Research Associate II, Therapeutic Discovery

Cambridge, MA

ABOUT US

Aera Therapeutics was founded by a world-class team of scientists, investors, and company builders with a shared vision to unlock the potential of genetic medicines across a broad range of modalities and therapeutic areas. We strive for excellence and an industry-leading position in our chosen delivery platforms, while aggressively hunting for opportunities where enabling delivery technologies can unlock applications of high, unmet medical need.

Leveraging deep expertise in the space, Aera has a leading LNP platform that enables today’s applications, while investing in and developing a potentially disruptive antibody oligonucleotide conjugate platform to enable tomorrow’s applications.

How will your role make an impact at Aera Therapeutics?

Aera Therapeutics is seeking a Research Associate II to support our extensive drug discovery platform from early drug discovery through translational research. Your role will support Aera’s therapeutic discovery research aiming to develop a new generation of genetic medicine, with a focus on in vivo CAR-T cell therapy. You will be asked to work together with cross-functional teams including Delivery Technologies, Molecular Biology, and In Vivo Operations. You will report into our Senior Scientist II, Therapeutic Discovery and you will be onsite 5 days a week in our Cambridge office.

You will:

• Isolate, culture, and manipulate primary immune cells, maintain immortalized cell lines.
• Design, run, and analyze flow cytometry experiments.
• Transiently engineer CAR-T cells via electroporation or transfection.
• Participate to the development of novel cell-based assays for evaluating CAR-T cell phenotype and function.
• Support in vivo experiments, especially with tissue processing.
• Maintain accurate and comprehensive records of experimental data within the laboratory information management system, ensuring data integrity and accessibility.
• Perform study preparation and organizational activities.
• Prepare and present data summaries to a diverse audience.

Qualifications:

• B.S. degree in Immunology (or related Biology field) with 3+ years, or M.S. with 1+ years of industry or academic experience.
• Proficiency in aseptic cell culture methods, including immortalized cell line maintenance and primary human immune cell isolation and culture.
• Experience running functional assays with T and/or CAR-T cells, including but not restricted to proliferation, migration, cytokine readouts (e.g. MSD, Luminex), in vitro cytotoxicity assays (e.g. Incucyte-, flow- or luminescence-based).
• Proficiency in acquiring, analyzing, and interpreting 5+ parameters flow cytometry data. Experience with spectral flow cytometry is a plus but not required.
• Experience with animal work, especially processing of blood and lymphoid tissues, is preferred.
• Collaborative mindset and ability to work in a cross-functional team is critical.
• Demonstrate organizational abilities, adept critical thinking, reliability, and commitment to the team’s success.
• Display desire and capacity to acquire new techniques and contribute to innovative projects through benchwork and literature review.
• Commitment to our Core Values: Respect, Integrity, Excellence, Impact

Benefits

• Healthcare
• 401K
• PTO
• Commuting subsidy
• Parental leave

The approximate salary range for this role is $74,000 - $84,000.

Our salary ranges are determined by job scope, level, and location. The range displayed on this job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position as posted. Within the range, individual pay is determined by a variety of factors, including job-related skills, experience, relevant education or training, and business need. In addition to the base salary, eligible employees will have an opportunity to participate in an annual cash bonus, equity incentives, and a robust benefits offering that includes health insurance, 401k retirement plan with company match, paid sick and vacation time, life and disability insurance, and commuting expense reimbursement.

Aera Therapeutics is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.