Research Specialist - Cell Culture

When joining PerkinElmer, you select an experienced and trusted leader in scientific solutions, with the support of a global service network and distribution centers, providing the right solution, at the right time, to meet critical customer needs.  With over an 80+ year legacy of advancing science and a mission of innovating for a healthier world, our dedicated team collaborates closely with commercial, government, academic and healthcare customers to deliver our broad portfolio of analytical solutions, and OneSource services.

Job Title

Research Specialist - Cell Culture

Location(S)

Cambridge, MA

Critical Skills:

• Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills
• Technical problem-solving skills and attention to detail
• Strong customer service skills complemented by an ability to listen to and interpret requests.
• Ability to read and interpret chemical labeling and hazardous signage.

Basic Qualification:

• Bachelor’s degree in Biology with 1-3 years experience in cell culture, general lab instrumentation, and cell-based assays in a laboratory environment required OR
• Associate degree in Biology with 3+ years' experience in cell culture, general lab instrumentation, and cell-based assays in a laboratory environment required OR
• High School Degree or equivalent with 7+ years' experience in cell culture, general lab instrumentation, and cell-based assays in a laboratory environment required
• Hands-on experience in the areas of mammalian cell culture and biochemical assays.
• An ideal candidate should be flexible, adaptable and able to communicate effectively and professionally in a fast paced, multidisciplinary environment.
• Strong background in cell line maintenance, differentiation, and characterization. Excellent aseptic technique is a must.
• Proficiency in designing and executing cell-based assays and biochemical assays.
• Familiarity with laboratory protocols, procedures, and regulatory compliance.
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks efficiently and maintain accurate records of experiments, results, and observations.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous experience in biotech and/or pharmaceutical drug discovery. 
• Experience with the any/all of the following: Incucyte, Li-Cor, BacMam, Lentivirus

Working Environment:

• Must be able to work in a laboratory, controlled environments requiring personal protective equipment (e.g., lab coat, safety glasses, etc.) in laboratory. 
• Job pace may be fast and job completion demands may be high. 
• Must be able to remain in a stationary position more than 25% of the time 
• The person needs to occasionally move between labs, corridors, adjoining rooms, and buildings onsite Frequently operate on instruments, objects, tools or controls, which will require regularly bending, squatting, stretching and reaching in order to perform in a service function.   
• Occasionally move or lift up to 25 pounds (potential for occasional lifting of up to 50 pounds). 
• Specific vision abilities required by this position include without limitation, the ability to observe details at close range distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus in order to perform the essential service functions of this position.   
• Occasionally operates a computer and other office machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine, and computer printer. 
• Employee may be required to handle hazardous waste according to local, state, and federal regulations.  Duties may include identifying, handling, generating, accumulating, storing and labeling hazardous waste. 
• Potential risk to lab-based hazards including but not limited to extreme temperature, biological materials, and hazardous chemicals.
• May be required to complete Medical Clearance, Respiratory Protection Training, and Fit Testing to wear a respirator as protection against hazards present in the laboratory environment.

The annual compensation range for this full-time position is $82,000 to $85,000. The final base pay offered to the successful candidate will be determined by factors including internal equity, work location, as well as individual qualifications, such as job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. 

We are seeking a Research Associate to join the Chemical Biology team at Merck in Cambridge, MA. This position will be responsible for supporting various aspects of drug discovery, particularly focusing on cell line maintenance, differentiation, and characterization. Additionally, the successful candidate will play a crucial role in designing and executing cell-based assays and biochemical assays.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support multiple ongoing large-scale cell-based projects that are critical to the success and future of the department.  
• Lab work will include cell culturing, cell proliferation, protein isolation, and viral transduction.
• Operate and maintain laboratory instrumentation and robotics, including liquid sample handling platforms.
• Preparation of cell pellets for histological processing. 
• Provide vials of tested, frozen cell lines to scientists.
• Isolate and cryopreserve primary PBMCs and further cell subsets from both whole blood and leukopaks.
• Isolate a variety of cell types from fresh blood daily in a timely manner.
• Isolate serum from whole blood.
• Maintain sterile technique while culturing isolated primary cells.
• Perform established flow cytometry QC protocols on a routine basis and analyze results.
• Generate and analyze data with the highest Data Integrity standards to include identifying and reporting unusual results/outcomes.
• Operate and maintain laboratory instrumentation including Mycoplasma onsite testing & clean-up as warranted.
• Interact with senior staff members as necessary.
• Ensure compliance with all R&D data integrity practices, ethics codes, standards and training, and safety training and practice
• Maintain training and compliance in areas of health and safety, security, environmental and operational aspects of daily activities in the working environment.

Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities of this job at any time

PerkinElmer is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability status, age, or veteran status or any other characteristics protected by applicable law. PerkinElmer is committed to a culturally diverse workforce.