Research Associate, DNA Development

The Role:
Moderna is working to develop first-in-class messenger RNA (mRNA) based medicines. DNA and Enzymes Process Development, a process development team residing in Moderna’s Technical Development organization, has been tasked with development and implementation of processes to produce DNA and enzymes utilized in the production of RNA.

Our efforts in this area are growing, and Moderna is seeking a new team member to join the DNA and Enzymes Process Development Unit for a position based at the Norwood, MA site. In this role, you will have the opportunity to develop and commercialize production cell banks, vectors and processes to facilitate Moderna’s mRNA production processes, with a focus on applying state of the art molecular biology tools to develop rapid and low-cost methods for producing clinical grade DNA for Moderna’s research and clinical pipeline, as well as commercial applications. The incumbent will collaborate closely with Moderna’s core platform research, process development, analytical development and process automation teams to adapt existing technologies or develop new technologies for application in plasmid and enzyme manufacturing. Our goal is to enable clinical studies and commercial manufacturing, so you will work closely with multiple functions spanning development, technical operations and manufacturing.

The successful candidate must be able to work in a fast paced and highly dynamic environment, will have relevant academic and or industrial experience in microbial cell bank and DNA production process development, and will be able to contribute to both process development and production related activities.

Here’s What You Will Do:

• Develop improvements to cell banking processes and characterization.

• Help develop new technologies to optimize DNA production for research and clinical purposes.

• Perform assays to characterize or measure key quality attributes of nucleic acids and microbial cultures.

• Develop and characterize research cell banks at Moderna, and transfer to GMP for clinical production.

• Collaborate with manufacturing, MS&T, and quality groups to facilitate transfer of cell banks, as well as with development and operations teams for coordinated improvement efforts.

• Maintain thorough electronic lab notebooks and documentation records.

• Present results in cross-functional meetings.

Here’s What You Will Bring to the Table:

• B.S. in molecular biology, genetics, biology, or related field.

• 0-2 years of experience in an industrial setting.

• Experience with molecular biology techniques related to microbial cell line development (PCR, gene cloning, primer design, enzymatic reactions, bacterial transformation and cell culture).

• Preferred: Hands on work with microbial cell bank and DNA purification process development and/or production.

• Preferred: Hands on work with assay development supporting DNA production processes and methods.

• Outstanding communication skills (verbal and written).

• Ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.

• Ability to effectively collaborate effectively in a dynamic, cross-functional matrixed environment.

Moderna is pleased to provide you and your family with a comprehensive and innovative suite of benefits, including:

• Highly competitive and inclusive medical, dental and vision coverage options
• Flexible Spending Accounts for medical expenses and dependent care expenses
• Lifestyle Spending Account funds to help you engage in personal enrichment and self-care activities
• Family care benefits, including subsidized back-up care options and on-demand tutoring
• Free premium access to fitness, nutrition, and mindfulness classes
• Exclusive preferred pricing on Peloton fitness equipment
• Adoption and family-planning benefits
• Dedicated care coordination support for our LGBTQ+ community
• Generous paid time off, including:
  
  • Vacation, sick time and holidays
  • Volunteer time to participate within your community
  • Discretionary winter shut down
  • Paid sabbatical after 5 years; every 3 years thereafter
• Generous Paid Leave offerings, including 18 weeks of 100% paid parental leave for all new parents
• 401k match and Financial Planning tools
• Moderna-paid Life, LTD and STD insurance coverages, as well as voluntary benefit options
• Complimentary concierge service including home services research, travel booking, and entertainment requests
• Free parking or subsidized commuter passes
• Location-specific perks and extras!

Candidates should be aware that Moderna currently maintains a policy requiring all US-based employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and receive a booster shot once eligible . Newly hired employees must be vaccinated and boosted prior to their employment start date. Moderna is an equal opportunity employer and will provide a reasonable accommodation to those unable to be vaccinated or receive a booster where it is not an undue hardship to the company to do so as provided under federal, state, and local law.

About Moderna

In over 10 years since its inception, Moderna has transformed from a research-stage company advancing programs in the field of messenger RNA (mRNA), to an enterprise with a diverse clinical portfolio of vaccines and therapeutics across seven modalities, a broad intellectual property portfolio in areas including mRNA and lipid nanoparticle formulation, and an integrated manufacturing plant that allows for rapid clinical and commercial production at scale. Moderna maintains alliances with a broad range of domestic and overseas government and commercial collaborators, which has allowed for the pursuit of both groundbreaking science and rapid scaling of manufacturing. Most recently, Moderna's capabilities have come together to allow the authorized use and approval of one of the earliest and most effective vaccines against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Moderna's mRNA platform builds on continuous advances in basic and applied mRNA science, delivery technology and manufacturing, and has allowed the development of therapeutics and vaccines for infectious diseases, immuno-oncology, rare diseases, cardiovascular diseases and autoimmune diseases. Moderna has been named a top biopharmaceutical employer by Science for the past seven years. To learn more, visit www.modernatx.com .

Moderna is a smoke-free, alcohol-free and drug-free work environment.

Moderna is committed to equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to a person’s race, color, gender, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation or any characteristic protected under applicable law. Moderna will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities, in accordance with applicable law.