Job Description

Date Posted: 12/04/2023
Req ID:35251
Faculty/Division: Temerty Faculty of Medicine
Department: Structural Genomics Consortium
Campus: St. George (Downtown Toronto)

Description:

The Senior Research Associate will facilitate the development and implementation of project plans including monitoring and coordinating activities to ensure successful delivery of chemical probe and chemical handle projects, and the advancement of open science principles and benefits. The position will be responsible for liaising with stakeholders of strategic importance to explore new opportunities for partnership models, which support the growth and sustainability of the Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC) and its open science mission.

• Develop and coordinate a research program to identify potent, selective and cell permeable compounds (Chemical Probes and Handles) for protein targets prioritized by the SGC, local and global academic and private sector partners
• Manage scientific activities and resources between SGC and each pharma and academic partner to effectively carry out the program. This includes coordination of the teams involved in assay development, small molecule screening, orthogonal testing of hit material, medicinal chemistry cycles and exchange of reagents, protein crystallization, cellular assays, all within competing timelines
• Set goals for the development of Chemical Probe and Chemical Handles at SGC Toronto.
• Manage and prioritize SGC target list for probe development with input from pharma and academic partners and SGC scientists.
• Collaborate and coordinate with the EUbOPEN Project Management team to monitor progress towards milestones, collate metrics, and prepare reports
• Develop networks and collaborations with the local and international recipient research communities to use Chemical Probes for target validation and in specific areas of chemical biology
• Contribute to development of additional partnerships with pharmaceutical companies
• Effectively communicate experimental results to cross-functional project teams who comprise internal and external stakeholders.
• Represent the organization at external conferences as requested and contribute to peer reviewed scientific publications and presentations at international symposia.
• Organize and chair project meetings with each partner every 6 weeks.
• Coordinate with collaborative partners to achieve objectives and milestones according to the Scientific Plan. This includes:

• establishing external collaborations, e.g., extra chemistry for probes, CROs for selectivity
• establishing internal EUbOPEN collaborations, e.g., linking skillsets across sites; critical mass on projects; and advertising new probe opportunities
• monitoring progress of probe pipeline, e.g., address need for 1 and 2 above; gaps/bottlenecks/success routes; and information needed for IMI reports
• Evaluate and/or apply new technologies such as affinity selection mass spectrometry, DNA-encoded library selection in combination with machine learning and variations thereof toward the Target 2035 goals of identifying a small molecule ligand for every protein
• Research ways to apply existing technology to hit-finding and validation of the dark proteome especially for protein-protein interaction domains
• Interpret biochemical, biophysics (SPR, ITC, FP, thermal stability), cell-based target engagement assays in the context of chemical ligand/probe projects
• Engage with the open science community via social media and other collaborative platforms with the aim to highlight and advance open science initiatives

Qualifications:

• Doctoral degree and 8+ years relevant experience
• Experience in biomolecular characterization such as chromatography, mass spectrometry and hyphenated techniques
• Hands-on experience in an academic environment on drug discovery related projects.
• Knowledge and understanding of the value of sound experimental design to ensure data integrity, and understanding of protein biotechnology methods as they are relevant to human and viral protein expression

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

Diversity Statement
The University of Toronto embraces Diversity and is building a culture of belonging that increases our capacity to effectively address and serve the interests of our global community. We strongly encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples, Black and racialized persons, women, persons with disabilities, and people of diverse sexual and gender identities. We value applicants who have demonstrated a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion and recognize that diverse perspectives, experiences, and expertise are essential to strengthening our academic mission.

As part of your application, you will be asked to complete a brief Diversity Survey. This survey is voluntary. Any information directly related to you is confidential and cannot be accessed by search committees or human resources staff. Results will be aggregated for institutional planning purposes. For more information, please see http://uoft.me/UP.

Accessibility Statement
The University strives to be an equitable and inclusive community, and proactively seeks to increase diversity among its community members. Our values regarding equity and diversity are linked with our unwavering commitment to excellence in the pursuit of our academic mission.

The University is committed to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). As such, we strive to make our recruitment, assessment and selection processes as accessible as possible and provide accommodations as required for applicants with disabilities.

If you require any accommodations at any point during the application and hiring process, please contact uoft.careers@utoronto.ca.

Closing Date: 02/05/2024,11:59PM ET
Employee Group: Research Associate
Appointment Type: Grant - Continuing
Schedule: Full-Time
Pay Scale Group & Hiring Zone: R02 -- Sr. Research Associates $60,304 - $105,332 - $112,416 (open)
Job Category: Research Administration & Teaching

University of Toronto