Associate Scientist – Technology Development and mRNA Sciences Full-time

Verve Therapeutics Job Opportunity

At Lilly, we unite caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. Verve Therapeutics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Eli Lilly & Company within Lilly Research Labs, is a clinical-stage genetic medicines company established with a mission to solve the global health epidemic of cardiovascular disease. Founded by world-leading experts in cardiovascular medicine, human genetics and gene-editing, Verve is pioneering a new approach to the care of cardiovascular disease, potentially transforming treatment from chronic management to single-course gene editing medicines.

Help us expand the scope of what gene editing can accomplish by tapping into your expertise in molecular and biochemical techniques to develop novel CRISPR-based technologies. We will use pioneering equipment to design, create, and test nucleic acid-based constructs alongside PhD level teammates with combined 40+ years of industry and academic experience. This highly cross-functional role requires an individual who wants to broaden their expertise across various scientific disciplines by simultaneously collaborating with multiple departments within and outside of the organization.

A successful candidate will be one who is motivated by curiosity, a desire to inspire others, and contribute to technology development efforts. Mechanistic understanding of gene regulatory circuits and ability to think at the systems biology level to control expression will prove indispensable for this role. We will be spending 90% of our time on site, where you will work alongside your mentor to design and implement experiments. It is expected that the candidate exhibit a growth mindset and begin to generate their own hypotheses, eventually taking ownership of projects as they progress through their career.

Responsibilities

Investigate methods for precision-based genome editing tools. Knowledge of gene regulation and gene regulatory elements is a plus. Contribute to the design, production, and analytical characterization of mRNA constructs to improve efficacy, safety, and stability. Perform routine cell culture and in vitro cellular assays to evaluate gene editing materials. Collaborate with cross-functional teams in analytical development, formulation, and preclinical research to support matrixed evaluations of editing technologies. Write protocols; perform experiments; organize, analyze, and interpret data; and document work in an electronic lab notebook. Summarize results in presentations and technical reports for internal partners. Assist with laboratory operations, including ordering supplies, preparing reagents, and maintaining a safe, efficient, and well-organized laboratory.

Skills & Qualifications

B.S. or M.S. in biological sciences, chemistry, biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, or a related field, with 2+ years of academic or industry lab based experience. Qualified applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full time basis. Lilly will not provide support for or sponsor work authorization and or visas for this role.

Additional Skills/Preference

Direct experience with CRISPR-based gene editing, mRNA design/synthesis, NGS, cell culture, and protein structure function relationships. Direct experience with in vitro transcription, plasmid design/synthesis, capillary electrophoresis, spectroscopy, ELISA, Western blotting, and nucleic acid extraction/purification. Strong diligence, critical thinking, and troubleshooting skills. Proven ability to communicate and collaborate. Prior experience with protein engineering, especially in the gene editing field. Non-viral delivery of large molecularly diverse cargo into cells. Experience using automation to enhance output. Proficiency in RNA chemistry and metabolism. Deep understanding of Eukaryotic DNA repair mechanisms.