrial microorganisms including yeast, bacterial and fungal strains.

• Improve production strains by molecular biological methods and by traditional mutagenesis and screening.

• Determine and understand metabolic or reaction pathways and genetically engineer those pathways for improved culture performance and/or to produce new APIs.

• Adapt, develop and implement molecular genetics tools for manipulating industrial organisms including protein expression, cloning and DNA assembly, gene replacement, novel and rapid gene knockout technologies (transposon, PCR-based, etc.)

• Remain current with and champion the implementation of new technologies within the group to ensure we deliver or exceed project targets.

Qualifications

Must-Have

• 4+ years with PhD in molecular biology with extensive experience in advanced lab techniques for protein engineering (hotspot identification/modelling) and bioinformatics.

Experience

• Experience working with genetic modification of E. coli, actinomycetes, yeasts, and/or other important industrial micro-organisms.

• We are looking for an expert in the use of state-of-the-art methods to engineer novel enzymes for improved stability, activity and selectivity. The ideal candidate should display a deep knowledge and experience in the rapid creation of protein libraries, with hands on skills towards developing multi-substitution protein variants by means of saturation mutagenesis, ISM, CASTing, combinatorial library design, and protein structure modelling and analysis.

• Expertise for using multiple software tools for bioinformatics, protein modelling and analysis, is also required.

• Ability to analyze and interpret work published in the field of protein engineering and apply it to project related work.

• Track record of scientific accomplishments demonstrated through journal publications.

Technical Skills

• Extensive Protein engineering experience (Random mutagenesis, Rational mutagenesis, Directed evolution) as it applies to bio processes.

• Biocatalyst development experience with small molecule API or intermediates in the pharmaceutical industry.

• Expertise in strain improvement by molecular biological methods and traditional mutagenesis/screening.

• Expertise in protein expression in important industrial microorganisms including yeast and bacteria.

• Expertise in genetic, metabolic and pathway engineering for improving existing products and creating new biosynthetic pathway for novel metabolites.

• Strong knowledge of molecular genetics techniques, business and bioinformatic software, and operation of molecular biology related instrumentation especially with industrially relevant microorganisms including actinomycetes.

• Ability to design experiments as well as to analyze, interpret, follow-up and communicate experimental data.

• Strong initiative and good problem solving skills. Takes personal responsibility for own work, pushing self and others to exceed goals and deliver results.

• Must have demonstrated communication skills, both written and oral.

• Must be able to establish positive colleague relationships which foster collaboration and cooperation. BDG is a team-based organization. Good peer relationships are the only way to get projects done and to succeed.

• Change agile– can effectively cope with change.

Physical/Mental Requirements

Lab position: Frequent standing and walking, frequent detailed manual manipulations, and computer-based work.

Non-Standard Work Schedule, Travel, or Environment Requirements

First shift position – some overtime and/or weekend work may be required

Other Job Details

• Last Date to Apply: May 31, 2022
• Eligible for Relocation Package: YES

Pfizer requires all U.S. new hires to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 prior to the first date of employment. As required by applicable law, Pfizer will consider requests for Reasonable Accommodations.

Sunshine Act

Pfizer reports payments and other transfers of value to health care providers as required by federal and state transparency laws and implementing regulations. These laws and regulations require Pfizer to provide government agencies with information such as a health care provider’s name, address and the type of payments or other value received, generally for public disclosure. Subject to further legal review and statutory or regulatory clarification, which Pfizer intends to pursue, reimbursement of recruiting expenses for licensed physicians may constitute a reportable transfer of value under the federal transparency law commonly known as the Sunshine Act. Therefore, if you are a licensed physician who incurs recruiting expenses as a result of interviewing with Pfizer that we pay or reimburse, your name, address and the amount of payments made currently will be reported to the government. If you have questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact your Talent Acquisition representative.

EEO & Employment Eligibility

Pfizer is committed to equal opportunity in the terms and conditions of employment for all employees and job applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, gender identity or gender expression, national origin, disability or veteran status. Pfizer also complies with all applicable national, state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements of the Immigration and Nationality Act and IRCA. Pfizer is an E-Verify employer.