Bench Scientist Biologist - Level 3 US_AGS

Overview Job title: Principal Scientist Location: Cambridge, MA Contract: 12-month contract Possibility to extend Onsite: Onsite position 4 days per week, 1 day of flexibility but role is lab based Hours: Monday to Friday 9am-5pm (Overtime may be required) Travel: No additional travel required Internal stakeholder interaction: Internal stakeholder interaction only Description We are seeking a highly motivated Principal Scientist to lead development of scalable, cell-based assay platforms for evaluating and ranking multi-epitope mRNA construct designs in a high-throughput environment. This role will bring deep expertise in flow cytometry and microscopy-based cellular readouts to iteratively optimize mRNA vaccine constructs and translate assay data into clear design recommendations. Responsibilities Lead development of cell-based assays to evaluate and rank multi-epitope mRNA construct designs (e.G., expression/presentation proxies, antigen-specific T cell activation, breadth/competition effects). Provide technical leadership in flow cytometry (panel design, controls, acquisition, gating standards, SOPs, troubleshooting, data QC) and core T cell functional assays. Partner with other members of the Molecular Biology/RNA teams to design and iterate mRNA and translate assay readouts into clear design recommendations. Establish robust workflows using cell lines, and/or primary immune cells with attention to assay robustness, and reproducibility. Enable throughput-ready execution (96/384-well formats;standardized controls and analysis templates) and mentor team members on new assay capabilities. Ensure assay documentation, data integrity, and operational compliance consistent with internal standards;support assay transfer and reproducibility across sites/teams. Stay updated with the latest scientific advancements in the field of RNA vaccines. Assist in the preparation of research findings for internal reports and publication in scientific journals Contribute to a culture of teamwork and scientific excellence Basic Qualifications PhD in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Immunology, or related field with 3+ years postdoctoral and/or industry experience (or MS with 8+ years). Strong working knowledge of molecular biology (cloning, RNA production and characterization), RNA biology and RNA vaccine principles, including how mRNA construct design choices can affect expression and cellular responses. Deep hands-on expertise in flow cytometry (design execution analysis) with a track record of building reproducible assays. Significant experience working with immune/engineered cell lines. Practical experience with microscopy-based assays (confocal or high-content imaging) for cellular readouts and assay development/analysis. Preferred Qualifications Experience with high-throughput screening of cellular assays (96/384-well), including assay miniaturization, robustness metrics, and automation-aware design. Hands-on experience operating liquid-handling platforms (e.G., Tecan, Hamilton) and/or partnering effectively with automation engineers. Familiarity with multiplex protein assays (e.G., bead-based cytokine panels). Expertise developing and running T cell functional assays and translating results into actionable construct design decisions. Expertise in antigen processing and presentation pathways. Familiarity with immunopeptidomics. Working knowledge of data workflows for high-throughput biology (LIMS integration, assay metadata standards, reproducible analysis pipelines). #J-18808-Ljbffr Lancesoft