Research Scientist, Protein Sciences

Kite Pharma • Foster City, CA

4d • Onsite

About The Position

We’re here for one reason and one reason only – to cure cancer. Every moment is dedicated to developing treatments and every action moves us one step closer to our goal. We’ve made incredible scientific breakthroughs and our pioneering personalized CAR T-cell therapies have changed the paradigm. But we're not finished yet. Join Kite, as we make even bigger advances in cancer therapies, and help shape where our business and medical science goes next. We believe every employee deserves a great leader. People Leaders are the cornerstone to the employee experience at Gilead and Kite. As a people leader now or in the future, you are the key driver in evolving our culture and creating an environment where every employee feels included, developed and empowered to fulfil their aspirations. Join Kite and help create more tomorrows. Job Description We are seeking a highly motivated Research Scientist to join our Protein Sciences team. This individual will lead from the bench while owning end‑to-end responsibility for the design, expression, purification, and characterization of recombinant proteins supporting multiple CAR‑T and cell therapy programs. The successful candidate will function as an individual scientific contributor and operational leader, partnering closely with Cell Biology, Protein Science, and cross‑functional teams, while also serving as a day‑to‑day lab and capability owner across protein production and analytics workflows.

Requirements

• Advanced scientific degree (MD, PharmD, PhD) OR Master’s degree with 4+ years of relevant scientific experience OR Bachelor’s degree with 6+ years of relevant scientific experience

Nice To Haves

• PhD in Biochemistry, Chemistry, Biology, or related field
• Industry and/or post‑doctoral experience with demonstrated scientific independence, supported by peer-reviewed publications and presentations
• Demonstrated ability to operate in a fast-paced, rapidly changing environment, with strong time management and adaptability
• Deep expertise in recombinant protein expression, purification, and analytics
• Demonstrated ability to own complex workflows end‑to-end, from design through data interpretation
• Proven troubleshooting and problem‑solving skills in a fast‑paced, multi‑program environment
• Demonstrated expertise in biomolecular binding affinity and kinetics measurements using Biolayer Interferometry (BLI, e.g., Octet) and/or Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR)
• Experience acting as an informal lab lead or operational owner
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and commitment to high‑quality data generation
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work onsite in a laboratory environment

Responsibilities

• Design and engineer fit‑for-purpose recombinant proteins, including immunogens, target proteins, antibodies, and protein variants to support discovery and development programs
• Contribute to molecule design decisions, construct strategy, and experimental planning in partnership with project teams
• Apply protein engineering principles to optimize expression, stability, and performance
• Execute and optimize protein expression and purification across multiple expression systems (including cell maintenance and transfections). Experience with AKTA chromatography platforms is required.
• Perform antibody and protein conjugations, with appropriate analytical characterization
• Lead biophysical and biochemical characterization, including SDS‑PAGE, Western blot, UPLC/HPLC analysis, and binding assays (e.g., Octet/BLI)
• Interpret and communicate analytical data to inform project decisions and next‑step prioritization
• Develop, optimize, and implement new protein production and analytical workflows to improve quality, throughput, and reproducibility
• Identify gaps in capabilities and proactively propose solutions or process improvements
• Function as a lab lead, including oversight of shared equipment, reagent organization, documentation standards, and day‑to‑day lab operations
• Demonstrated commitment to high‑quality documentation and data integrity, with proven experience using electronic lab notebooks and LIMS platforms (e.g., Benchling) to support reproducibility, traceability, and cross-team collaboration.
• Design workflow templates and contribute to improvement of workflow digitization.
• Coordinate work across multiple projects, balancing priorities and timelines with minimal supervision
• Train, mentor, and technically support junior scientists and staff
• Communicate plans, data, and conclusions clearly in both written reports and oral presentations
• Provide strong scientific and operational partnership through effective cross-functional communication and collaboration

Benefits

• This position may also be eligible for a discretionary annual bonus, discretionary stock-based long-term incentives (eligibility may vary based on role), paid time off, and a benefits package.
• Benefits include company-sponsored medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans.
• For additional benefits information, visit: https://www.gilead.com/careers/compensation-benefits-and-wellbeing
• Eligible employees may participate in benefit plans, subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable plans.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees