Senior Scientist - Molecular and Cell Biology

Mission

Almirall is a global pharmaceutical company with a focus on Medical Dermatology. Our goal is to develop novel therapeutics to tackle unmet medical need in the fields of immune inflammatory skin diseases, rare skin diseases and non-melanoma skin cancers.
We are seeking a talented cellular immunologist to join our Molecular and Cell Biology (MCB) team within Almirall R&D Department, based in Barcelona. The MCB team is the in vitro experimental engine of Almirall research, responsible for driving the development of cell models and assays for the inception and advancement of drug discovery programs.

Tasks and Responsibilities

• In collaboration with cross-functional teams, the cellular immunologist will design and execute plans to identify and assess new therapeutic targets of interest in in vitro and ex vivo models of dermatological indications with high unmet medical need.
• He/she will probe emerging methods for the development of physiologically relevant cell models of immune-inflammatory skin diseases and rare skin diseases, and characterize them using state-of-the art technologies including omics, spectral flow cytometry, and multiplexed immunoassays.
• In addition, as key member of drug discovery project teams, he/she will be responsible for the design and development of in vitro assays to characterize the function and mechanism of action of small molecules/biologics and to drive the understanding of their therapeutic potential.
• The candidate will bring a strong expertise in skin immunology coupled with an innovative drive and a passion for experimental work, should be comfortable working in a dynamic cross-functional team environment and should have demonstrated creativity in solving complex cellular biology challenges.

Education and Experience

• PhD with 2+ years of experience in Immunology is the minimum requirement, however, additional experience will be valued and the position can be adapted based on seniority level.

Specific Knowledge

• Experience with immune cells isolation, culture, differentiation, and activation. Background on human skin immunology, and experience with skin cells/ex-vivo skin biopsies is highly desired.
• Proficiency in immunobiology assays such as spectral flow cytometry, ELISA, Luminex, MSD and in RT-qPCR.
• Experience with gene editing (CRISPR) and gene modulation by siRNA/shRNA would be a plus.

Competencies

• Ability to propose innovative out-of-the-box solutions, critically evaluate data, generate testable hypotheses, and solve challenging interdisciplinary problems.
• Team player with ability to communicate effectively across several scientific disciplines

Values

• Care: we listen & empathize, we value diverse perspectives & backgrounds and we help each other succeed.
• Courage: we challenge the status quo, we take full ownership and we learn from our success & failures
• Innovation: we put the patient and customer at the center, we create novel solutions and we empower entrepreneurial mindsets.
• Simplicity: we act decisively and avoid over-analysis, we understand why before we act and we are agile & keep things simple.