Senior Scientist NCATS

The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) is seeking a Senior Scientist with scientific, administrative, and leadership credentials who can lead a program to operationalize the use of biologically inspired, engineered assay platforms for therapeutics discovery and development. The program will advance platform technologies that include material and device design along with technologies to detect the biological events being studied.

Duties: This position serves as a Senior Scientist directing the Preclinical Chemical Biology Program that is located within the Chemical Genomics Branch (CGB), Division of Pre-Clinical Innovation. The Director of the Preclinical Chemical Biology Program will operationalize the use of biologically inspired, engineered assay platforms for therapeutics discovery and development and will advance the development of platform technologies, including material and device design, along with technologies for detection of biological events. This position leads the creation of a broad and comprehensive program to integrate fundamental biological insights with advances in assay platforms and screening technologies to discover and optimize novel investigational agents and therapeutic modalities. The incumbent will operationalize the use of biologically inspired, engineered assay platforms for therapeutics discovery and development, and further advance platform technologies, including material and device design, along with technologies for detection of the biological events being studied.

Qualifications: To qualify for a Senior Scientist, you must meet the following Education Requirements:

A. have completed the requirements for a bachelor’s (or graduate) degree in a biological science, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to this position, from an accredited college or university;

OR

B. have a combination of experience and education that includes courses comparable to a major in a biological science, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry or related disciplines appropriate to this position, AND have appropriate experience or additional education that demonstrates similarly appropriate skills or abilities needed to perform the duties of this position.

In addition to meeting the education requirements, you must demonstrate in your resume at least one (1) year of qualifying experience obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: advancing platform technologies that include material and device design along with technologies to detect the biological events being studied, including utilization of model organisms in high throughput screening settings; creating and using genome-edited cellular models tightly coupled with innovative screening platforms, including engineering of new cell lines; applying a broad range of drug discovery approaches, including high-throughput screening, nucleic acid display, constrained peptide libraries, and protein degraders; conceptualizing and creating bioassays to enable the analysis of chemical agents, polypeptides, or nucleic acids to reveal potential drug candidates and investigational tools; interrogating phenotypic assays that can implicate disease-mediating genes and pathways by means of chemical genetics to define drug targets; protein purification and cell line development; creating infrastructures to analyze large data sets derived from a range of experimental platforms, including cheminformatic, proteomic, metabolomic, and genomic data sets.

Ideal Candidate: Although not required, the ideal candidate will possess a strong background in the life sciences with experience in preclinical drug development. In addition, the ideal candidate will have demonstrated strategic and tactical capability to operationalize the use of biologically inspired, engineered assay platforms for therapeutics discovery and development, and to further advance platform technologies. The individual will be able to leverage their knowledge of the underlying molecular basis of disease to effectively integrate advances in science and technology and be able to conceptualize and create bioassays to enable the analysis of chemical agents, polypeptides, or nucleic acids to reveal potential drug candidates and investigational tools.

Applicants will possess the communication and people skills to convey progress on the advances in assay platforms and screening technologies to discover and optimize novel investigational agents and therapeutic modalities as well as the ability to devise and implement a strategic framework for integrating a range of assay platforms to make the therapeutic development process faster and more efficient. A successful applicant would have experience integrating fundamental biological insights with advances in assay platforms and screening technologies to discover and optimize novel investigational agents and therapeutic modalities.

Salary and Benefits: The salary range is commensurate with experience and accomplishments. The current salary range for this position is $183,501 – $245,000. A full benefits package is available, including a retirement plan; health insurance, life insurance, and long-term care insurance; annual and sick leave; and Thrift Savings Plan (401K equivalent). The National Institutes of Health inspires public confidence in our science by maintaining high ethical
principles. NIH employees are subject to Federal government-wide regulations and statutes as well as agency-specific regulations described at the NIH Ethics website: http://ethics.od.nih.gov

How to Apply: Please submit a cover letter describing your interest in the position including a career synopsis (1-3 pages); statement of research interests (1-2 pages); a current curriculum vitae and complete bibliography; and the names and contact information of five references by sending your documents to the following email address: NCATSRecruitAC1512@nih.gov
Please include in your CV a description of mentoring and outreach activities in which you have been involved, especially those involving women and persons from racial/ethnic or other groups that are underrepresented in biomedical research. Questions regarding the application process should be addressed to Carrie Watkins, watkinsc@nih.gov. Application packages will only be accepted electronically to this mailbox 02/10/2023 – 03/10/2023. Information provided by candidates will remain confidential and will not be released outside the NCATS search process without a signed release from candidates. The NIH encourages the application and nomination of qualified women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities. DHHS and NIH are equal opportunity employers.