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Senior Associate Scientist, Ligand Discovery

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals
Cambridge, MA Full Time
POSTED ON 5/23/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 6/27/2026
Overview

The Delivery Sciences team at Alnylam is seeking a Senior Associate Scientist to contribute to our ligand discovery efforts for expanding RNAi delivery to all tissues. The successful candidate will help drive in vitro ligand selection campaigns, characterize ligand-receptor interactions, support antigen production and characterization, and evaluate ligands for tissue-specific RNAi delivery. The individual will need excellent organization and communication skills to work collaboratively across multiple groups in the research organization.

This position is onsite and will be primarily located in Cambridge, MA.

Responsibilities

  • Contribute to the design and execution of ligand selection campaigns using display technologies (e.g. phage/yeast display, MACS/FACS) against diverse membrane proteins.
  • Characterize ligand-receptor interactions using multiple biochemical techniques and cell-based assays (ELISA, BLI/SPR, flow cytometry, epitope binning).
  • Support library construction and hit sequence recovery using molecular biology techniques including PCR, cloning, and plasmid purification.
  • Assist with preparation and characterization of soluble and membrane-embedded protein antigens (e.g. fusion proteins, nanodiscs, VLPs).
  • Work collaboratively across multiple groups to evaluate ligands for tissue-specific RNAi delivery in vitro and in vivo

Qualifications

  • BS/MS in Biochemistry, Molecular/Cell Biology, Chemical/Biomedical Engineering, or related field with 3-5 years of experience in a biopharma setting.
  • Experience with sterile cell culture technique is essential (routine passaging, viability assays, transfection/transformation).
  • Experience with protein assays including ELISA, SDS-PAGE/Western blot, immunoprecipitation, SPR/BLI is strongly desired.
  • Experience with flow cytometry is preferred.
  • Experience with molecular biology techniques (PCR, cloning, plasmid prep, NGS library prep) is a plus.
  • Experience with preparative scale protein purification (affinity chromatography, SEC) is a plus.
  • Strong organizational skills, diligent record keeping (ELN, inventory management), and the ability to manage multiple projects in parallel.
  • Excellent communication skills (both written and oral) are essential.

U.S. Pay Range

$80,000.00 - $120,000.00

The pay range reflects the full-time base salary range we expect to pay for this role at the time of posting. Base pay will be determined based on a number of factors including, but not limited to, relevant experience, skills, and education. This role is eligible for an annual short-term incentive award (e.g., bonus or sales incentive) and an annual long-term incentive award (e.g., equity).

Alnylam’s robust Total Rewards package is designed to support your overall health and well-being. We offer comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, and vision coverage, life and disability insurance, a lifestyle reimbursement program, flexible spending and health savings accounts and a 401(k)with a generous company match. Eligible employees enjoy paid time off, wellness days, holidays, and two company-wide recharge breaks. We also offer generous family resources and leave. Our commitment to your well-being reflects our belief that caring for our people fuels the impact we create together.

Learn more about these and additional benefits offered by Alnylam by visiting the Benefits section of the Careers website: https://www.alnylam.com/careers

About Alnylam

We are the leader in RNAi therapeutics – a revolutionary approach with the potential to transform the lives of people with rare and common diseases. Built on Nobel Prize-winning science, Alnylam has delivered the breakthroughs that made RNAi therapeutics possible and are just at the beginning of what’s possible. Our deep pipeline, late-stage programs, and bold vision reflect our core values: fierce innovation, passion for excellence, purposeful urgency, open culture and commitment to people. We're proud to be a globally recognized top employer, where an authentic, inclusive culture and breakthrough thinking fuel one another.

At Alnylam, we commit to an inclusive recruitment process and equal employment opportunity. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their sex, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, religion, creed, physical or mental disability, pregnancy status or related conditions, genetic information, veteran or military status, marital or familial status, political affiliation, age, or any other factor protected by federal, state, or local law. Alnylam is an E-Verify Employer.

Salary : $80,000 - $120,000

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