{"id":2991328,"url":"https://alion.io/job/moderna-scientist-analytical-development","title":"Scientist, Analytical Development","company":{"id":5847,"name":"Moderna","domain":"modernatx.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/modernatx","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Workday","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":89,"open_postings":11,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.455,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":56,"computed_at":"2026-11-01T06:10:25Z"}},"role":"Biotech","role_family":"Biotech","seniority":"staff","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Norwood, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":109200,"max":174600,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":174600},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":10,"visa_sponsorship":true,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":true,"technologies":[{"name":"Design of Experiments","optional":false},{"name":"Next-Generation Sequencing","optional":false},{"name":"PCR","optional":false},{"name":"ICH Guidelines","optional":true},{"name":"LIMS","optional":true},{"name":"qPCR","optional":true}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-07T00:00:00Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-07","last_verified_at":"2026-11-01T07:08:44Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":25,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":25},"description":"The Role\nIn this role, you will develop, optimize, and implement sequencing-based analytical methods supporting mRNA-based vaccines, therapeutics, and emerging nucleic-acid modalities at various stages within Analytical Development. You will apply strong molecular biology and sequencing expertise across next-generation sequencing (NGS), Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) long-read sequencing, Illumina short-read sequencing, and related emerging technologies to characterize DNA, RNA, and mRNA products, assess critical quality attributes, confirm identity and sequence integrity, and detect product- and process-related impurities and variants. Success in this role requires hands-on scientific strength in assay and workflow development, a strong understanding of sequencing fundamentals and nucleic-acid sample preparation, effective partnership with Moderna bioinformatics, and cross-functional collaboration. You will own defined method-development workstreams, build robust and phase-appropriate analytical procedures, and help establish sequencing platform methods that can be leveraged across programs and ultimately transitioned into the broader analytical and Quality Control network.\nHere’s What You’ll Do\nDesign, develop, optimize, and execute sequencing-based analytical methods using Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT), Illumina, and other appropriate next-generation or long-read sequencing platforms for early- and clinical-stage DNA, RNA, and mRNA products.\nDevelop fit-for-purpose sequencing methods to assess relevant product quality attributes, including identity, sequence confirmation, sequence integrity, impurity profiles, structural variants, transcript heterogeneity, and other attributes requiring nucleotide-level or molecule-level resolution.\nTranslate product and control-strategy needs into phase-appropriate assay performance requirements, selecting appropriate sequencing modality, sample-preparation and library-preparation approaches, controls, reference materials, run designs, and analysis strategies for the intended use of the method.\nSystematically optimize critical assay parameters including nucleic-acid extraction and handling, reverse transcription or cDNA generation where applicable, PCR or targeted enrichment, library preparation, input amount, sequencing chemistry, run conditions, basecalling, and data-processing settings to achieve robust analytical performance.\nApply Design of Experiments where appropriate to understand assay robustness, establish specificity, accuracy, precision, linearity, range, detection capability, and other relevant performance characteristics, and identify scientifically justified operating ranges and controls.\nDevelop and implement ONT workflows including direct RNA sequencing, cDNA sequencing, targeted sequencing, and other long-read approaches, while evaluating complementary short-read methods when they provide meaningful analytical value.\nGenerate high-quality sequencing datasets and partner closely with bioinformatics scientists to establish fit-for-purpose analysis pipelines, quality metrics, variant-calling or sequence-comparison approaches, data-review standards, and reporting strategies.\nTroubleshoot complex sequencing and molecular-biology challenges and investigate unexpected analytical observations by integrating wet-lab, sequencing, bioinformatics, and orthogonal analytical data to develop scientifically sound hypotheses and solutions.\nDrive platform implementation by identifying opportunities to standardize and reuse sequencing assays, library-preparation workflows, controls, and analysis approaches across related products and modalities, reducing unnecessary method proliferation and accelerating future program development.\nPartner closely with Analytical Product Leads (APLs), Analytical Sciences, Product Characterization, Process Development, Research, Manufacturing Sciences, and other CMC partners to connect sequencing-method development with product understanding, process-development needs, comparability assessments, and evolving analytical control strategies.\nCollaborate with Analytical Technical Operations, Analytical Sciences & Technology (AST), Quality Control, Quality Assurance, Regulatory Affairs, and Bbioinformatics partners to support method pre-qualification, qualification or validation, technical transfer, downstream implementation, and regulatory documentation; author and review methods, protocols, development reports, SOPs, technical summaries, and supporting documentation.\nHere’s What You’ll Need (Basic Qualifications)\nPh.D. in Molecular Biology, Analytical Chemistry, Biochemistry, Genetics, Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or a related field with 0-2 years of relevant experience; or M.S. with 8+ years; or B.S./B.A. with 10+ years of relevant industry experience. Strong hands-on experience with next-generation sequencing technologies, including Illumina and/or Oxford Nanopore sequencing, together with molecular biology and nucleic-acid sample-preparation experience, is required.\nHere’s What You’ll Bring to the Table (Preferred Qualifications)\nStrong scientific foundation in next-generation and long-read sequencing, including sequencing chemistry, read-generation principles, sources of bias and error, assay controls, run-quality metrics, and the practical factors that drive analytical method performance and robustness.\nDemonstrated hands-on experience developing and optimizing Illumina and/or Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) sequencing methods; experience with direct RNA, cDNA, targeted, amplicon, or other application-relevant sequencing workflows is highly desirable.\nStrong expertise in molecular biology techniques including RNA and DNA handling, nucleic-acid purification, reverse transcription, PCR/qPCR, cloning or amplification strategies where appropriate, and sequencing library preparation.\nExperience developing sequencing-based methods for identity testing, sequence confirmation, impurity characterization, structural-variant detection, transcript or construct characterization, and/or sequencing-enabled multi-attribute analytical approaches.\nExperience supporting analytical development for mRNA, RNA, plasmid DNA, nucleic-acid therapeutics, vaccines, gene-editing or gene-therapy materials, or other advanced therapeutic modalities is preferred.\nWorking knowledge of bioinformatics and sequencing data analysis sufficient to partner effectively with computational scientists on basecalling, alignment, consensus generation, variant detection, quality metrics, data visualization, and fit-for-purpose reporting.\nDemonstrated ability to independently plan and execute assay-development experiments, interpret complex molecular and sequencing data, troubleshoot technical issues, and make data-driven recommendations within defined scientific objectives.\nUnderstanding of phase-appropriate analytical development and method lifecycle principles, including method development, robustness assessment, pre-qualification or qualification, technical transfer, validation, continued performance monitoring, and continuous improvement.\nFamiliarity with science- and risk-based analytical development principles, including ICH Q14/Q2 concepts, analytical target profile or intended-use thinking, structured experimental design, and establishment of appropriate assay controls, acceptance criteria, and system- or run-suitability metrics.\nExperience developing platform methods or implementing standardized sequencing, molecular-biology, or data-analysis approaches across multiple products, programs, laboratories, or modalities is highly desirable.\nExperience with sequencing instrumentation and associated software ecosystems, laboratory automation, liquid handling, LIMS or sample-tracking systems, and automated or reproducible data-processing workflows is a plus.\nStrong scientific curiosity, written and verbal communication skills, and demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively across Analytical Development, Bioinformatics, Process Development, APL, AST, QC, QA, Regulatory Affairs, and other multidisciplinary teams while maintaining scientific rigor, data integrity, laboratory safety, and high-quality documentation.\nOur Working Model\nAs we build our company, we have always believed that an in-person culture is critical to our success. This role is 100% onsite, reflecting the importance of being physically present to support the work, collaborate closely with colleagues, and contribute to our site-based operations.\nWorking onsite enables real-time collaboration, strong team connections, direct mentorship, and the hands-on partnership needed to deliver our mission. Join us in shaping a world where every interaction is an opportunity to learn, contribute, and make a meaningful impact.\nModerna is a smoke-free, alcohol-free, and drug-free work environment.\nPay & Benefits\nAt Moderna, we believe that when you feel your best, you can do your best work.That’s why our benefits and well-being resources are designed to support you-at work, at home, and everywhere in between.\nCompetitive healthcare, plus voluntary benefit programs to support your unique needs\nA holistic approach to well-being, with access to fitness, mindfulness, and mental health support\nFamily planning benefits, including fertility, adoption, and surrogacy support\nGenerous paid time off, including vacation, volunteer days, sabbatical, global recharge days, and a discretionary year-end shutdown\nSavings and investments to help you plan for the future\nLocation-specific perks and extras\nThe salary range for this role is $109,200.00 - $174,600.00. This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An individual’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, specific competencies, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, performance, and business or organizational needs.\n\nThe successful candidate may be eligible for an annual discretionary bonus, other incentive compensation, or equity award, subject to company plan eligibility criteria and individual performance.\nAbout Moderna\nSince our founding in 2010, we have aspired to build the leading mRNA technology platform, the infrastructure to reimagine how medicines are created and delivered, and a world-class team. We believe in giving our people a platform to change medicine and an opportunity to change the world.\nBy living our mission, values, and mindsets every day, our people are the driving force behind our scientific progress and our culture. Together, we are creating a culture of belonging and building an organization that cares deeply for our patients, our employees, the environment, and our communities.\nWe are proud to have been recognized as a Science Magazine Top Biopharma Employer, a Fast Company Best Workplace for Innovators, and a Great Place to Work in the U.S.\nIf you want to make a difference and join a team that is changing the future of medicine, we invite you to visit modernatx.com/careers to learn more about our current opportunities.\nEqual Opportunities\nModerna is committed to equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to a person's race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, ancestry or citizenship, ethnicity, disability, military or protected veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, marital or familial status, or any other personal characteristic protected under applicable law. Moderna is a place where everyone can grow. If you meet the Basic Qualifications for the role and you would be excited to contribute to our mission every day, please apply!\nModerna is an E-Verify Employer in the United States. We consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.\nAccommodations\nWe’re focused on attra...","description_format":"text","description_chars":13177,"description_truncated":true,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":10,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"phd","optional":false},"security_clearance":true,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Equity"],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Prescription Drugs","Vaccines","Infectious Disease Therapeutics"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-21T10:06:08Z"}],"visa":[{"country":"US","licensed_sponsor":true,"evidence":"H-1B filings in 12 months: 101 · green card filings: 27","filings_12m":101,"filings_prev_12m":150,"green_card_filings_12m":27,"median_offered_wage_usd":146797,"route":null,"cap_exempt":false,"checked_at":"2026-10-29T16:27:21+00:00","sources":["US Department of Labor: LCA disclosure data (H-1B, H-1B1, E-3)","US Department of Labor: PERM disclosure data (green cards)"],"filings_for_role_12m":0}],"liveness":{"score":81,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.903,"p_room":0.9,"age_days":25,"expected_fill_days":56,"reasons":["conf:10","velocity","win:mid","comp:brand"],"computed_at":"2026-11-01T06:10:25Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":174600,"is_top_pay":false},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/moderna-scientist-analytical-development","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/moderna-scientist-analytical-development.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-11-01T11:50:57Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":18347,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-02T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":5847},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=5847"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fmoderna-scientist-analytical-development"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fmoderna-scientist-analytical-development"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fmoderna-scientist-analytical-development"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/moderna-scientist-analytical-development\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fmoderna-scientist-analytical-development"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":2991328}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"modernatx.com","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":2991328},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. 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