Job Description

Zymeworks is a publicly listed (NASDAQ:ZYME) R&D and clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery, development and commercialization of next-generation, bispecific and multifunctional biotherapeutics, focused on treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases. Zymeworks’ suite of complementary therapeutic platforms and its fully-integrated drug development engine provide the flexibility and compatibility to precisely engineer and develop highly-differentiated product candidates. We are a global company headquartered in Vancouver, BC, with operations in Bellevue, WA, Dublin, Ireland, Singapore and Redwood City, CA.

About The Position

We are currently seeking a co-op student interested in ADME/DMPK to join the Analytics team. The successful candidate will be responsible for supporting in vitro profiling of potential drug candidates. The successful co-op student will frequently be challenged to critically analyze results and contribute to the Zymeworks team effort to create best-in-class therapeutics. This position reports to a Scientist in the Analytics group.

This position will be based in Vancouver, BC. The candidates must be available to work on site without relocation assistance.

The hourly wage for this co-op position is $21.00 CAD.

What You’ll Do

• The student is expected to participate in the design, validation, and implementation of ADME/DMPK assays to profile new drugs, drug-linkers, and antibody-drug conjugates:
• Implements and validates DMPK protocols for the characterization of new payloads and drug-linkers. For example:
• Plasma stability
• Lysosomal stability
• Kinetic solubility
• Plasma protein binding (PPB)
• Lysosomal trapping
• In vitro drug metabolism in different biological matrices
• Prepares samples (tissue preparation and extraction of analytes) for LC-MS analysis.
• Quantify drugs and/or drug metabolites using LC-MS/MSMS/HRMS and conducts data analysis using excel and GraphPad Prism.
• Performs experiments, interprets, and analyzes data, and prepares presentations for group meetings
• Administrative duties such as contributing to the writing of Standard Operation Procedures (SOPs)
• Conducts all activities in accordance with scientific standards, OS&H regulations, and established Zymeworks policies and practices
• Adheres to Zymeworks standard procedures for generating, documenting, and archiving data, maintaining an accurate, up-to-date electronic notebook
• Contributes to a safe and highly efficient laboratory environment through ordering of consumables, regular maintenance of reagent inventory, preparation of solutions, stocking of consumables, and maintaining a clean working environment

What You’ll Bring

• Currently enrolled in an undergraduate program in Chemistry, Biochemistry, or Biotechnology.
• Availability for an 8-month co-op term is required.
• Proven interpersonal skills with the ability to work collaboratively as a member of cross-functional team. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships
• Good organizational skills and the ability to work effectively in a high-paced, fast-changing environment. Results-oriented mindset
• Experience with in vitro assays is preferred
• Experience with characterization of small molecules using HPLC-MS and some familiarity with operating these instruments outside of the teaching lab is preferred
• Excellent oral and written communication capabilities
• Good computer skills particularly with MS Office suite and ChemOffice (ChemDraw)