Job Detail

About Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd

Idorsia Ltd is reaching out for more - We have more ideas, we see more opportunities and we want to help more patients.

In order to achieve this, we will develop Idorsia into one of Europe’s leading biopharmaceutical companies, with a strong scientific core.

Headquartered in Switzerland - a European biotech hub - Idorsia is specialized in the discovery and development of small molecules, to transform the horizon of therapeutic options. Idorsia has a broad portfolio of innovative drugs in the pipeline, an experienced team, a fully-functional research center, and a strong balance sheet – the ideal constellation to bringing R&D efforts to business success.

Idorsia was listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ticker symbol: IDIA) in June 2017 and has over 800 highly qualified specialists dedicated to realizing our ambitious targets.

We are seeking a motivated experienced Scientific Associate for a permanent position in the CNS pharmacology department starting as soon as possible

Job Responsibilities

• Design and perform pharmacological studies in rodent models of neurodegeneration based on genetic, pharmacological, misfolded protein fibril- and viral vector-mediated approaches to evaluate the neuroprotective potential of novel CNS drug candidates


• Perform neurological and behavioral evaluations (e.g., of fine motor skills, cognitive abilities, rating of clinical scores, electromyography measurements) in rats and mice. Participate to the documented selection of the most relevant tests


• Sample biological fluids (cerebrospinal fluid, blood) and tissues (brain, spinal cord, nerve, muscle) and perform biochemical analyses via different analytical methods (e.g., FACS, Western blot, Immunohistochemistry)


• Responsible for the efficient planning, analysis and documentation of experiments in a multidisciplinary environment; writing of internal scientific reports


• Communicate research findings internally, and collaborate closely with other research groups in the company


• Literature search for the setup of relevant experimental methods and optimization of existing protocols


• Supervise breeding of transgenic mouse/rat colonies, write veterinary animal licenses

Candidate’s Requirements 

• Bachelor or Master degree in Science (Biology/Pharmacology/Biochemistry), ideally with additional knowledge in Neuroscience; alternatively, a technical education with longer experience on the job. Candidates holding a PhD will generally not be considered


• Recognized as an animal experimenter (LTK1 or equivalent)


• Practical work experience in the field of neuroscience of more than 5 years in academia or, preferably, in an industrial setting. Experience in the field of neurodegeneration is an asset


• Hands-on experience in animal dosing (oral gavage, subcutaneous and intraperitoneal injections), rodent behavioral pharmacology, necropsy including brain (microdissection of brain regions) and spinal cord. Experience in stereotaxic surgery is an advantage


• Experience in ex vivo cellular and tissue analysis (particularly FACS)


• Expertise in isolation of cell populations from the CNS and/or subcellular fractionation is considered a plus

• Ability to plan, methodically perform, carefully analyze, accurately document experiments and present results

• Scientifically curious, willingness to learn new techniques and skills


• Willingness to occasionally work on weekends if chronic studies are ongoing


• Excellent knowledge of English (verbal and written)

What Idorsia offers

• Exciting opportunities for development and professional growth within our dynamic organization


• A collaborative and solution-oriented environment where you can make a difference


• An innovative and open culture in a truly multicultural environment


• A competitive salary and generous social benefits

Work Location: Allschwil

Country: Switzerland

Business Area: Drug Discovery Pharmacology CNS

Schedule: Fulltime

Job Type: Permanent

Job ID: 2008

If you are interested, please click on apply now.

Please be informed that if you are selected for this position, your employment will be subject to a pre-employment background screening process, of which you will be informed in greater detail in due course.

Idorsia operates a strictly controlled list of preferred recruitment partners. For those partners who have no valid, signed Master Service Agreement in place with Idorsia, please note that all unsolicited resumes, CVs, anonymous profiles, or any other candidate details submitted through our website or to personal e-mail accounts of employees of Idorsia Pharmaceuticals (including any of its subsidiaries, affiliates or related companies) are considered the property of Idorsia Pharmaceuticals and are not subject to payment of any form of introduction, placement or referral fees.