Senior Research Associate, Therapeutics Translational Research

The Role

Joining Moderna offers the unique opportunity to be part of a pioneering team that's revolutionizing medicine through mRNA technology, with a diverse pipeline of development programs across various diseases.

As an employee, you'll be part of a continually growing organization, working alongside exceptional colleagues and strategic partners worldwide, contributing to global health initiatives.

Moderna's commitment to advancing the technological frontier of mRNA medicines ensures a challenging and rewarding career experience, with the potential to make a significant impact on patients' lives worldwide.

Moderna is solidifying its presence within our international business services hub in Warsaw, Poland, a city renowned for its rich scientific and technological heritage. This hub provides critical functions, meeting the growing demand of Moderna’s global business operations. We're inviting professionals from around the world to join our mission and contribute to the future of mRNA medicines.

Moderna is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer to support and enhance the infrastructure and scientific computing platforms that underpin our research organization. This Warsaw-based role ensures that both GxP and non-GxP environments are reliable, secure, and compliant—empowering Moderna’s scientists and data experts to accelerate the development of transformative mRNA-based medicines.

You will serve as a platform owner, balancing compliance, performance, and user needs. The ideal candidate brings deep technical experience in hybrid infrastructure, cloud-native services, and scientific applications, and is energized by supporting discovery science through robust computing platforms.

Here’s What You’ll Do

Your key responsibilities will be:

• Administer and maintain hybrid infrastructure—including AWS, Azure, and on-prem virtualized environments (e.g., VMware)—with an emphasis on GPU and HPC workloads.

• Manage Kubernetes clusters (EKS, AKS), storage, networking, and infrastructure automation using tools such as Terraform and Pulumi.

• Act as the technical owner for scientific research platforms including Seqera Platform and Domino Data Lab, supporting advanced configuration, integrations, upgrades, and lifecycle management.

Your responsibilities will also include:

• Ensure compliance with regulatory standards including 21 CFR Part 11, GxP, and Computer System Validation (CSV), collaborating with Cybersecurity and Quality Assurance on audits and risk management.

• Optimize compute and storage utilization and cost-efficiency across on-prem and cloud ecosystems.

• Provide Tier-2 support, onboarding, and training to researchers and developers, both independently and through vendor partnerships.

• Enhance operational efficiency through automation and robust monitoring/alerting of system health and performance.

• Mentor peers, sharing expertise on scientific platforms, secure computing, and regulated environments.

The key Moderna Mindsets you’ll need to succeed in the role:

• “We digitize everywhere possible using the power of code to maximize our impact on patients.”
  Your work will directly enhance Moderna’s scientific computing ecosystem through infrastructure-as-code and platform automation, helping our researchers discover faster and smarter.

• “We behave like owners. The solutions we’re building go beyond any job description.”
  As the platform owner for critical research tools, your end-to-end responsibility will extend beyond administration—you will be a trusted advisor, technical problem-solver, and champion of innovation and compliance.

Here’s What You’ll Bring to the Table (Preferred Qualifications)

• Experience with Domino Data Lab, Seqera Platform, or similar data science or computational platforms.

• Experience with virtualization (e.g., VMware, Hyper-V).

• Knowledge of compute optimization and cost management.

• Experience with autoscaling solutions (e.g., Karpenter).

• Familiarity with industry guidelines such as EU Annex 11, PIC/S, or ISPE GAMP 5.

• Experience with enterprise storage platforms, including hybrid or cloud-native technologies (e.g., NetApp/BlueXP, S3, File Gateway).

• Experience with distributed compute frameworks, (e.g., Ray, Spark), workflow orchestration tools (e.g., Nextflow, Flyte), or interactive application development frameworks (e.g., Dash, Shiny)

• Experience with Windows Server administration.

• Experience with configuration management tools (e.g., Ansible).

At Moderna, we believe that when you feel your best, you can do your best work.  That’s why our US benefits and global well-being resources are designed to support you—at work, at home, and everywhere in between.

• Best-in-class healthcare coverage, plus a suite of voluntary benefit programs to support your unique needs
• A holistic approach to well-being, with access to fitness, mindfulness, and mental health support
• Lifestyle Spending Accounts to personalize your well-being journey
• Family planning and adoption benefits
• Generous paid time off, including vacation, volunteer days, sabbatical, global recharge days, and a discretionary year-end shutdown
• Savings and investment opportunities
• Location-specific perks and extras

About Moderna

Since our founding in 2010, we have aspired to build the leading mRNA technology platform, the infrastructure to reimagine how medicines are created and delivered, and a world-class team. We believe in giving our people a platform to change medicine and an opportunity to change the world.  

By living our mission, values, and mindsets every day, our people are the driving force behind our scientific progress and our culture. Together, we are creating a culture of belonging and building an organization that cares deeply for our patients, our employees, the environment, and our communities. 

We are proud to have been recognized as a Science Magazine Top Biopharma Employer, a Fast Company Best Workplace for Innovators, and a Great Place to Work in the U.S. 

If you want to make a difference and join a team that is changing the future of medicine, we invite you to visit modernatx.com/careers to learn more about our current opportunities. 

Our Working Model 

As we build our company, we have always believed an in-person culture is critical to our success. Moderna champions the significant benefits of in-office collaboration by embracing a 70/30 work model. This 70% in-office structure helps to foster a culture rich in innovation, teamwork, and direct mentorship. Join us in shaping a world where every interaction is an opportunity to learn, contribute, and make a meaningful impact. 

Moderna is a smoke-free, alcohol-free, and drug-free work environment. 

Equal Opportunities

Moderna is committed to equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to a person's race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, ancestry or citizenship, ethnicity, disability, military or protected veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, marital or familial status, or any other personal characteristic protected under applicable law.  Moderna is a place where everyone can grow. If you meet the Basic Qualifications for the role and you would be excited to contribute to our mission every day, please apply!

Moderna is an E-Verify Employer in the United States. We consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. 

Accommodations

We’re focused on attracting, retaining, developing, and advancing our employees. By cultivating a workplace that values diverse experiences, backgrounds, and ideas, we create an environment where every employee can contribute their best. 

Moderna is committed to offering reasonable accommodations to qualified job applicants with disabilities. Any applicant requiring an accommodation in connection with the hiring process and/or to perform the essential functions of the position for which the applicant has applied should contact the Accommodations team at [email protected]. 

Export Control Notice

This position may involve access to technology or data that is subject to U.S. export control laws, including the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). As such, employment is contingent upon the applicant’s ability to access export-controlled information in accordance with U.S. law. Due to the nature of the work and regulatory requirements, only individuals who qualify as U.S. persons (citizens, permanent residents, asylees, or refugees) are eligible for this position. For this role Moderna is unable to sponsor non-U.S. persons to apply for an export control license.

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