Expert Pharma Discovery Biologist

Cogent Scientific•South San Francisco, CA

5d•$105,000 - $115,000•Onsite

About The Position

Cogent Scientific, an insourced contract research organization, is looking for the right people to accomplish our Mission: to support the life sciences industry with specialized laboratory services delivered by professional scientists—advancing research, fostering collaboration, and accelerating innovation with quality and a commitment to excellence. We can offer you the chance to build on your skills and knowledge while working among experts in their fields and with cutting-edge instrumentation. Cogent Scientific offers competitive pay, attractive benefits (such as medical/dental/vision insurance; 401(k); parental leave; PTO and paid holidays; etc.) and an exciting work environment. This position may include relocation benefits as well. We aim to recruit the best people who stand out among their peers and embody our Core Values: • Client Focused: We only succeed when our clients succeed. • Outstanding: We deliver meticulous results through outstanding performance. • Good: We act ethically and morally. • Employee-Centric: We honor and support our employees. • Nimble: We are prepared to adapt in an ever-changing industry. • Team-Oriented: We collaborate with each other and with our clients. We currently have a role available for an Expert Pharma Discovery Biologist.

Requirements

PhD in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry or related field with 0-2 years of industry or relevant postdoctoral experience in oncology drug discovery or targeted therapeutics research.
Excellent communication skills – verbal and written.
Works well both within a team and as an individual.
Demonstration of excellent team player and collaboration skills, very strong attention to detail, very strong problem-solving skills, a high level of learning agility, and the ability to work across functions.
The ideal candidate will be enthusiastic and self-motivated, with the leadership and communication skills necessary to operate effectively in a fast-paced multidisciplinary environment with flexibility and an adaptable approach to goal delivery.

Responsibilities

Leading in vitro discovery biology across oncology programs, from early target validation through candidate selection, spanning multiple therapeutic modalities.
Contributing to target identification and prioritization by integrating literature, pathway biology, and emerging clinical and preclinical data to nominate and validate novel therapeutic targets.
Designing and executing cell-based assays to evaluate compound activity, including viability, proliferation, and apoptosis readouts across relevant tumor models.
Driving mechanistic and signaling studies (e.g., Western blot, phosphoproteomics, pathway analysis) to characterize target engagement and mechanism of action.
Leading target biology efforts including evaluation of target expression, antigen density, receptor internalization, intracellular trafficking, and target-dependent processing.
Developing and optimizing disease-relevant in vitro models (e.g., 3D culture systems, model generation, co-culture platforms) to characterize novel modalities and enable translational studies.