Senior Scientist, R&D Capsids & Aav Biology

Asklepios BioPharmaceutical, Inc. (AskBio) is a leading, clinical-stage gene therapy company founded in 2001 based on the work of adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy visionary and pioneer, Jude Samulski, PhD. Since that time, our commitment to developing life-saving medicines that can potentially cure genetic diseases has never wavered.
At AskBio, we've built a foundation of therapeutic programs, AAV manufacturing and a rich portfolio of patented technology. Our therapeutic focus includes neuromuscular, central nervous system, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases with clinical trials underway for Pompe disease, Parkinson's disease, and congestive heart failure. Our gene therapy platform includes Pro10™, an industry-leading proprietary cell line manufacturing process, and an extensive AAV capsid and promoter library.
We became a wholly-owned, independently operated, subsidiary of Bayer AG in late 2020 as a cornerstone of its newly formed Cell & Gene Therapy (CGT) platform. Our global headquarters is in Research Triangle Park, NC. Additionally, we have significant operations in Philadelphia, PA, Columbus, OH, Scotland, France, and Spain.
Our vision: Pioneering science to create transformative molecular medicines.
Our mission: Lead innovative science and drive clinical outcomes to transform people's lives.
Our principles:

• Advance innovative science by pushing boundaries.
• Bring transformative therapeutics to patients in need.
• Provide an environment for employees to reach their fullest potential.

Our values:

• Be a Pioneer. We are not afraid of the impossible and to innovate to make gene therapies accessible to those in need.
• Cultivate Collaboration. Strive to be the best teammate, actively listen, openly communicate, and embrace diverse points of view.
• Embrace Responsibility. We are humbled by the enormity of our mission. We hold a relentless commitment to advance science and clinical outcomes for our patients, families, and caregivers.
• Raise the Bar. Continuously drive improvements and efficiencies. Seek and provide constructive feedback. Have a bias for learning and action.
• Act with Uncompromising Integrity. Be honest, transparent, and committed to doing what's right in every situation. Make clear commitments and follow through.

The Senior Scientist reporting to the Senior Director of Capsid Development & AAV Biology will play an instrumental role in developing and characterizing the next-generation of rAAV gene therapies. The ideal candidate will have a background in gene therapy or virology, with an in-depth knowledge of AAV. This position requires a high level of technical competence and robustness in the lab, the ability to train junior scientists, think strategically and with innovation, and work with cross-functional teams. This position will be located at AskBio's headquarters in RTP (Durham), NC.
Responsibilities

• Lead or facilitate the advancement of specific projects focused on capsid development and AAV biology.
• Independently plan, execute, and report robust scientific experiments in a timely manner and with high quality and reproducibility. Effectively manage timelines and budgets.
• Contribute to establishing a pipeline for the discovery, screening, and development of novel AAV capsid variants.
• Help plan and supervise day to day activities of junior scientists to ensure best scientific practice is followed within the team.
• Provide expert knowledge in designing, implementing, and troubleshooting experiments.
• Provide project reports and presentations that support the communication of R&D activites throughout the organization.
• Keep up-to date with the scientific literature and developments in the field; apply this knowledge to improve discovery and innovation activities.
• Contribute to technical discussions and investigations within cross-disciplinary teams.
• Contribute to/author study reports, study protocols, SOPs, and regulatory filings.
• Support line manager within the team environment, ensuring smooth running of the group.

Required Education & Experience

• PhD in Molecular Biology, Virology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, or other relevant discipline with 5-8 (MS with 8-12, BS with 12-16) years of progressive post degree experience in gene therapy/vaccines/complex biologics product development roles.
• Direct experience with development of rAAV Gene Therapy products, including understanding of AAV manufacturing.
• Detailed knowledge, and hand-on experience, of current molecular biology techniques, next-generation sequencing methods, and cell-based assays.
• Strong critical, scientific, and strategic thinking; strong planning, problem solving and decision-making abilities. Place a high priority on scientific rigor and data robustness.
• Demonstrate the ability to help, support and train more junior colleagues.
• Must be self-motivated, organized, capable of working independently as well as in a collaborative/group environment.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills are essential.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to interact effectively with teams, internally and externally. Demonstrate ability to effectively lead small teams.
• Proven ability to work in a fast-paced environment, meet deadlines, & prioritize work on multiple projects. Strong attention to detail with the ability to handle multiple responsibilities simultaneously.

Preferred Experience

• Detailed understanding of AAV biology and vector-host interactions, evidenced by several publications.
• Experience in AAV capsid development and/or end-to-end optimization of AAV-based therapeutics.
• Excellent laboratory skills and strong background in molecular cloning, biochemistry, and bioinformatics.
• Experienced in virus purification via gradient ultracentrifugation and HPLC techniques.
• Experience with mammalian cell culture and cultivation of primary cells; experience in designing and analyzing in vivo studies.
• Knowledge/experience of "omics" techniques to facilitate the understanding of vector-host interactions following gene delivery (RNASeq, various in situ hybridization methods, spatial genomic/transcriptomic profiling).

Asklepios BioPharmaceutical, Inc. (AskBio) is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or any other protected status prohibited under Federal, State or local laws. All employment decisions are based on valid job-related requirements. If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran and are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our website, you may request a reasonable accommodation to express interest in a specific opening by calling us at (919) 561-6210 or sending us an email at careers@askbio.com.
Agencies: Please do not contact any employee at AskBio about this requisition. Any resume submitted by a recruitment agency to any employee at AskBio, through any medium, will be deemed the sole property of AskBio unless the agency was engaged by AskBio Talent Acquisition team to recruit for that position. All agencies must have a prior executed service agreement with AskBio prior to any search engagement. If a candidate who was submitted outside of the AskBio agency process is hired by AskBio, no fee or payment of any kind will be paid to the agency.