Senior Scientist, Spatial Assays

Bristol Myers Squibb • Seattle, WA

5d

About The Position

The Senior Scientist will be part of the Spatial Assays team in Translational Research at Bristol Myers Squibb’s Cell Therapy Thematic Research Center. The role leads the development and application of tissue-based biomarker assays and spatial and digital pathology approaches supporting translational research and clinical development programs. The scientist partners with translational researchers, internal pathology laboratories, external laboratories, and multidisciplinary teams to deliver robust, decision-ready biomarker data and clinically relevant endpoints. The role also advances spatial and digital pathology methods and technologies to address translational and mechanistic questions.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree and 7 or more years of academic and/or industry experience; or master’s degree and 5 or more years; or Ph.D. or equivalent advanced degree in the life sciences and 2 or more years.
• Expertise in IHC, ISH, multiplex immunofluorescence, image analysis, spatial biology, and digital pathology assay development.
• Experience developing, optimizing, qualifying, validating, and implementing tissue-based biomarker assays for translational and clinical studies.
• Knowledge of assay validation principles, including specificity, sensitivity, precision, robustness, controls, and quality systems.
• Laboratory experience with cell culture, control material generation, tissue processing, and orthogonal assay verification techniques such as flow cytometry or RNAscope.
• Experience with digital pathology, image analysis, pathology scoring, and biomarker data interpretation.
• Strong project management skills, including managing timelines, budgets, and cross-functional deliverables.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to present scientific findings to multidisciplinary teams and governance committees.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced, matrixed research environment.

Nice To Haves

• Ph.D. in Pathology, Immunology, Cancer Biology, Molecular Biology, Biomedical Sciences, or a related field, with 2 or more years of relevant industry experience.
• Familiarity with spatial biology and tissue imaging platforms such as CosMx, COMET, GeoMx, RNAscope, Akoya, 10x Genomics, or related technologies.
• Experience managing CROs and external laboratory partnerships, including assay transfer, technical oversight, vendor management, and validation report review.
• Experience in oncology, immunology, autoimmune disease, cell therapy, gene therapy, or other advanced therapeutic areas.

Responsibilities

• Lead the strategy, design, development, optimization, qualification, validation, transfer, implementation, and lifecycle management of tissue-based biomarker assays, including IHC, ISH, multiplex immunofluorescence, spatial pathology, and digital pathology platforms.
• Lead assay feasibility studies, antibody characterization and selection, panel development, staining optimization, orthogonal specificity assessments, analytical validation, robustness studies, indication expansion, and novel pathology methodology development.
• Serve as a technical subject matter expert for external laboratory and CRO partnerships, overseeing assay transfer, implementation, lifecycle management, assay performance, data quality, study reportables, validation report review, and clinical implementation.
• Establish assay performance criteria, quality controls, acceptance specifications, image analysis workflows, and data review processes; conduct laboratory studies for control material generation and assay verification.
• Partner with translational scientists to develop fit-for-purpose biomarker and pathology assay strategies aligned with translational hypotheses, mechanism-of-action studies, exploratory endpoints, pharmacodynamic assessments, and safety monitoring.
• Collaborate with internal pathology laboratories to develop and validate tissue-based assays, use preclinical data to guide assay strategy, enable clinically relevant translational endpoints, and support program-specific needs and portfolio-wide standardization.
• Interpret, analyze, and communicate assay validation data and scientific findings to multidisciplinary project teams and governance committees.
• Manage external collaborations and vendor relationships, including assay placement strategy, vendor selection, statements of work, sample sourcing, budgets, timelines, technical oversight, quality review, and issue resolution.
• Evaluate and implement emerging spatial and digital pathology technologies, including multiplex imaging, RNAscope, CosMx, COMET, digital pathology, and image analysis.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefit plans, including wellbeing support, retirement and financial protection benefits, and medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance offerings, subject to plan terms and eligibility.
• Flexible Time Off for eligible U.S.-based exempt employees, subject to manager approval.
• Paid company holidays; the posting specifies 11 annually for eligible groups.
• For certain employee groups, 160 hours of paid vacation annually for new hires, subject to manager approval, and 3 optional holidays.
• Depending on eligibility, paid sick leave, up to two paid volunteer days per year, summer hours flexibility, and leaves of absence for medical, personal, parental, caregiver, bereavement, or military needs.
• Eligible employees may receive an annual Global Shutdown between Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
• Potential eligibility for additional discretionary incentive cash and stock opportunities.

What This Job Offers

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