Scientist, Cell Therapy Process Development (In Vivo CAR-T)

Bristol Myers Squibb•Seattle, WA

11h•Onsite

About The Position

Bristol Myers Squibb offers a challenging, meaningful, and life-changing work environment where unique work happens daily, from optimizing production lines to breakthroughs in cell therapy, transforming patient lives and employee careers. Employees have opportunities to grow and thrive alongside high-achieving teams, supported by competitive benefits and programs that promote work-life balance. The Cell Therapy Thematic Research Center (CT TRC) is a key research platform at BMS, aiming to lead in cellular therapies that harness the immune system for treating hematologic malignancies, solid cancers, and autoimmune diseases. Discovery and translational scientists within the CT TRC focus on developing next-generation, engineered cell-based therapies to improve patient outcomes. The Cell Therapy Process Research and Engineering (CT-PRE) team, specifically, operates at the intersection of engineered T-cell biology and cell therapy process development, collaborating across Research and Development to advance novel innovative platforms from early concept to pipeline implementation. The CT-PRE team is seeking a Scientist to translate next-generation cell therapies from early research into robust development platforms. This role involves designing and executing laboratory experiments both independently and collaboratively within a highly interactive, matrixed, agile, and team-driven environment. The ideal candidate should have prior industry experience in process development, particularly in viral vector production for CAR-T therapy.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree with 5+ years of academic and / or industry experience
Or Master’s Degree with 3+ years of academic and / or industry experience
Or Ph.D. or equivalent advanced degree in the Life Sciences with no experience necessary

Nice To Haves

Experience with viral vector process development, including upstream production (e.g., suspension culture, transfection parameters, bioreactor scale‑up) and downstream purification and concentration strategies
Experience developing and optimizing bioprocesses that are intentionally designed for scalability into STR culture and manufacturability
Strong understanding of viral transduction mechanisms, tropism and integration
Proficiency with aseptic mammalian cell culture, preferably including primary T cell culture, activation and expansion
Familiarity with analytical characterization and critical quality attributes for an in vivo CAR-T drug product (titer, purity, potency, sterility)
Understanding of T-cell biology and immunology relevant to CAR-T – activation, transduction efficiency, phenotype and functional assays
Experience with T-cell manufacturing workflows – apheresis material handling, activation, gene delivery, expansion, formulation
Understanding of statistical design of experiments methodology and data analysis for process optimization
Familiarity with lipid nanoparticle (LNP) or other nanoparticle-based delivery systems for in vivo and/or ex vivo T-cell targeting and engineering
Knowledge of, or hands-on experience with, site-specific gene-editing (preferably CRISPR-Cas, base or prime editing) technologies
Working knowledge of analyzing and interpreting data from flow-based cellular, and PCR/sequencing based molecular assays
Awareness of incorporation of cell-targeting ligands in vectors, for in vivo T-cell, or organ-selective targeting
Effective written and verbal communication skills for exchanging technical and scientific information with cross‑functional teams
A collaborative team player who can effectively multi-task as well as excel independently in a fast‑paced, dynamic and innovative environment

Responsibilities

Apply scientific principles to develop scalable processes to enable in vivo CAR-T therapy platforms
Design and conduct laboratory experiments to evaluate gene delivery and cell engineering strategies for CAR-T manufacturing feasibility
Lead workstreams and experiments focused on the optimization and implementation of scalable lentiviral vector production for in vivo CAR-T therapy platforms
Document experimental workflows, results, and deviations in electronic laboratory notebooks to ensure reproducibility and process understanding
Perform data analysis and communicate findings clearly to enable informed decision‑making by research and development teams
Participate in cross‑functional project teams and effectively communicate CT‑PRE activities, data, and recommendations
Collaborate closely with team members to coordinate experimental execution and deliver study outcomes
Train and mentor junior team members as appropriate
Demonstrate strong scientific rigor through critical thinking, problem‑solving, troubleshooting, and attention to detail

Benefits

A wide variety of competitive benefits, services and programs that provide our employees with the resources to pursue their goals, both at work and in their personal lives
Health Coverage: Medical, pharmacy, dental, and vision care
Wellbeing Support: Programs such as BMS Well-Being Account, BMS Living Life Better, and Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)
Financial Well-being and Protection: 401(k) plan, short- and long-term disability, life insurance, accident insurance, supplemental health insurance, business travel protection, personal liability protection, identity theft benefit, legal support, and survivor support
Work-life benefits include: Paid Time Off US Exempt Employees: flexible time off (unlimited, with manager approval, 11 paid national holidays (not applicable to employees in Phoenix, AZ, Puerto Rico or Rayzebio employees) Phoenix, AZ, Puerto Rico and Rayzebio Exempt, Non-Exempt, Hourly Employees: 160 hours annual paid vacation for new hires with manager approval, 11 national holidays, and 3 optional holidays
Based on eligibility, additional time off for employees may include unlimited paid sick time, up to 2 paid volunteer days per year, summer hours flexibility, leaves of absence for medical, personal, parental, caregiver, bereavement, and military needs and an annual Global Shutdown between Christmas and New Years Day
All global employees full and part-time who are actively employed at and paid directly by BMS at the end of the calendar year are eligible to take advantage of the Global Shutdown

Stand Out From the Crowd

Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.

Upload and Match Resume