Associate Research Scientist II (Pharmacology, PD / Efficacy)

Every Exelixis employee is united in an ambitious cause: to launch innovative medicines that give patients and their families hope for the future. In this pursuit, we know our employees are our most valuable asset. After operating in the challenging biotech sector for 25 years, we have a proven track record of resiliency in the face of adversity. The success of our lead product has provided a solid commercial foundation allowing us to reinvigorate our research efforts, and grow our team in areas such as Drug Discovery, Clinical Development and Commercial.

As we expand our global partnerships and further reinvest in R&D to help us discover the next breakthrough for difficult-to-treat cancers, were seeking to add talented, dedicated employees to power our mission.

Cancer is our cause. Make it yours, too.

The hands-on Associate Research Scientist II will support the in vivo pharmacology research program and contribute to the multidisciplinary research team by designing and executing in vivo studies to determine pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics relationships and efficacy of optimized leads. The successful candidate will be a highly creative scientist with a strong desire to succeed at the highest level.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
* Plan, design and implement animal studies of pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and efficacy for lead optimization programs under general supervision
* Compliance with IACUC protocols and AAALAC regulations in conducting general research duties within assigned area of responsibility
* Prepare and organize data for presentation using analysis and visualization software; present data and reports on project status at individual, group, and departmental research meetings under general supervision
* Maintain familiarity with current scientific literature relevant to the research experiments or program
* Maintain laboratory notebook in a complete, consistent, and concise manner in accordance with company intellectual property policies and practices
* Adhere to good health and safety practices and compliance with applicable EH&S rules and participate in mandatory safety training programs
* Collaborate with the IACUC committee to ensure compliance with internal policies and animal welfare regulations.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:
* None

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE/SKILLS:
Education:
* BS degree in related discipline and six to eight years of related industry experience; or,
* MS degree in related discipline and four to six years of related industry experience; or,
* Equivalent combination of education and experience.

Experience:
* Proficiency with in vivo techniques including iv, ip, sc, po administration, and blood collection (tail vein, retro-orbital, cardiac puncture, and submandibular etc.) is required
* In-depth experience with animal tumor model development and execution; including, but not limited to syngeneic, xenograft, PDX and humanized mouse models is essential
* Expertise in cell culture with aseptic technique and scale-up for tumor implantation is required
* Ability to conduct organ harvesting; transcardial perfusion and fixation from small animals
* Adept at sample processing, homogenization, or generation of single-cell suspensions for ex vivo analysis
* Good understanding of how the individual experiments fit within a larger research program to meet organizational goals
* General understanding and application of scientific principles, theories and concepts in field of specialty and other related disciplines

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:
* Excellent data analysis skills and experience with a variety of scientific software applications
* Strong communication skills, excellent work ethic, self-motivation, and ability to work effectively in a either a team environment or independently
* Has flexibility to accommodate to fast-paced work environment and deadlines
* A broad understanding of in vitro and in vivo Pharmacology, PK, PD concepts within the cancer biology field is essential
* Ability to adapt to changing work conditions
* In vivo skills include but not limited to animal handing, dosing with different routes, blood/tissue collection, perfusion, necropsy, tumor measurement, clinical observation, rodent survival surgeries, and imaging modalities
* Understanding of regulatory requirements to run an in vivo facility
* Advanced knowledge of MS office, PDF, GraphPad prism and ELN notebook is required. Capability of using Studylog is preferred.
JOB COMPLEXITY:
* Work on problems of diverse scope where analysis of data requires evaluation of identifiable factors
* Exercises judgment in selecting methods, techniques and evaluation criteria for obtaining results
* Use professional concepts and company policies and procedures to solve a wide range of difficult problems in imaginative and practical ways

#LI-VB1

DISCLAIMER

The preceding job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to the job.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.