Fall Co-Op, Immunology & Respiratory Discovery Sciences

Description

Boehringer Ingelheim is currently seeking a talented and innovative Intern to join our Immunology & Respiratory Discovery Sciences department located at our Ridgefield, CT facility. As an Intern, you will implement your experience to accelerate drug discovery programs towards designing better treatments for patients. Leveraging their hands-on skills, the individual will design and validate assays based on biochemical, functional, and cellular techniques to support Discovery Sciences biology research goals. The individual will participate in the design and execution of experiments and perform all work in conformance with applicable regulations and in a safe manner. This position requires strong technical proficiency, a strong passion for learning and applying new skills, and the ability to work as part of a team with a collaborative spirit.

As an employee of Boehringer Ingelheim, you will actively contribute to the discovery, development and delivery of our products to our patients and customers. Our global presence provides opportunity for all employees to collaborate internationally, offering visibility and opportunity to directly contribute to the companies' success. We realize that our strength and competitive advantage lie with our people. We support our employees in a number of ways to foster a healthy working environment, meaningful work, diversity and inclusion, mobility, networking and work-life balance. Our competitive compensation and benefit programs reflect Boehringer Ingelheim's high regard for our employees

Duties & Responsibilities

• Design, plan, and execute experiments with a high degree of independence, applying scientific and technical expertise to achieve defined research objectives. Independently drive assay development, optimization, and validation activities in a timely and rigorous manner.
• Apply a broad range of biochemical, molecular, cellular, and functional techniques to develop and validate complex assays utilizing mammalian cells, tissues, and recombinant proteins. Generate high-quality data to interrogate biological pathways and support emerging biological hypotheses.
• Communicate scientific findings effectively through clear oral presentations and written documentation. Contribute to the preparation of experimental protocols, standard operating procedures, technical reports, and publications, while collaborating productively with cross-functional team members.
• Conduct all laboratory activities in compliance with applicable regulations, safety standards, and internal policies, maintaining accurate and complete experimental records in accordance with established SOPs.

Requirements

• Must be a current undergraduate, graduate or advanced degree student in good academic standing.
• Student must be enrolled at an accredited college or university for the duration of the internship/co-op.
• Overall cumulative minimum GPA from last completed quarter/semester 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) preferred.
• Major or minor in related field of pharmacology, biochemistry, or cell biology.
• Undergraduate students must have completed at least 12 credit hours at current college or university.
• Graduate and advanced degree students must have completed at least 9 credit hours at current college or university.

Compensation: This position offers an hourly rate of $24.00 to $33.00 per hour commensurate to the level of degree program in which an applicant is actively enrolled. We continuously review market data and may adjust salary ranges as needed in the future. For an overview of our benefits please click here. 

Eligibility Requirements:

• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without restriction.
• Must be willing to take a drug test and post-offer physical (if required).
• Must be 18 years of age or older.

Desired Skills, Experience and Abilities

• Demonstrated experience in the development, optimization, and execution of biochemical and cell-based assays to characterize the pharmacological properties of small-molecule compounds and/or biologics (e.g., antibodies). A solid foundation in in-vitro pharmacology principles—including target engagement, potency, efficacy, selectivity, and mechanism-of-action studies is highly desirable.
• Hands-on experience culturing mammalian cell lines and primary cells, with proficiency in maintaining cell condition, reproducibility, and experimental consistency. Experience processing tissues or biological samples for cell isolation and preparation for downstream applications (e.g., functional assays, molecular or biochemical analyses) is strongly preferred.
• Proven technical competence in a broad range of cell-based assays and molecular biology methods, including but not limited to: immunoassays (e.g., ELISA, Western blotting), gene expression analyses (PCR, qPCR), genetic manipulation techniques (e.g., transient or stable transfection, viral transduction) and flow cytometry for phenotypic or functional cellular analysis. Familiarity with assay controls, data normalization, and troubleshooting experimental variability is expected.
• Ability to generate clear, well-organized scientific documentation, including experimental protocols, technical reports, and data summaries. Strong verbal communication skills are required for effective presentation and results discussion. Demonstrates rigorous attention to data quality, ethical standards, and scientific integrity in data generation, analysis, and reporting.
• Ability to work effectively within cross-functional and multidisciplinary research teams, contributing proactively to group objectives while managing individual responsibilities in a dynamic laboratory environment.