Company Summary:

Empress Therapeutics is an early-stage biotechnology company pioneering Co-Evolved Molecules^TM, which represent elite starting points for drug development, and new molecular insights into health and disease.

The Empression^TM product platform uses artificial intelligence and principles from co-evolution and pharmacology to harness patient data and uncover novel disease insights and drug candidates.  Our mission is to turn Co-Evolved Molecules^TM into products that can diagnose, prevent, and treat a wide range of serious diseases.

Empress Therapeutics, Inc. was founded in Flagship’s venture creation engine, where companies such as Moderna Therapeutics (NASDAQ: MRNA), Rubius Therapeutics (NASDAQ: RUBY), and Editas Medicines (NASDAQ: EDIT) were conceived and created.  Since Flagship’s founding in 2000, the firm has originated and fostered the development of nearly 100 scientific ventures resulting in $19+ billion in aggregate value, 500+ issued patents, and more than 50 clinical trials for novel therapeutic agents. 

Position Summary:

We are seeking a motivated and talented Senior Scientist to join our Discovery Biology group to lead mechanism of action studies, identify and validate targets of Co-Evolved Molecules.  The ideal candidate will have a strong background in in vitro target validation and mechanism of action interrogation across multiple cell types such as immune cells, epithelial cells, fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and cell lines.  You will have extensive wet lab experience in multiple areas, including cell signaling and pathway interrogation using gene knockdown, small molecule inhibitors to probe pathways, phosphorylation analysis, pulldown assays, or ion influx analysis. You will be comfortable working on diverse projects and have the ability to develop in-house and outsourced capabilities. You will have an entrepreneurial orientation, excellent communication skills, and be a team player comfortable working in and contributing to a dynamic multi-disciplinary team environment. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Design and execute experiments to deconvolute mechanism of action, identify and validate protein targets of Co-Evolved Molecules.
• Contribute creatively to the company’s R&D strategy and help generate and test actionable biological hypotheses.
• Identify emerging methods, tools, and biology approaches, and implement when applicable.
• Collaborate closely with other scientists and research associates in the Discovery Biology team.
• Manage research with external parties, including academic collaborators and CROs to create comprehensive capabilities for MoA and target ID/validation studies.
• Report results to scientific team and management in an organized and timely manner.

Position Requirements:

• Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology or a relevant discipline with 3+ years of post-graduate research experience in industry.
• Extensive experience working with different types of in vitro systems such as immune cells, epithelial cells, fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and other cell lines.
• Broad skillset for pathway interrogation and target validation, including the use of gene knockdown tools, small molecule inhibitors/probes, phosphorylation analysis with conventional pulldown assays and ion influx analysis.
• Hands on ability to execute wet lab experiments, data processing, and ability to effectively communicate key scientific findings across the organization.
• Must have excellent organizational skills and attention to details.
• Ability to operate without supervision and independently propose and delegate logical progress with experimental design.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills with capability to convey technical information in a clear and concise thorough manner; competitive publication record is a strong plus.
• Self-driven, committed to team success, entrepreneurial, and quickly translate feedback into action.