Staff Scientist

Overview

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center is an independent, nonprofit organization providing adult cancer treatment and groundbreaking research focused on cancer and infectious diseases. Based in Seattle, Fred Hutch is the only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in Washington.

With a track record of global leadership in bone marrow transplantation, HIV/AIDS prevention, immunotherapy and COVID-19 vaccines, Fred Hutch has earned a reputation as one of the world’s leading cancer, infectious disease and biomedical research centers. Fred Hutch operates eight clinical care sites that provide medical oncology, infusion, radiation, proton therapy and related services, and network affiliations with hospitals in five states. Together, our fully integrated research and clinical care teams seek to discover new cures to the world’s deadliest diseases and make life beyond cancer a reality.

At Fred Hutch we value collaboration, compassion, determination, excellence, innovation, integrity and respect. Our mission is directly tied to the humanity, dignity and inherent value of each employee, patient, community member and supporter. Our commitment to learning across our differences and similarities make us stronger. We seek employees who bring different and innovative ways of seeing the world and solving problems.

The Cohn Laboratory (led by Lillian Cohn, Assistant Professor) in the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division (VIDD) at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center studies how human immunity is established, maintained, and remodeled by infection over the course of a lifetime. The laboratory asks why individuals differ in their capacity to control infection and how immune memory is built and eroded by age and repeated exposure. To address these questions, the laboratory develops novel approaches to characterize both host and pathogen by combining laboratory techniques and innovative computational analyses.  

The Staff Scientist will lead studies of human immune memory and immune control in longitudinal cohorts, with responsibility for the design, execution, and analysis of high-resolution sequencing and single-cell immune profiling of clinical samples. The Staff Scientist will take primary scientific responsibility for one or more cohort studies, develop methods that extend the laboratory’s sequencing approaches to new pathogens and new questions in human immunology, mentor graduate students and technical staff, and contribute to manuscripts and grant applications as a senior author and co-investigator. 

Responsibilities

Reporting directly to Dr. Cohn, the Scientist will coordinate and carry out activities including, but not limited to: 

• Lead development and conduct of assays to assess immune responses: 
  • Methods include high-dimension multiparameter flow cytometry, FACS sorting, molecular biology, genomics, single cell assays  
  • Supervise, mentor, and train less experienced lab members 
  • Coordinate analysis of data, sometimes with tight timelines, for scientific publications and presentations 
  • Establish new technologies in the lab 
  • Prepare and/or review experimental procedures, assay plans, reports and other related documents
• Interface with collaborating researchers: 
  • Participate in both formal and informal sharing of data amongst collaborating researchers 
  • Contribute to grant applications, progress reports and manuscripts 
  • Present data at meetings and conferences
• Other duties and projects as assigned 

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Ph.D. or M.D. in Immunology (or related field), evidence of independent research, and strong publication record 
• Experience with molecular biology, cloning, PCR/qPCR, next generation sequencing, and single cell assays, including downstream data analysis, is required. 
• A candidate with experience in designing and conducting multi-color flow cytometry is required 
• Proficiency in the relevant computer programs/languages is needed: FlowJo and/or other flow analysis program, Python, and/or R statistical analysis program 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Excellent communication (oral and written) and problem-solving skills are required  
• Motivation and adaptability are essential, as is a keen interest in the infectious disease and immunology fields   
• Duties will require working in a team-oriented research environment and serving in a supervisory capacity. A strong background in collaborative team leadership, positive communication and project completion is preferred 
• Special qualifications: willingness to work with biohazardous materials (e.g., HIV-1) and rare human samples is preferred 
• A successful candidate will show curiosity and an initiative to learn new techniques, exceptional organizational and communication skills, be creative and innovative in their experimental design, and feel comfortable with a leadership role. 

The annual base salary range for this position is from $87,025 to $198,744, and pay offered will be based on experience and qualifications. This position may be eligible for relocation assistance.Although Fred Hutch is not sponsoring most H-1B visas at this time, candidates who already hold an H-1B sponsored by another organization and are currently in the U.S. may be eligible for this position.Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center offers employees a comprehensive benefits package designed to enhance health, well-being, and financial security. Benefits include medical/vision, dental, flexible spending accounts, life, disability, retirement, family life support, employee assistance program, onsite health clinic, tuition reimbursement, paid vacation (22 days per year), paid sick leave (up to 30 calendar days per occurrence of a qualifying reason), paid holidays (up to 13 days per year), and paid parental leave (up to 4 weeks).

Additional Information

We are proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, ancestry, national origin, sex, age, disability (physical or mental), marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, political ideology, or membership in any other legally protected class. We desire priority referrals of protected veterans. If due to a disability you need assistance/and or a reasonable accommodation during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to Human Resources at [email protected] or by calling 206-667-4700.