Principal Research Associate, Analytical Development

The Role: Joining Moderna means advancing mRNA science to transform medicine. Work with exceptional global teams on a broad pipeline and build a career that makes a real difference for patients. Moderna is strengthening its presence in Norwood, Massachusetts, a cornerstone of our manufacturing and operational excellence. Our Norwood campus translates mRNA science into scalable impact, supporting the global delivery of our medicines. We welcome talent ready to drive innovation and make a meaningful difference for patients worldwide. In this role, you will serve as a critical bridge between Analytical Development and Quality Control, ensuring that cell-based bioassays are robust, transferable, and fully operational across development, clinical, and commercial testing environments. As a Principal Research Associate, you will bring deep technical expertise in potency assays to translate development-stage methods into QC-ready assays, proactively addressing challenges related to transfer, readiness, and lifecycle performance. Working as an individual contributor in a 100% onsite environment in Norwood, you will collaborate cross-functionally while leveraging advanced digital tools and Generative AI to enhance assay transfer, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement. Here’s What You’ll Do: Serve as a liaison between Analytical Development and Quality Control, ensuring alignment on cell-based bioassay expectations, readiness, and performance Represent bioassay method development in cross-functional forums with Analytical Sciences & Technology (AS&T) and QC Ensure bioassays are designed to meet appropriate technical, operational, and regulatory requirements prior to qualification or validation Serve as bioassay subject matter expert for investigations and troubleshooting of assay performance issues across development and QC environments, identifying root causes, testing hypotheses, and implementing solutions Lead assay optimization and continuous improvement efforts based on operational feedback, robustness requirements, and lifecycle needs Collaborate with Quality and AS&T teams to support deviation investigations, CAPAs, and change controls related to analytical methods Analyze and interpret complex datasets to inform bioassay performance, variability, and comparability Author and review technical documentation including protocols, reports, and method lifecycle documents Contribute to cross-functional strategy discussions related to bioassay and analytical control strategies The key Moderna Mindsets you’ll need to succeed in the role: “We behave like owners. The solutions we’re building go beyond any job description.” “We remove viscosity to encourage collective action.” Here’s What You’ll Need (Basic Qualifications) BS degree with ≥5 years, or MS degree with ≥2 years of relevant industry experience in Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Immunology, Biological Engineering or related field Strong hands-on experience with cell-based bioassays and/or other relevant bioanalytical methods Experience with flow cytometry, ELISA, HPLC, mass spectrometry, and/or reporter-based assays Demonstrated experience with analytical method transfer to QC or external laboratories Proven ability to troubleshoot complex assay issues and lead investigations in a GMP or late-stage development environment Understanding of CQA frameworks, assay lifecycle management, and regulatory expectations Experience working cross-functionally with Quality, QC, and/or manufacturing organizations Strong analytical thinking and ability to interpret data to drive decisions and improvements Excellent communication skills with the ability to translate technical concepts across functions Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, highly collaborative environment Self-motivated, proactive, and comfortable operating with a high degree of ownership This position is site-based, requiring you to be at Moderna’s site full-time. This position is no ... (truncated, view full listing at source)