Senior Scientist, Retinal Degeneration

Job Title: Senior Scientist, Retinal Degeneration

Location: Cambridge, MA

About the Job

Are you ready to shape the future of medicine? The race is on to speed up drug discovery and development to find answers for patients and their families. Your skills could be critical in helping our teams accelerate progress. 

Sanofi is seeking an innovative and highly motivated scientist to spearhead

groundbreaking research to discover and validate novel therapeutic targets for blinding retinal diseases, including age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma. As a Senior Scientist in the Retinal Degeneration group within Ophthalmology Research, you will design, direct, and execute high-throughput screening experiments using functional genomic technologies and advanced cellular models to investigate disease mechanisms, determine genetic effects on disease processes, and evaluate candidate therapeutic targets. The successful candidate will work collaboratively in matrixed, cross-functional teams to generate, analyze, and integrate multimodal data to nominate new approaches for therapeutic intervention, with a focus on neuroprotective mechanisms for retinal diseases. This position offers the exciting opportunity to make significant contributions to vision-sparing therapies while working in a dynamic environment at the intersection of discovery biology and translational research.

We are an innovative global healthcare company with one purpose: to chase the miracles of science to improve people’s lives. We’re also a company where you can flourish and grow your career, with countless opportunities to explore, make connections with people, and stretch the limits of what you thought was possible. Ready to get started?

Main Responsibilities:

• Initiate, design, direct, and execute research studies to discover and validate targets for retinal diseases

• Apply genetic perturbation technologies (e.g., CRISPR, RNAi) to in vitro and in vivo models of retinal disease and degeneration, including primary and iPSC-derived cells

• Develop and implement scalable assays for profiling and functional evaluation of candidate therapeutic targets and preclinical drug candidates

• Perform arrayed and pooled screens on ocular disease models to determine effects of natural genetic variation and genetic, biologic, or small molecule perturbations (single, dual, and multiplex) on cellular programs, phenotypes, and biomarkers

• Analyze and integrate multimodal data to nominate therapeutic targets 

• Actively contribute to interdisciplinary research projects in a highly collaborative and matrixed manner across internal groups and with external partners.

• Prepare high-quality presentations and documentation to support project deliverables, publications, patent filings, and regulatory filings

• Communicate findings internally and externally through presentation and publication

About You

Basic Qualifications:

• Earned Ph.D. or advanced degree in molecular biology, cellular biology, or related discipline with 3+ years of research experience in a biopharmaceutical or academic setting

• Experience in ophthalmology research, ocular cell biology (e.g., RPE, RGC), age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, retinal disease and degeneration, and/or neuroprotection is essential

• Extensive cell culture experience, including work with primary cells, iPSC-derived cells, tissue explants, and/or other complex in vitro models relevant to ocular disease

• Demonstrated experience designing and conducting arrayed and/or pooled genetic screens using CRISPR-based technologies

• Experience in high-throughput assay development for functional readouts and/or profiling technologies

• Experience using automated high-throughput screening platforms and robotics

• Demonstrated experience analyzing data using computational approaches (e.g., R, Python)

• Experience preparing high-quality documents including experimental protocols, SOPs, technical reports, and presentations

• Demonstrated experience analyzing data using computational approaches (e.g., R, Python)

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with live-cell and high-content imaging and analyses is HIGHLY preferred

• Experience with multi-omics approaches (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics) for target discovery

• Experience with assays for ocular disease processes, such as barrier function, metabolic and oxidative stress, lipid metabolism, tissue remodeling, and inflammatory signaling

• Experience investigating the impact of natural genetic variation on cellular phenotypes and disease processes

• Experience with single-cell and profiling technologies

• Experience in translational sciences and drug development

• Experience with in vivo CRISPR screening

Skills and competencies:

• Ability to work independently as well as part of cross-functional teams in a highly collaborative and matrixed environment

• Ability to multi-task and adapt to rapidly changing priorities and deadlines

• Strong critical thinking, analytical, and problem-solving skills

• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively in a multidisciplinary team

• Strong attention to detail, including the ability to keep detailed lab records

Why Choose Us?

• Bring the miracles of science to life alongside a supportive, future-focused team.

• Discover endless opportunities to grow your talent and drive your career, whether it’s through a promotion or lateral move, at home or internationally.

• Enjoy a thoughtful, well-crafted rewards package that recognizes your contribution and amplifies your impact.

• Take good care of yourself and your family, with a wide range of health and wellbeing benefits including high-quality healthcare, prevention and wellness programs and at least 14 weeks’ gender-neutral parental leave.

Sanofi Inc. and its U.S. affiliates are Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action employers committed to a culturally diverse workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race; color; creed; religion; national origin; age; ancestry; nationality; marital, domestic partnership or civil union status; sex, gender, gender identity or expression; affectional or sexual orientation; disability; veteran or military status or liability for military status; domestic violence victim status; atypical cellular or blood trait; genetic information (including the refusal to submit to genetic testing) or any other characteristic protected by law.

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