Senior Principal Scientist, Structural Biology

Novo Nordisk • Lexington, MA

5d

About The Position

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated structural biologist with extensive experience working in a pharmaceutical industry setting. The Senior Principal Scientist – Structural Biology will be responsible for leading and managing our structural biology activities to solve protein-small molecule ligand complex structures for drug discovery projects within the Small Molecule Research (SMR) unit at Novo Nordisk (NN), leveraging a highly outsourced CRO model, and also supporting external collaborations. Responsibilities include: Designing suitable structural biology strategies (crystallography and cryo-EM) for multiple small molecule projects; proposing and overseeing construct design, expression and purification of proteins, crystallization, cryo-grid preparation and evaluation; c ollaborating within a cross-functional project team to improve understanding of mechanism of action (MoA) of lead compounds; work collaboratively through interactions across therapeutic areas (TAs) within NN; managing a number of contract research organizations (CRO) across the globe; supporting the preparation of patents, reports, scientific publications, and serving as functional expert in supporting IND filings.

Requirements

• Master’s degree with 16+ years of relevant experience, or PhD with 12+ years of relevant experience required
• 8+ years of structural biology industry experience preferred
• 3+ years of previous experience managing CROs preferred
• 3+ years of structural biology work in a hybrid model preferred
• In-depth knowledge and hands-on experience in X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM, including crystal optimization, grid preparation, data collection, data processing, structure refinement, and interpretation of protein structures using internal and external (CRO) resources
• Extensive knowledge and experience in protein production including construct design/protein engineering, protein expression systems (bacterial, insect, mammalian systems), protein purification techniques and protein characterization methods
• Familiarity with in vitro biochemical and biophysical methods such as SPR, FP, FRET, ITC, DSF, MST, MS and their application to structure activity relationships
• Well-versed in data processing and refinement software for structure determination and analysis
• Demonstrated track record of supporting high-quality structure determination and validation of protein co-complexes across disease areas using in-house and/or CRO resources to rapidly advance drug discovery pipelines
• Careful attention to details; Maintain detailed documentation
• Experience in writing IND reports and scientific papers
• Experience enhancing operational efficiency and implementing best practices within line of business (LoB)
• A clear track record of innovation and impact on programs as evidenced by patents and peer-reviewed publications
• Demonstrates excellent verbal and written communication skills, strong interpersonal skills with a demonstrated ability to work collaboratively on multidisciplinary teams
• Proficient in Microsoft Office suite of products (Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint)

Nice To Haves

• Experience in membrane protein production and structure determination highly desirable
• Experience with other structural methods such as HDX-MS and SAXS a plus.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for designing the overall structural biology strategy for multiple small molecule research projects
• Deliver and interpret structures and collaborate with cross-functional project teams to enable structure-based drug design and elucidate the mechanism-of-action of small molecules
• Oversee construct design, expression and purification of proteins for structure determination at CROs
• Develop protocols to obtain high quality crystals for X-ray structures
• Develop protocols for grid optimization, data collection, and data analysis for structure determination using cryo-EM
• Obtain and refine structures of protein-ligand complexes, communicate the results and collaborate with project teams to drive hit-to-lead and lead optimization
• Has accountability for CROs timelines, activities and data quality
• Establish and maintain strong productive relationships with strategic partners and collaborators
• Independent contributor to internal drug discovery activities
• Serve as a trusted expert in structural biology

Benefits

• medical
• dental and vision coverage
• life insurance
• disability insurance
• 401(k) savings plan
• flexible spending accounts
• employee assistance program
• tuition reimbursement program
• voluntary benefits such as group legal, critical illness, identity theft protection, pet insurance and auto/home insurance
• time off pursuant to its sick time policy
• flex-able vacation policy
• parental leave policy

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior