Scientist I, Computational Biology

Job Description:

Company Overview

Founded over a decade ago, CRISPR Therapeutics is a leading biopharmaceutical company focused on developing transformative gene-based medicines for serious human diseases. The Company has evolved from a pioneering research-stage organization into an industry leader, marking a historic milestone with the approval of CASGEVY® (exagamglogene autotemcel [exa-cel]), the world’s first CRISPR-based therapy, approved for eligible patients with sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia. CRISPR Therapeutics is advancing a broad and diversified pipeline across hemoglobinopathies, cardiovascular, autoimmune, oncology, regenerative medicine and rare diseases. The Company continues to expand its leadership in gene editing through the development of SyNTase™ editing, a novel and proprietary gene-editing platform designed to enable precise, efficient, and scalable gene correction. To accelerate and expand its impact, CRISPR Therapeutics has established strategic collaborations with leading biopharmaceutical partners, including Vertex Pharmaceuticals. CRISPR Therapeutics AG is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, with its wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary, CRISPR Therapeutics, Inc., and R&D operations based in Boston, Massachusetts and San Francisco, California.

Position Summary

We are seeking a Computational Biology Scientist to join the Genomics and Computational Biology team at CRISPR Therapeutics. The scientist in this role will apply computational genomics to advance next-generation gene editing therapies toward the clinic, including characterizing gene-editing safety, tackling challenging bioinformatics and computational biology problems, and maintaining and developing the computational infrastructure, analysis platforms, and internal web applications that support this work. The successful candidate will collaborate closely with cross-functional research groups across the organization. The position requires strong computational biology and genomics skills, scientific rigor, attention to detail, and a passion for creating new medicines for patients.

Responsibilities

• Lead computational biology and genomics activities in a cross-functional drug development setting
• Develop and implement novel computational biology pipelines and methods in close collaboration with cell/molecular biologists to support therapeutic development and research activities
• Perform computational analyses to thoroughly characterize off-target gene editing to ensure the safety of CRISPR-based drug products
• Generate and test hypotheses on genome-scale data using analytical and statistical methods
• Author scientifically rigorous research reports to support IND submissions and other regulatory filings, and routinely present scientific findings to leadership to guide decision-making for therapeutic programs
• Maintain and develop the computational infrastructure and platforms used for reproducible genomic data analysis, including dedicated cloud computing environments
• Maintain and develop internal web applications that make analysis methods and results accessible to scientific stakeholders

Minimum Qualifications

• Ph.D. in computational biology, bioinformatics, genomics, computer science, or a related field, with 0-2+ years of industry experience. An M.S with an exceptional track record and eight or more years of relevant experience will also be considered
• Demonstrated record of developing successful computational pipelines for high-throughput DNA sequencing data and of using common bioinformatics tools (e.g., BWA, SAMtools, BEDTools, GATK, IGV)
• Proficiency in Python is essential
• Experience with Linux and with handling large-scale genomic datasets, and working knowledge of the development and maintenance of computational infrastructure in a cloud computing environment (e.g., AWS)
• Ability to work independently and effectively in a matrix environment, prioritize and manage multiple tasks simultaneously, and balance competing priorities
• Commitment to scientific rigor, accuracy, and meticulous attention to detail

Preferred Qualifications

• At least two years of industry experience developing bioinformatics tools for gene editing and/or clinical diagnostic applications
• Familiarity with programming languages, such as R and Java, and with workflow managers such as Nextflow
• Proficiency with the application of NGS tools to characterize the on-target, off-target, and translocation profiles of gene-edited cellular products

• Familiarity with sequencing platforms (Illumina, PacBio, Oxford Nanopore, 10x Genomics) and NGS library preparation methods

• Experience with web development frameworks (e.g., Django, Flask), front-end frameworks (e.g., React, Angular), and relational databases (e.g., MySQL)
• Proficiency with statistical and machine learning methods, and experience applying them to genomic data
• Excellent writing and presentation skills, with the ability to author rigorous scientific reports and communicate findings to diverse audiences; demonstrated record of authoring research reports to support regulatory filings (e.g., IND modules, Investigator's Brochures)

Competencies

• Collaborative – Openness, One Team
• Undaunted – Fearless, Can-do attitude
• Results Orientation – Delivering progress toward our mission. Sense of urgency in solving problems.
• Entrepreneurial Spirit – Proactive. Ownership mindset.

CRISPR Therapeutics believes in fostering a dynamic workplace that balances remote work flexibility with the benefits of in-person interactions. Our employees work at least three days on-site, creating a collaborative work environment, where we cultivate mentorship opportunities, increase cross-functional communication and offer opportunities for our employees to connect. Certain lab based and manufacturing positions are located fully on-site.

Scientist I: Base pay range of $120,000 to $130,000+ bonus, equity and benefits

CRISPR Therapeutics, Inc. 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.

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