Discovery Scientist in Neurotechnologies_3 year temporary contract

Job content

The PositionIn Roche’s Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development organization (pRED) we make transformative medicines for patients in order to tackle some of the world’s toughest unmet healthcare needs. At pRED, we are united by our mission to transform science into medicines. Together, we create a culture defined by curiosity, responsibility and humility, where our talented people are empowered and inspired to bring forward extraordinary life-changing innovation.We are looking for a highly motivated Discovery Scientist/Postdoc to join the Neurotechnology Section in the Neuroscience and Rare Disease (NRD) Discovery team at Roche. A major focus of the Neurotechnology Section is to explore new modalities for treatment of yet undruggable neurodegenerative disorders, with a main focus on RNA/DNA editing, delivery across the blood-brain barrier and specific cell-type targeting. The successful candidate will work in an industry-leading Neuroscience department with an attractive portfolio of preclinical and clinical stage projects in CNS disorders. The position will be based in Basel, Switzerland.Job missionWe are looking for an individual with strong interest in neurodegenerative disorders and a track record of accomplishment in scientific investigations into novel drug modalities and/or gene therapy/nanoparticle delivery. You will work in close collaboration with multidisciplinary experts to accelerate implementation of novel technologies into our portfolio. You will collaborate across pRED and engage with leading scientific laboratories worldwide to work on highly ambitious and complex scientific questions. You will have the opportunity to initiate and develop projects from target assessment to late stage clinical development in diverse disorders of the brain.Your key responsibilities

• Design, execute, analyze and interpret complex in vitro and in vivo studies in the areas of RNA/DNA editing and viral/non-viral CNS delivery
• Develop functional assays in cell lines, primary cells, iPSC-derived cells and organoids to test compounds and discover biomarkers
• Support and enable drug discovery efforts from target assessment through lead optimization
• Publish your work in peer-review journals
• Opportunity to take on the role of Research Project Leader (RPL), leading multidisciplinary drug discovery teams
• Supervision of interns and associates
• Working effectively with internal and external collaborators to advance ongoing exploratory and portfolio projects

Who you areYou hold a PhD in Neuroscience, Cell/Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Biomedical Sciences or similar with high interest in neuroscience, rare diseases and solid research experience in molecular biology/genomics, cell biology and gene therapy. Experience in electrophysiology, non-viral delivery and drug discovery is preferred. You are an excellent team player driven by collaborative spirit and the determination to improve the lives of patients suffering from devastating neurologic disorders. You must like an independent working style and troubleshooting in a multi-departmental and international pharma research environment with the motivation to build your Matrix-leadership skills.

QualificationsEssentials

• Certification for performing in vivo animal experiments with expertise in in vivo animal dosing (i.p., i.v., p.o.), perfusion, tissue collection and preparation for biochemical and immunoassays.
• Broad hands-on experience with gene expression, immunoassays, molecular profiling and confocal microscopy
• Acquainted with standard molecular biology methods (e.g. qPCR, ddPCR, scPCR, RNA/DNA isolation/analysis, RNA-seq library prep & pull down, Amplicon seq, CLIP-seq, ChIP-seq library preps, FACS, WB)
• Strong critical thinking, communication, organization, and presentation skills

Desirables

• Hands-on experience with viral and/or LNP delivery across the BBB
• Experience in CRISPR, RNAi or optogenetic techniques
• Skillset in developing robust and reproducible electrophysiological (patch-clamp, MEA) or imaging-based (voltage, calcium) cell functional assays
• Prior laboratory experience in models of CNS degeneration
• Experience working with primary neuron cultures and iPSC-derived model systems

Our commitmentRoche commits to recognizing talent and aptitude. We prioritize encouraging and supporting our employees on their personal journeys by providing a safe, creative space to help them reflect, make decisions and grow in their career.We are confident that we find the most innovative solutions by gaining different perspectives, asking and answering hard questions, and challenging the status quo. Roche embraces diversity and equal opportunity in a serious yet enthusiastic way; we are devoted to building a team that represents a range of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.Who we areAt Roche, more than 100,000 people across 100 countries are pushing back the frontiers of healthcare. Working together, we’ve become one of the world’s leading research-focused healthcare groups. Our success is built on innovation, curiosity and diversity.Basel is the headquarters of the Roche Group and one of its most important centres of pharmaceutical research. Over 10,700 employees from over 100 countries come together at our Basel/Kaiseraugst site, which is one of Roche`s largest sites. Read more.Besides extensive development and training opportunities, we offer flexible working options, 18 weeks of maternity leave and 10 weeks of gender independent partnership leave. Our employees also benefit from multiple services on site such as child-care facilities, medical services, restaurants and cafeterias, as well as various employee events.We believe in the power of diversity and inclusion, and strive to identify and create opportunities that enable all people to bring their unique selves to Roche.Roche is an Equal Opportunity Employer.