Associate Research Fellow

Role Summary

The key strategic focus within the Internal Medicine Research Unit (IMRU) is identifying novel therapies to prevent or treat metabolic diseases such as obesity and cardiovascular disease. Our goal is to build a world-class research team of dedicated scientists committed to developing a deep mechanistic understanding of the metabolic pathways underlying disease pathogenesis. As a senior scientific leader and member of the obesity discovery biology team, this individual will play a significant role in shaping the scientific direction for the obesity therapeutic area and influencing broader IMRU research strategy and portfolio priorities.

The individual will help create and drive discovery research strategy across multiple programs, including target ideation, validation, translational biomarker strategy, hypothesis testing, and early clinical development within the IMRU obesity portfolio. The successful candidate will lead through both direct team leadership and influence across multidisciplinary partners, helping align scientific decisions across discovery biology, translational sciences, clinical, computational, and external collaborators.

Role Responsibilities

• Shape and influence the scientific direction for discovery research programs aligned with IMRU therapeutic area and portfolio strategy.
• Apply creative thinking and scientific expertise to formulate strategies that identify, prioritize, and validate therapeutic targets in key areas of interest to the Internal Medicine Research Unit.
• Maintain awareness of cutting-edge scientific and technical developments in preclinical-to-clinical translation and apply these insights to advance portfolio programs and identify emerging opportunities.
• Guide research priorities across multiple programs by integrating mechanistic biology, translational feasibility, biomarker strategy, and portfolio impact.
• Conceptualize, design, and oversee rigorous in vivo, ex vivo, and in vitro studies, including experimental design, data collection, interpretation, and presentation.
• Quantify and translate experimental results to advance understanding of how metabolic pathways and complex physiological systems are altered by disease and respond to therapeutic intervention.
• Lead a research team of lab heads and scientists, providing supervision, coaching, and mentorship to develop skills essential to rigorous scientific research and drug discovery execution.
• Lead through influence across multidisciplinary teams and key stakeholders, driving scientific alignment and decision-making where accountability extends beyond direct reporting lines.
• Build and facilitate strategic collaborations with partners in the academic scientific community, the broader Pfizer network, and external experts to strengthen scientific insight and portfolio impact.
• Establish external scientific leadership through peer-reviewed publications, scientific presentations, conference engagement, and thought leadership in relevant areas of metabolic disease biology.
• Present and represent research programs, portfolio recommendations, and scientific strategy to Pfizer leadership and governance forums.
• Ensure that all research and discovery work is conducted with the highest quality and ethical standards and in accordance with relevant regulatory, QC, and compliance guidelines.

Basic Qualifications

• PhD, MD, or MD/PhD with postdoctoral research experience and 8+ years of experience in an industry or academic setting.
• Successful track record of scientific achievement through high-impact publications, presentations, and recognized contributions to the scientific community.
• Demonstrated ability to critically review complex data, think creatively, formulate novel hypotheses, and translate scientific insight into actionable discovery strategy.
• Deep expertise in metabolism and/or signaling pathways relevant to obesity (CNS neurocircuitry or peripheral metabolism), with the ability to apply mechanistic insight to therapeutic target identification and validation.
• Experience performing and/or leading in vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo experiments relevant to metabolic disease biology.
• Demonstrated ability to influence multidisciplinary teams and stakeholders, including the ability to drive decisions and align priorities without direct authority.
• Demonstrated ability to contribute to and advance multiple projects in parallel with learning agility, scientific rigor, and portfolio-level judgment.
• Experience developing scientific talent through mentorship, coaching, and building organizational capability.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to represent research strategy and portfolio recommendations to scientific, governance, and leadership audiences.
• Candidate demonstrates a breadth of diverse leadership experiences and capabilities including: the ability to influence and collaborate with peers, develop and coach others, oversee and guide the work of other colleagues to achieve meaningful outcomes and create business impact.

Non-Standard Work Schedule, Travel or Environment Requirements

Some travel to scientific conferences and other Pfizer sites expected.