Associate Scientist IProfoundly Improve People's lives by Revolutionizing the Delivery of RNA TherapeuticsAt Avidity Biosciences, we are passionate about the impact of every employee in realizing our vision of improving people's lives by delivering a new class of RNA therapeutics. Avidity is revolutionizing the field of RNA with its proprietary AOCs, which are designed to combine the specificity of monoclonal antibodies with the precision of oligonucleotide therapies to address targets and diseases previously unreachable with existing RNA therapies. If you are a committed, solution-oriented thinker, join us in making a difference and become part of our growing culture that is integrated, collaborative, agile and focused on the needs of patients.Avidity Biosciences, Inc.'s mission is to profoundly improve people's lives by delivering a new class of RNA therapeutics - Antibody Oligonucleotide Conjugates (AOCs™). Utilizing its proprietary AOC platform, Avidity demonstrated the first-ever successful targeted delivery of RNA into muscle and is leading the field with clinical development programs for three rare muscle diseases: myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD).
Avidity is headquartered in San Diego, CA.The OpportunityWe are seeking a highly motivated individual eager to work in a fast-paced and collaborative environment as an Associate Scientist I within the Analytical and Formulation group of Avidity's Technical Development and Operations (TD&O) department. This position will focus primarily on the clinical and commercial formulation development of AOC drug product and drug substance. Additional responsibilities may include but are not limited to supporting the developability assessments of early-stage mAb and AOC assets and performing in-use compatibility studies for intravenous and subcutaneous routes of administration. The successful candidate will have experience in analytical and biophysical characterization, formulation development, and stability testing of protein biologics, preferably for mAbs and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs).
Strong interpersonal, organizational, and communication skills are essential as this position will require close collaboration with cross-functional team members as well as periodic communication with external research organizations and vendors. This position will report to the Principal Scientist within the Analytics and Formulation group, which is laboratory-based at the Avidity site in San Diego, CA. Non-laboratory functions such as data processing and documentation, however, may be completed remotely.What You Will ContributeWork with TD&O team members to set up and conduct formulation stability studies of mAb and AOC liquid and lyophilized dosage formsPerform developability assessments of numerous early-stage protein biologics using a variety of predictive analytical and biophysical methodsPerform routine lab tasks including preparing buffers, managing the inventory of laboratory consumables and supplies, and working with vendors for maintenance and troubleshooting of analytical instrumentsConduct in-use compatibility studies of AOC drug products intended for intravenous and subcutaneous routes of administrationSupport mAb and AOC drug substance/product process development activities when neededBe a hands-on presence in the laboratory and support biology and chemistry departments with analytical and biophysical characterization as neededSpecify, purchase, and manage the installation of formulation-related instrumentation and equipmentMaintain good documentation in an electronic notebook and write technical reports as requiredPresent data at regular team and cross functional team meetingsContributes to the company's core values (agile, visionary, integrated and diverse)What We SeekA bachelor's degree (or master's) in chemistry, biology, pharmaceutical sciences, or a related field with a minimum of 5 years of industrial experience (3 years for a master's degree).An understanding of protein physicochemical stability, particularly for common routes of mAb degradationExperience in setting up and managing formulation development and in-use compatibility studies.Hands-on experience with a variety of analytical methods including SEC, IEX, RP-HPLC, CE-SDS, cIEF and subvisible particle analysisExperience using a variety of biophysical methods for characterizing and measuring conformational and colloidal stability of protein biologics including differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic and static light scattering techniquesAbility to multi-task and work in a fast-paced cross-functional matrix environmentDemonstrated excellent communication (oral and written), teamwork, organizational, interpersonal, and problem-solving skillsDirect experience in any of the areas listed below would be viewed favorably but are not a requirement for the position:Experience using design of experiment (DOE) approachesFamiliarity with mass spectrometry (MS) methods used for assessing mAb chemical stability and assessing ADC drug to antibody ratios including intact, reduced, and peptide mapping LC/MSPrior experience in lyophilization formulation, cycle development, and analytical testingExperience in oligonucleotide chemistry and characterization methodsExperience working with external CMOs and CROsWhat We Will Provide To You:The base salary range for this role is $99,750-$110,250. The final compensation will be commensurate with such factors as relevant experience, skillset, internal equity and market factors.Avidity offers competitive compensation and benefits, which includes the opportunity for annual bonus as well as a 401(k) with an employer match.
In addition, the comprehensive wellness program includes coverage for medical, dental, vision, and LTD, and four weeks of time off.A commitment to learning and development which includes a variety of programming internally developed by and for Avidity employees, opportunities for job-specific training offered by industry, and an education reimbursement program.Location: Hybrid - San Diego, CA & RemotePosition Type: Full Time / ExemptDepartment: Analytical Development & FormulationID: -4