Senior Scientist, Drug Discovery

NovartisSan Diego, CA
$93,800 - $174,200Onsite

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
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