Scientist, Nucleic Acids Computational Biology

BMS is advancing new frontiers of science with the next generation of innovative RNA medicines, committed to enhancing global health by unleashing the full potential of RNA medicines to treat human disease in ways that were not previously possible.

To achieve this vision, BMS is developing a first-in-kind RNA platform that integrates both established and emerging technologies and delivery mechanisms, excluding RNAi. The platform is engineered to extend the durability and half-life of BMS's novel RNA therapeutics and to broaden their delivery to a wider range of cell types and tissues. Leveraging state-of-the-art RNA and novel delivery technologies, the team plans to build an expansive portfolio targeting a broad spectrum of human diseases, with initial focus areas including vaccines, immunomodulation, protein replacement, and regenerative medicine.

Job Summary

We are seeking a highly motivated and innovative scientist to drive advances at the interface of RNA biology, computational modeling, and machine learning. In this role, you will design and implement cutting-edge computational approaches to uncover RNA structure-function relationships and to support discovery and development programs across the organization. You will work with complex datasets and build computational tools that provide high-throughput, data-driven insights to accelerate next-generation mRNA medicines.

The ideal candidate has a strong foundation in RNA biology, is proficient with RNA secondary structure analysis tools, and has hands-on programming experience in languages such as Python or R. You will work extensively in cloud-based, high-performance computing environments and apply modern software engineering practices to deliver robust, scalable, and well-documented computational solutions. This is a highly collaborative role, requiring close partnership with both wet-lab and dry-lab teams.

Responsibilities

• Build and implement custom mRNA optimization strategies to fine-tune expression, stability, immunogenicity, and function of the RNA payload.
• Innovate on mRNA designs by utilizing scientific literature to implement novel design principles.
• Collaborate within the RNA sciences team to generate and analyze NGS data from RNA structure probing and other RNA biology-directed experiments such as SHAPE-MaP, DMS-MaP, ribosome profiling, and RIP-seq.
• Lead cross-functional collaboration with experimental biologists, molecular biologists, and therapeutic project teams to design studies, set experimental priorities, and validate computational discoveries.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree with 5+ years of academic/industry experience, OR
• Master's Degree with 3+ years of academic/industry experience, OR
• PhD with no experience required

Preferred Qualifications

• Ph.D. +1 year in Computational Biology, Physics, Computer Sciences, or a related field
• Experience with diverse RNA sequencing modalities beyond standard RNA-seq (e.g., ribosome profiling, CLIP-seq, single-cell RNA-seq, SHAPE-seq, spatial transcriptomics)
• Experience applying AI/ML models to NGS datasets to elucidate RNA biology
• Utilization of computational modeling to evaluate nucleic acid functions
• Ability to dissect RNA secondary structure prediction concepts and computational tools
• Experience with programming or scripting languages such as Python and R
• Experience with cloud computing platforms and high-performance computing environments

Compensation (Cambridge - MA): $141,150 - $171,042. Additional incentive cash and stock opportunities may be available.