Scientist, Research (Prevention & Beta Cell Survival)

JDRF is the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. Our mission is to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat T1D and its complications. To accomplish this, JDRF has invested more than $2.5 billion in research funding since our inception. We are an organization built on a grassroots model of people connecting in their local communities, collaborating regionally for efficiency and broader fundraising impact, and uniting on a national stage to pool resources, passion, and energy. We collaborate with academic institutions, policymakers, and corporate and industry partners to develop and deliver a pipeline of innovative therapies to people living with T1D. Our staff and volunteers in chapters across the United States and our five international affiliates are dedicated to advocacy, community engagement, and our vision of a world without T1D. For more information, please visit www.jdrf.org or follow us on Twitter @JDRF.

As a JDRF team member, you can look forward to interesting and challenging work, building strong relationships with fellow staff and our network of volunteers, and having a meaningful impact on the lives of everyone affected by this devastating disease. JDRF supports a diverse and inclusive workforce and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

JDRF’s goal is to increase access to T1D risk screening and monitoring by expanding programs that will identify at-risk individuals who could be protected from the consequences of losing beta cell function due to autoimmunity, and benefit from disease modifying therapies once approved. The position requires the skills, vision, and desire to explore and implement new approaches to accelerate research and development, leading to preventive and curative therapies for T1D. The candidate can look forward to interesting and challenging work by building strong relationships with the US and international diabetes research communities and having a meaningful impact on the lives of everyone affected by T1D.

The individual will directly contribute to the implementation, oversight, and advancement of an active research portfolio with a major focus on T1D prevention, and beta cell regeneration and survival within the Cures program. The Scientist will serve as an expert resource in this both internally and externally. Due diligence and landscape analyses activities are a requisite part of this active portfolio management. The position requires an in-depth knowledge of human biology in one or more areas such as immunology, genetics, cell biology and endocrinology, with strong understanding of these disciplines in the context of diabetes and/or other autoimmune and metabolic diseases. T1D risk screening is based on the presence or absence of islet autoantibodies (AAb) in the presymptomatic stage, but with T1D being a highly genetically influenced disease, the measurement of certain genetic markers has been shown to improve the estimation of rates of progression. In addition to identifying and facilitating opportunities for the development of diagnostic assays to detect AAb, the candidate will focus on advancing research aimed at defining genetic risks and rates of progression when combined with AAb measurement.

As Research Scientist, the candidate will work with multiple teams leading the JDRF Cures research program and liaise with other functional areas such as regulatory and health policy, marketing and communication, the JDRF T1D Fund, as well as community screening and monitoring.

This is a hybrid role with at least two days of office work per week.

• Being a critical and strategic thinker to maintain an active and successful research portfolio.
• Communicating scientific concepts and information both in writing and formal presentations targeted to expert and lay audiences alike.
• Strategy and Planning
• Summarizing results and progress from individual projects and overall portfolio in reports, blogs and presentations for senior management meetings and external research updates.
• Maintaining up-to-date scientific knowledge in T1D-relevant areas of human genetics, antibody-based diagnostic technologies, and beta cell stress for scouting new opportunities.
• Communication
• Performing scientific and budgetary oversight
• Liaising with researchers (from academia and industry), funding agencies, and JDRF’s lay community. Representing JDRF with various organizations to exchange information, develop collaborations, and address challenges of mutual interest where appropriate.
• Participating in and organize workshops, meetings, and briefings. Attending relevant scientific conferences and read relevant scientific publications to keep informed of scientific progress in T1D research.
• Monitoring and evaluating ongoing managed research grants and collaborative academic and industry grants, including the review and approval of project milestones. Convening evaluation meetings with external peer reviewers where necessary.
• Working closely with the VP and Directors of Research to enhance the JDRF research strategy in the areas of screening and beta cell regeneration/survival.
• Creating partnership-ready projects from the active portfolio through critical review and strategic planning.
• Partnering
• Serving as liaison for other JDRF teams including Marketing and Communications, Industry Partnerships, and Clinical Trial Management.
• Portfolio Review and Oversight
• Overseeing grant applications, contributing to the decision-making process, and serving as liaison for external scientific review panels.
• Identifying and coordinating the implementation of new opportunities to advance the JDRF mission.

Qualifications

• Must have published peer-reviewed articles.
• Minimum of 4 years post-graduate experience with significant experience in autoimmune and/or regenerative medicine disease research areas.
• Ph.D. or M.D. (or equivalent) degree required preferably in Immunology, Cell Biology, Genetics, Endocrinology, or related discipline.
• Strong collaborative skills including the ability to manage cross-functional teams and external alliances.
• Hands-on experience in supporting programs in disease prevention, autoimmunity and/or beta cell regeneration.
• Scientific and/or medical knowledge of diabetes, its current standards of care and knowledge of therapeutic landscape in immunologic, metabolic and (pancreatic) beta cell-based therapies.
• Excellent communication and public speaking skills and the ability to interface with all levels of personnel, volunteers, and external organizations. have excellent interpersonal and communication skills to interact with stakeholders and researchers in a highly dynamic and collaborative environment.

Target Salary - $95 - $110K

Essential Functions

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands or fingers, handle or feel objects, tools or controls. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, sit, reach with hands and arms, climb or balance, and stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl.

The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, and infrequently up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Additional Information

To protect the health and safety of our employees, all employees are required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and have a COVID-19 booster shot regardless of location or position. This includes those with remote status. Requests for medical, religious, and other exemptions will be considered on an individual basis. JDRF will comply with all federal, state, and local laws.

JDRF supports a diverse and inclusive workforce.

JDRF is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.