Principal Scientist – Drug Discovery (Diabetes) Full-time

Principal Scientist – In Vitro Pharmacology & Biology

Facility: Research Location: Lexington, MA, US

About the Department: Diabetes in vitro Biology is a department within the Diabetes US Research area, Diabetes & complications therapeutic area, dedicated to research within the cardio-metabolic field, in particular diabetes. This department has a focus towards building a state-of-the-art research platform, target identification, validation and in vitro evaluation of novel treatment options, working closely with our Danish part of the organisation. Currently, the department consists of 12 employees. We work in a flexible, collaborative, and cross-functional setting, while keeping focus on quality and goals in an informal environment.

The Position: Your key responsibilities will be to significantly impact our diabetes pipeline, which includes identification and evaluation of novel therapeutic targets, initiation of innovative drug discovery projects and maturing these through the early pipeline towards first in human. As a scientific lead you will have the opportunity to guide a global, highly collaborative team in the discovery efforts and give advice to the respective management teams. Furthermore, the successful candidate will be contributing to the expansion of our translational in vitro research platforms. With your translational mindset and background within Diabetes and metabolic disease, you will be responsible for the establishment and utilization of relevant molecular approaches, cellular assays, and read-outs in order to investigate the mode-of-action of novel drug candidates and to progress our research projects. You have the ability to lead several complex tasks in a fast-paced environment, making clear decisions, accelerating the path towards new treatment options for patients living with Diabetes. Part of your job will be guiding colleagues, as well as contributing to lab related activities, sharing knowledge and scientific insights with your colleagues. You are expected to present your results to project teams and management using strong communication skills and to stay on top of the scientific literature within Diabetes and metabolic disease. Maintaining a broad scientific network is a key to success and you are expected to foster and sustain external collaborations.

Relationships: Reports to the head of the relevant department at Novo Nordisk. Internal relationships include working closely with technical staff & other members of the scientific leadership team; regular collaborations with members of other research departments at Novo Nordisk; & frequent interaction with project managers & other colleagues across global R&D. Individual may direct the work of other staff members. Individual will interact with external research collaborators both academia- & industry-based. The teams located in facilities in Waltham, Lexington, Cambridge and Plainsboro reflect the full R&D continuum within the US, from early research through late-stage clinical development. The department is part of our Research & Development organization, which brings together the best minds in life science innovation.

Essential Functions: Conduct and summarize non-clinical in vitro studies Implement strategies and operations for conducting and summarizing non-clinical in vitro studies Support progression of pipeline projects as project manager and biological coordinator Ensure adherence to protocols and regulatory requirements in the execution of in vitro studies Analyse and interpret data from in vitro studies to provide insights and recommendations for new drug evaluations Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure the successful implementation of experiments and the generation of high-quality data Develop and improve in vitro models supporting non-clinical studies Identify and evaluate new therapeutic targets and principles by exploring and improving in vitro models Contribute to the design and validation of new in vitro models to support target validation, target maturation, and mode-of-action studies Stay updated on the latest scientific advancements and technologies related to in vitro models and propose innovative approaches for their development and utilization Communicate data internally, externally, and in regulatory submissions Prepare clear and concise reports summarizing in vitro study findings for internal stakeholders, external collaborators, and regulatory submissions Present in vitro data and its implications to cross-functional teams, management, and external partners Ensure the accurate and timely communication of in vitro data to support decision-making processes and regulatory requirements

Qualifications: Master's degree with 12+ years of relevant experience, or PhD with 8+ years of relevant experience required Proven scientific track-record and a thorough understanding of Diabetes pathophysiology and relevant in vitro systems, including experience with target ideation and maturation, preferred Experience in small molecule drug development paths, preferred. Strong knowledge and understanding of the pharmaceutical industry and drug discovery processes Demonstrated ability to communicate and present scientific data internally, externally, and in regulatory submissions Understanding and experience using systems biology, bioinformatic analysis, scRNAseq/snRNAseq and RNAseq analyses, preferred Experience in developing and improving in vitro models supporting non-clinical studies Track record of identifying and exploring new therapeutic targets and principles Mentorship experience in the field of expertise is preferred