Scientist II/Senior Scientist, mRNA Splicing

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Job description

Do you have the passion to join a group whose mission is to pioneer the discovery of a new class of medicines to treat diseases unaddressed by today's medicines? Does it excite you to be a part of a company with a focus on cancer and genetically-validated targets in other disease areas with unmet medical need? If yes, you may be a great fit to join Arrakis on our path to bring powerful new therapies to millions of patients.

Your Impact at Arrakis

The mission of Arrakis Therapeutics is to extend small molecule medicines into new realms of biology by discovering and developing compounds that selectively target RNA ("rSM"). By targeting distinct RNA structure/function relationships, Arrakis is generating drug candidates with novel mechanisms of action for molecular targets that are challenging to drug in disease areas with high unmet medical need.

The Arrakis platform is being built to drug RNA structures with small molecules targeting many aspects of RNA biology including splicing. The person in this role will help lead target identification and validation efforts for splicing, assay development, and mechanism of action characterization for programs. Leveraging your deep knowledge of splicing to drive innovative science to deliver novel therapeutics to patients will allow you to have a major impact on our mission. The ideal candidate will enjoy working in a collaborative, fast-paced start-up environment, leveraging a high degree of integrity, creativity and innovation.

Job Responsibilities:

• Leverage a deep understanding of the molecular mechanisms of splicing and proprietary internal resources to build a target identification and validation pipeline.
• Design, build, and validate genetic splicing reporters for target identification and validation, functional screens, and mechanism-of-action studies.
• Develop in-vitro and cell-based assays to monitor high priority splicing events in support of hit-to-lead programs.
• Internalize appropriate NGS methodologies to evaluate splicing at both the targeted and transcriptome-wide levels.
• Work effectively in a cross-functional capacity with the RNA biology, bioinformatics, assay development and chemistry teams to deliver high-quality results in an efficient manner.
• Record, communicate and present experimental outcomes effectively across the organization.

Requirements:

• Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology, Genetics, Biochemistry or equivalent.
• 5+ years of relevant experience required, with at least 2 years in industry.
• Strong foundational knowledge of mRNA splicing, including expertise in molecular biology methods (qRT-PCR, RIP, eCLIP, etc.) for interrogating splicing.

• Proven track record of scientific innovation, as demonstrated by peer reviewed publications and/or and patents.

• Experience in mammalian systems is strongly preferred.
• Ability to convince others to pursue a course of action and to communicate the big picture in an inspiring way.
• Proactive and efficient to enable high-quality results while fostering a positive work environment.

• Exhibits passion and excitement over work. Has a can-do attitude without losing objectivity.

• Adjusts quickly to changing priorities and conditions and copes effectively with complexity and change.

Interested in learning more about Arrakis? Click on the links below!

Arrakis is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, military service, veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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