Senior Scientist - Precision Oncology

Amgen • Thousand Oaks, CA

21h

About The Position

The Oncology Research organization is seeking a highly motivated Senior Scientist to uncover and translate cancer biology that enables the discovery and advancement of novel therapeutic programs. In this role, you will have the opportunity to shape experimental strategy for emerging oncology programs, establish compelling evidence for new therapeutic hypotheses, and define mechanisms that support program progression. You will bring creativity and rigor to challenging biological questions with the potential to open new directions for cancer drug discovery. Working in a highly collaborative research environment, you will partner with multidisciplinary teams across biology, chemistry, computational sciences, pharmacology, and translational sciences to transform biological insight into impactful oncology discoveries. We are seeking a creative and technically accomplished cancer biologist with deep expertise in cancer cell biology, mechanistic pharmacology, and quantitative experimental design. The successful candidate will combine strong scientific judgment, experimental innovation, and a demonstrated ability to solve complex biological problems.

Requirements

• Doctorate degree or Master’s degree and 2 years of scientific experience or Bachelor’s degree and 4 years of scientific experience
• Ph.D. in Cancer Biology, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Genetics, Chemical Biology, or a related discipline, with 1–3 years of relevant postdoctoral and/or industry research experience.
• Strong background in cancer cell biology, cell signaling, mechanistic pharmacology, and small-molecule oncology drug discovery, with a demonstrated record of scientific impact through first-author publications in high-impact peer-reviewed journals and/or patent inventorship.
• Subject matter expertise in advanced CRISPR technologies and genome engineering.
• Expertise in advanced imaging technologies, including high-content imaging, quantitative microscopy, live-cell imaging, phenotypic imaging, and image-analysis workflows.
• Experience developing and applying high-throughput cellular and biochemical assays, including assay optimization, automation-compatible workflows, quantitative analysis, and rigorous quality control.
• Excellent experimental design, data analysis, troubleshooting, communication, and collaboration skills.
• Demonstrated scientific creativity, innovation, and success in a multidisciplinary research environment.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute innovative studies to validate oncology targets, test therapeutic hypotheses, and define mechanisms of action in cancer-relevant models.
• Apply advanced CRISPR genome-editing technologies to establish target function and genetic dependencies.
• Evaluate and apply emerging technologies and AI tools that can accelerate oncology discovery.
• Establish quantitative, fit-for-purpose assays to investigate target engagement, pathway modulation, protein function, protein-complex biology, and small-molecule mechanism of action.
• Analyze and interpret complex data, communicating findings and biological insights to multidisciplinary discovery and leadership teams.
• Collaborate effectively with scientists across the Research organization to solve challenging problems in oncology drug discovery.

Benefits

• A comprehensive employee benefits package, including a Retirement and Savings Plan with generous company contributions, group medical, dental and vision coverage, life and disability insurance, and flexible spending accounts
• A discretionary annual bonus program, or for field sales representatives, a sales-based incentive plan
• Stock-based long-term incentives
• Award-winning time-off plans
• Flexible work models where possible.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree