Senior Scientist, Drug Discovery

Novartis • San Diego, CA

16h • Onsite

About The Position

This position is located on site in San Diego, CA and cannot be conducted remotely. Please only apply if this area is accessible. Be part of a multidisciplinary team accelerating the discovery of transformative medicines. The Oncology Drug Discovery department at Novartis in San Diego is seeking a highly motivated lab-based research scientist to support drug discovery programs and interrogate cancer targets using induced proximity approaches. In this role, you will contribute to a multi-disciplinary team with expertise in cancer biology and chemical biology. You will conduct cell-based and biochemical experiments to interrogate mechanism of action and define pathways of activity and resistance, supporting preclinical discovery efforts across oncology programs.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree with 4+ years of relevant experience, or Master’s degree with 2+ years of relevant experience in oncology or related research field
• Strong expertise in molecular biology technique (e.g. vector design, mutagenesis, RT-qPCR) and with mammalian cell culture and cell line engineering (e.g. transfections, viral transductions, CRISPR-based approaches)
• Experience interrogating protein–protein interactions (e.g. pull-down assays, co-immunoprecipitation, western blotting)
• Enjoys working in the lab and possesses excellent organizational and record-keeping skills
• Demonstrated curiosity, strong work ethic, and eagerness to learn
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills are essential for success in this role

Nice To Haves

• Prior drug development expertise and cross-functional technology collaboration is NOT essential, and the role provides an excellent environment to build these and other skills
• Previous industry experience
• Experience with proteomics sample preparation and validation is a plus
• Experience with chromatin profiling techniques is a plus

Responsibilities

• Design, optimize, and execute experiments to characterize protein–protein interactions and interrogate therapeutic response
• Apply chemical and genetic perturbation approaches in cells and in vitro to evaluate small molecule on-target and off-target engagement and activities
• Troubleshoot experiments, implement new assays, and generate and analyze high-quality data to provide insights that inform project decisions
• Collaborate cross-functionally across Novartis research teams and global sites
• Maintain accurate and timely documentation of experimental data, analysis, and conclusions
• Present findings in team and departmental meetings
• Foster a collaborative and friendly research environment

Benefits

• performance-based cash incentive
• eligibility to be considered for annual equity awards
• health, life and disability benefits
• a 401(k) with company contribution and match
• a variety of other benefits
• a generous time off package including vacation, personal days, holidays and other leaves

What This Job Offers

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