Research Associate I/II, Pharmaceutical Sciences

Company Description

Vivtex develops better and safer oral therapeutics through continuous innovation using advanced gastrointestinal tissue high throughput assays, formulation techniques, and computational models. The company originated based on a groundbreaking GI tissue screening technology from MIT invented by Robert Langer, Giovanni Traverso, and Thomas von Erlach. Through strategic partnerships with major global pharmaceutical and leading biotechnology companies, Vivtex has managed to advance multiple new oral therapeutics towards the clinic with drastically shorter development times and better oral exposure compared to the existing state of the art. Vivtex is determined to continuously expand its technology platform to further accelerate the creation of best-in-class next generation oral drugs. The company has a rapidly growing team and research sites in both Boston, MA and Zurich, Switzerland.

Job Description

We are currently seeking a highly motivated, driven, and collaborative Research Associate with a background in pharmaceutical sciences or related fields to contribute to the company’s R&D program. The chosen candidate must possess an outstanding track record that demonstrates a proven ability to drive research progress, including the ability to independently design, implement, and troubleshoot experiments and effectively present and communicate results.

Responsibilities will involve laboratory and operational roles, including:

• Prepare and optimize oral drug formulations based on hit formulations identified through high-throughput screening assays.
• Design and prepare solid dosage formulations
• Assess physicochemical properties of formulation blends and dosage forms, such as solubility, stability, dissolution, and particle size.
• Drive formulation efforts forward by independently designing and performing critical experiments in collaboration with cross-functional teams.
• Contribute to the high-throughput permeation enhancer discovery using Vivtex's proprietary GI-ORIS platform
• Routine lab support such as buffer preparation, glassware sterilization, and lab inventory management. Shipping and receiving samples between internal and external sites.
• Maintain accurate, detailed, and organized laboratory notebook documenting procedures, data, and results.

Required Qualifications:

• 1 to 3 years of experience in a wet lab setting
• B.S./M.S. in pharmaceutical sciences or related fields
• Working knowledge or hands on experience with analytical techniques such as Mass spectrometry, HPLC/SEC, and UV-Vis Spectroscopy, from method development to analysis
• Previous relevant wet-lab research experience, including weighing, mixing, and preparing oral dosage forms
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment
• Highly collaborative and self-driven

Additionally desired but not essential qualifications:

• Familiarity with drug delivery systems (e.g., lipid-based formulations, nanoparticles, lyophilization, delayed release)
• Familiarity with data processing and visualization software (graphpad prism, excel, or R)

Successful candidates will receive a competitive salary and benefits package.