Scientist/Senior Scientist, Biology

Position: Scientist/Senior Scientist, Biology

Reporting to: Director, Biology and Biophysics

Employment term: Permanent Full-time

Start date: Immediate

Location: Mississauga, ON

About Dalriada Drug Discovery Inc.:

Founded in 2017, Dalriada is a leading Canadian drug discovery organization specialized in small molecule therapies. Purposely built as an agile, co-located and uniquely integrated drug discovery partner, Dalriada accelerates the discovery and development journey of high value new small molecule therapeutics from concept to IND.

Our unique Turn-Key™ operational model offers the global biotechnology industry a full suite of drug discovery, preclinical development, intellectual property, and business expertise to manage and execute tailored R&D programs. To date Dalriada has supported integrated programs of public and venture capital-backed biotech companies, including Antibe, Janpix, Canopy Growth, Oxford Cannabinoid Technologies, atai Life Sciences, and Dunad Therapeutics.

Why join?

Our team of passionate and skilled drug discovery scientists is a key factor in Dalriada’s rapid success. Since inception, the company has prioritized creating an environment that promotes professional, scientific, and personal growth and fosters agile innovation through integrative and interdisciplinary learning across all key drug discovery disciplines. We pride ourselves on providing individuals a unique opportunity in small molecule R&D in Ontario to:

• Directly interact with management teams of innovative clinical-stage pharmaceutical and VC-backed biotech companies from across Canada, US and Europe.
• Actively conduct and advance cutting-edge science in a state-of-the-art R&D facility.
• Make the most direct impact and contribute intellectually to the creation of better medicines. Our scientists design and evaluate new drug molecules across multiple therapeutic areas and are named inventors or direct contributors on patents.
• Collaborate with Dalriada’s expert interdisciplinary drug discovery scientists in medicinal & computational chemistry, cell & molecular biology, biophysics & biochemistry, ADME and proteomics (>70% PhD).
• Learn new things every day in a fast-paced, stimulating, values-based company committed to driving growth, delivering solutions, being accountable and creative.
• Work closely with Dalriada senior leadership and executive team of expert drug discovery scientists, innovators, global pharmaceutical industry executives and entrepreneurs, who collectively have > 145 patents, pharma transactions > $2B, 6 companies founded, >215 years of drug discovery experience, led > 100 drug discovery programs and brought drugs to the clinic and market.
• Be at the forefront with Ontario’s largest and one of Canada’s fastest-growing drug discovery organizations.

Job Summary

We are looking for a motivated cell biologist to join our research team. The successful candidate will be responsible for designing and optimizing high-quality cell-based and functional assays for various pharmacological target classes. In addition, the candidate will conduct validation of the assays for screening of small molecules synthesized during hit-lead and lead optimization stages and execute routine cell-based screening assays to ensure rapid and high-quality data delivery. The candidate will also troubleshoot and develop technical solutions to optimize experiments to deliver robust data output.

Specific Duties & Responsibilities

• Prepare data summaries and reports to communicate project status to diverse audiences such as project teams and executive boards
• Maintain lab notebooks and document experimental results within a database
• Design and optimize high-quality cell-based and functional assays for various targets, including (but not limited to) GPCRs, nuclear receptors, ion channels, kinases, transcription factors, immunology, inflammation, oncology
• Organize, track, and advance projects in a timely fashion
• Troubleshoot and develop technical solutions to optimize experiments to deliver robust data output
• Carefully document research workflows, data, and protocols
• Train and supervise junior team members
• Monitor, review, and critically interpret published research to support experimental efforts
• Conduct validation of the assays for screening of small molecules synthesized during hit-lead and lead optimization stages
• Collaborate closely with chemists and biochemists to characterize small molecule mechanism of action (MoA) and advance lead optimization
• Execute routine cell-based screening assays to ensure rapid and high-quality data delivery

Education & Certifications

• MSc/PhD in cell biology, pharmacology, virology or related discipline with relevant associated publications
• Experience in a drug discovery setting preferred.

Requirements

• Ability to analyze, interpret, and present scientific data, and propose next steps in both experimental and project design and overall strategy
• Practical experience of a wide range of luminescence- and fluorescence-based cell biology assays in 96- and 384-well plate formats
• Superior communication and interpersonal skills, with the proven ability to effectively communicate with all levels of the organization
• Ability to explain controversial or complex issues to key leadership
• Proficient in relevant programs for data analysis and visualization, e.g., GraphPad Prism, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word. Experience in bioinformatics is a plus.
• An entrepreneurial mindset, with the ability to work independently and identify when to reach out for professional input
• Ability to make timely decisions through the use of sound judgement and technical knowledge
• Strong background in signal transduction and pharmacology of GPCRs is a plus
• Fast learner, flexible, innovative with the ability to work effectively in highly cross-functional teams
• Deep knowledge and experience with mammalian cell culture and aseptic techniques is a must
• Ability to conceive, design, and execute hypothesis-testing experiments that directly contribute to project success
• Hands-on experience in validation, optimization and execution of cellular assays applying multiple techniques for DNA, RNA, and protein analysis
• Ability to plan, organize, manage, and direct a complex variety of project activities to deliver the required business benefit
• Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously and meet aggressive project timelines
• Critical thinking skills and the ability to generate creative solutions to challenging scientific questions

If you are interested in this opportunity, please submit your resume to [email protected] referencing Scientist/Senior Scientist, Biology in the subject line.

This position is open to applicants legally authorized to work in Canada.

Dalriada Drug Discovery Inc. is an equal opportunity employer, and we are committed to achieving accessibility by providing accommodation for people with disabilities during our hiring process. Accommodation is available on request for qualified candidates during the recruitment process.

All employment is conditional upon completing and obtaining a satisfactory background check which may include educational, employment, references, and criminal records.