Associate Scientist

Cytokinetics • South San Francisco, CA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

Cytokinetics is a specialty cardiovascular biopharmaceutical company, building on its over 25 years of pioneering scientific innovations in muscle biology, and advancing a pipeline of potential new medicines for patients suffering from diseases of cardiac muscle dysfunction. At Cytokinetics, each team member plays an integral part in advancing our mission to improve the lives of patients. We are seeking tenacious, compassionate, and collaborative individuals who are driven to make a positive impact. We are seeking a highly motivated Associate Scientist to support pharmacology efforts across muscle biology programs. The ideal candidate is a proactive and collaborative scientist who thrives in a multidisciplinary environment and contributes meaningfully to the progression of compounds through preclinical research and development.

Requirements

• BS in Biology, Physiology, Pharmacology, or a related discipline with 8+ years of hands-on research experience or MS with 6+ years of experience.
• Demonstrated proficiency in rodent handling and dosing (mouse and rat), including multiple routes of administration is required.
• Extensive hands-on experience in biochemical and molecular biology assays, such as Western blotting, qPCR, immunohistochemistry, and enzyme-based assays.
• Ability to analyze, interpret, and clearly communicate complex datasets, both in written reports and oral presentations.

Nice To Haves

• Prior experience in a pharmaceutical or biotechnology setting is strongly preferred.
• Experience with cardiac functional assessments (e.g., echocardiography, tail-cuff blood pressure measurements, or related techniques) is highly desirable.
• Experience with handling mammalian cell culture or primary cardiomyocytes is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Design, execute, and manage in vivo pharmacology studies and downstream biochemical and molecular assays to evaluate the efficacy of small-molecule therapeutics for cardiac indications.
• Lead day-to-day oversight of animal study cohorts, including scheduling, dosing, monitoring, and coordination with vivarium staff, ensuring full compliance with IACUC and institutional guidelines.
• Quantify and interpret biomarkers of disease progression and target engagement, integrating functional and molecular endpoints to assess compound performance.
• Collaborate closely with discovery, DMPK, and translational teams to advance compounds through preclinical development, contributing to study design, data interpretation, and go/no-go decisions.
• Maintain rigorous documentation of experimental methods and results; manage datasets; prepare clear, concise data summaries and presentations for internal project team meetings and program reviews.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level