Group Leader - Immune Reset

Use Your Power For Purpose 

As an Associate Research Fellow at Pfizer, you will play a pivotal role in advancing our mission to improve patients' lives. You will be at the forefront of scientific innovation, contributing to groundbreaking research that has the potential to transform healthcare and bring hope to millions of patients worldwide. Research and Development is at the heart of fulfilling Pfizer’s purpose as we work to translate advanced science and technologies into the therapies and vaccines that matter most. Whether you are in the discovery sciences, ensuring drug safety and efficacy or supporting clinical trials, you will apply cutting edge design and process development capabilities to accelerate and bring the best in class medicines to patients around the world.  

The Inflammation and Immunology Research Unit is seeking an accomplished Scientist to lead a new Immune Cell Reset Group within the I&I Discovery team in Cambridge, MA. This role will provide scientific, strategic, and people leadership for a multidisciplinary team advancing innovative cellular depletion approaches for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The successful candidate will have a strong track record in drug discovery, spanning target identification and validation through candidate nomination, with preferred expertise in preclinical assay development, mammalian genetics, systems biology, and the biological architecture of autoimmune, inflammatory and fibrotic disease. Experience leading programs using antibody, multispecific, ADC, TCE, or other innovative immune cell–depleting modalities is essential. The candidate must have experience collaborating effectively across discovery biology, translational sciences, pharmacology, safety, systems immunology, and other platform groups, while establishing productive external collaborations with leading academic investigators and key opinion leaders. A strong publication record and demonstrated experience managing and developing bench-based scientists are perferred.

How You Will Achieve It  

• Lead the Immune Reset Group within the I&I RU - Discovery. Responsible for refining the strategy and biology focus within this area to support and advance the portfolio.
• Provide biology expertise to internal teams that helps pave the way for next-generation therapies that leverage cell depletion approaches to develop next generation therapies for rheumatological, dermatological, gastroenterological, neurological, and respiratory diseases.
• Core member of the Discovery Leadership Team, to support advancement of Immune system reset biology and selective cell depletion approaches into the drug discovery pipeline.
• Proven experience in managing, growing and developing highly talented scientists.
• Drive performance by Leading from the Bench. Including the ability to design and execute on key experiments to inform decision-points (GO / NO-GO) at critical stages of projects.
• Help develop and execute a visionary drug development pipeline in alignment key scientific objectives in discovery immunology research.
• Highly collaborative, team-oriented, and considerate of the needs of others.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate with diverse groups within the organization and external partners.
• Highly organized & self-directed, capable of leading multiple complex research programs in parallel.
• Excellent written and verbal communication is required as well as critical evaluation and data-driven decision making.
• Provide expert advice and share knowledge with direct reports, peers, and senior leadership.

• Establish and manage external collaborations with leading research labs around the world. Includes attendance / presentation at conferences and submission of publications.

Qualifications  

 Here Is What You Need (Minimum Requirements)

• Excellent academic training with a PhD, MD or MD/PhD equivalent degree(s).
• 5+ years of related work experience in academia, biotech or pharma.
• Proven track record of developing, leading and influencing early-stage discovery programs.
• Deep immunology expertise, with emphasis on understanding how cell depletion approaches canpotentially raise the treatment ceiling for patients with autoimmune disease.
• Extensive experience in Immunology drug discovery within a high-caliber research environment such as biotech or pharma.
• Ability to create an inclusive environment where diverse ideas, viewpoints and backgrounds are valued.
• Demonstrated commitment to developing talent, fostering inclusion, and creating a high-performing team culture grounded in scientific excellence, rigor, integrity, and Pfizer values. 

Bonus Points If You Have (Preferred Qualifications)  

• Demonstrated ability to work with teams, establish and cultivate networks, and maintain productive and congenial collaborations.  
• Personnel management experience in coaching and mentoring junior scientists and in generating motivation and passion in a team. 
• Experience using common AI tools, including generative technologies such as ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot, to support problem solving and enhance.
• Willingness and ability to lead inclusively and demonstrate a commitment to listen and consider all points of view.
• Ability to work, influence, lead and deliver results in cross-functional teams.
• Excellent written, presentation and interpersonal communication skills. Ability to be effective in a highly collaborative environment. Several first or senior author publications in high impact journals
• Demonstrated ability to build trusted, productive relationships across multidisciplinary teams and functions, including biology, translational sciences, pharmacology, safety, systems immunology, platform technologies, clinical partners, and external collaborators.
• Strong learning agility, with the ability to rapidly assimilate complex scientific, technical, and strategic information; identify the essential issues; and adapt direction based on emerging data, portfolio priorities, or business needs.
• Scientific curiosity and a continuous-improvement mindset, with a track record of challenging assumptions, raising scientific standards, and advancing innovative approaches beyond the status quo.
• Proven ability to lead with accountability, sound judgment, and data-driven decision-making in a fast-paced discovery research environment.
• Effective communicator and collaborative leader who can influence without authority, align diverse stakeholders, and clearly articulate scientific rationale, risks, and recommendations to project teams and senior leaders.
   

·         Note: Hiring Manager to include tools, models and system examples based on the specific requirements. 

 
Candidate demonstrates a breadth of diverse leadership experiences and capabilities including: the ability to influence and collaborate with peers, develop and coach others, oversee and guide the work of other colleagues to achieve meaningful outcomes and create business impact.

Work Location Assignment: This is a hybrid role requiring you to live within commuting distance and work on-site an average of 2.5 days per week.

The annual base salary for this position ranges from $162,900.00 to $271,500.00. In addition, this position is eligible for participation in Pfizer’s Global Performance Plan with a bonus target of 20.0% of the base salary and eligibility to participate in our share based long term incentive program. We offer comprehensive and generous benefits and programs to help our colleagues lead healthy lives and to support each of life’s moments. Benefits offered include a 401(k) plan with Pfizer Matching Contributions and an additional Pfizer Retirement Savings Contribution, paid vacation, holiday and personal days, paid caregiver/parental and medical leave, and health benefits to include medical, prescription drug, dental and vision coverage. Learn more at Pfizer Candidate Site – U.S. Benefits | (uscandidates.mypfizerbenefits.com). Pfizer compensation structures and benefit packages are aligned based on the location of hire. The United States salary range provided does not apply to Tampa, FL or any location outside of the United States.

Relocation assistance may be available based on business needs and/or eligibility.

Candidates must be authorized to be employed in the U.S. by any employer.

U.S. work visa sponsorship (such as TN, O-1, H-1B, etc.) is not available for this role now or in the future.

To learn more about acceptable and prohibited uses of AI during the recruitment process, please review our candidate AI-use guidelines available on Pfizer Careers.

Research and Development