Senior Scientist - Precision Oncology

Amgen • Thousand Oaks, CA

5d • $127,122 - $171,988

About The Position

The Oncology Research organization at Amgen seeks a highly motivated Senior Scientist to uncover and translate cancer biology that enables the discovery and advancement of novel therapeutic programs. The role shapes experimental strategy for emerging oncology programs, establishes evidence for therapeutic hypotheses, and defines mechanisms that support program progression. The scientist will address challenging biological questions that may open new directions for cancer drug discovery.

The role operates in a collaborative research environment alongside teams in biology, chemistry, computational sciences, pharmacology, and translational sciences. The successful candidate will bring expertise in cancer cell biology, mechanistic pharmacology, and quantitative experimental design to turn biological insights into oncology discoveries.

Requirements

• Doctorate degree, or a master’s degree and 2 years of scientific experience, or a bachelor’s degree and 4 years of scientific experience.

Nice To Haves

• 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 mechanisms of action.
• Analyze and interpret complex data, and communicate findings and biological insights to multidisciplinary discovery and leadership teams.
• Collaborate with scientists across the Research organization to solve challenging problems in oncology drug discovery.

Benefits

• 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.
• Discretionary annual bonus program, or a sales-based incentive plan for field sales representatives.
• Stock-based long-term incentives.
• Award-winning time-off plans.
• Flexible work models where possible.
• Career development opportunities.

What This Job Offers

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