Senior Scientist Bioscience - Cell Therapy

Senior Scientist Bioscience - Cell Therapy

Location: Waltham, MA

Onsite Flexibility: Onsite

Contract Details

• Position Type: Contract
• Contract Duration: 6 months (with possible extension or conversion depending on business need and candidate performance)
• Pay Rate: $60.00 $65.00 / Hour (USD)
• Work Authorization: Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.

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Job Summary

We seek a curious, collaborative Senior Scientist to advance cell therapies for autoimmune and other immunology indications. This hands-on research role requires efficient and competent experimental execution, strong cross-functional communication, and proactive project planning to advance programs in a highly matrixed environment. You will plan and execute in vitro functional assays to identify and validate cell therapy targets and modalities. You will work with program and project teams to make data-driven decisions to move programs from discovery toward translation. You will also help shape study plans and ensure timely delivery of milestones across functions.

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Key Responsibilities

• In vitro discovery: Lead cell therapy target validation and characterize activity of engineered cell therapies using human primary cells and functional co-culture assays; develop and optimize assays; preferred flexibility to additionally contribute to in vivo study design and execution in partnership with in vivo pharmacology.
• Data and analytics: Apply a rigorous, data-driven approach to experimental design, mechanism-of-action studies, and decision-making; use appropriate analytics and visualization; document work to high standards.
• Cross-functional collaboration: Translate scientific plans and results into clear objectives, risks, and decision points for clear communication across groups and to leadership.
• Project planning and delivery: Collaborate to maintain project plans and timelines; focus on experimental efficiency and track progress to milestones.
• Team and communication: Present results and recommendations to teams and leadership; foster a productive and collaborative lab environment.
• Executing complex immunological experiments for cell therapy programs (heavily focused on CAR T cell therapy).
• Running and analyzing assays (cytotoxicity, flow cytometry, T cell proliferation, phenotyping, cytokine quantification, possibly RT-qPCR).
• Planning and performing experiments with minimal hands-on guidance but with some overall project direction.
• Supporting current projects and priorities helping the team meet current study needs.
• Preparing and analyzing data, documenting results, maintaining lab notebooks.
• Potentially conducting data entry/analysis or experimental documentation during periods of lab shutdown (with some work-from-home possible during Cambridge site relocation).
• Working fully onsite (Cambridge; role moves from Waltham end of September).
• Participating in team meetings and collaborating with other scientists as needed.

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Required Skills

• In vitro expertise: Primary human cell culture and functional cell-based assays; multi-color flow cytometry; multiplex cytokine detection; assay development.
• Cell therapy experience: Work with engineered cell products (e.g., T cell subsets, CAR-based modalities); familiarity with CAR or antibody target discovery; experience with CAR T transduction and/or gene editing.
• Data proficiency: Strong experimental design, analysis, and interpretation; proficiency with tools such as FlowJo and Prism.
• Communication: Proven ability to communicate complex scientific concepts clearly to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Leadership and collaboration: Strong drive for discovery, scientific curiosity, collaborative mindset.
• Must have strong hands-on experience executing complex immunological experiments, especially with minimal supervision.
• Must bring a solid background in cell therapy, ideally CAR T cell therapy.
• CAR T cell therapy experience (non-negotiable).
• Flow cytometry (preference for spectral flow experience).
• Cytotoxicity assays.
• Able to plan and execute experiments independently with high quality and consistency.

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Preferred Skills

• T cell proliferation, phenotyping, cytokine quantification by MSD or intracellular staining.
• Familiarity with RT-qPCR.
• Advanced analytics: Experience integrating complex datasets to guide decisions.
• Autoimmune disease experience: Familiarity with in vitro and in vivo model systems for conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, etc.
• In vivo expertise a plus: Hands-on planning, oversight, and execution of murine in vivo studies using autoimmune disease models; animal handling; standard dosing and engraftment; analysis of pharmacodynamic, immunophenotyping, and efficacy endpoints.

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Education Requirements

• PhD in immunology, cell biology, or related field with 0 5 years of experience; or BS or MS with 10 years of experience in a related field (industry experience strongly preferred).

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Required Experience

• PhD in immunology/biology or related field (senior scientist level, 0 5 years post-PhD/postdoc); OR Bachelor's or Master's with 10 years hands-on experience for senior scientist level, or 5 10 years for scientist level.
• Industry experience preferred (biotech or pharma); strong academic CAR-T background also acceptable.
• Preference for experience from the discovery side (not process development, assay development, or CMC side).

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Nice-to-Have Experience

• Flexibility in experience level role may be junior or senior depending on FTE hire; candidate can be considered at Scientist or Senior Scientist level based on overall team fit.

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Work Environment / Physical Requirements

• Role is fully onsite; currently located in Waltham, MA, moving to Cambridge, MA later in the year (end of September).
• Some work-from-home may be possible during the Cambridge site relocation period (for data entry/analysis or experimental documentation during lab shutdown periods).

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Benefits

• Medical, Vision, and Dental Insurance Plans
• 401k Retirement Fund

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Important Notes

• This role is coverage for a medical leave, with possible extension or conversion depending on business need and candidate performance.
• Interview process: Initial video interview with hiring manager (approximately 30 minutes); second panel video interview (approximately one hour) with additional team members.

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About the Client

Industry: Biopharmaceutical / Life Sciences Typical Roles: External Communications Associate Director, QA Specialist - Cell Therapy, R&D Communications Director, Quality Assurance Work Type: Mixed Formatting Notes: Detailed job summaries with emphasis on science-led narrative and mission alignment; structured sections for responsibilities, education, and experience; consistent benefits listing; formal tone reflecting corporate pharma standards Compliance Watch: GMP/cGMP regulatory compliance mandatory for QA roles; GxP requirements specified; no visa sponsorship available; work authorization for ANY U.S. employer required; cell therapy roles require specialized regulatory knowledge Special Considerations: Contract-based positions (6-8 months) with possible extensions; strategic geographic locations (Gaithersburg MD, Santa Monica/Tarzana CA); R&D-focused roles emphasize scientific credibility and external stakeholder communication; cell therapy emerging as specialized focus area; preference for candidates with biopharmaceutical-specific experience; senior-level roles require comfort with executive-level engagement and global travel

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About GTT

GTT is a minority-owned staffing firm and a subsidiary of Chenega Corporation, a Native American-owned company in Alaska. We highly value diverse and inclusive workplaces and support Fortune 500 organizations across banking, financial services, technology, life sciences, biotech, utilities, and retail sectors throughout the U.S. and Canada.

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Job Number: 26-07847

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