Senior Scientist, Discovery Biology

Working with Us
Challenging. Meaningful. Life-changing. Those aren’t words that are usually associated with a job. But working at Bristol Myers Squibb is anything but usual. Here, uniquely interesting work happens every day, in every department. From optimizing a production line to the latest breakthroughs in cell therapy, this is work that transforms the lives of patients, and the careers of those who do it. You’ll get the chance to grow and thrive through opportunities uncommon in scale and scope, alongside high-achieving teams. Take your career farther than you thought possible.

Bristol Myers Squibb recognizes the importance of balance and flexibility in our work environment. We offer a wide variety of competitive benefits, services and programs that provide our employees with the resources to pursue their goals, both at work and in their personal lives. Read more: careers.bms.com/working-with-us.

The Protein Homeostasis Thematic Research Center at BMS is a fundamental Oncology research engine delivering oncology and hematology therapeutics to patients. The TRC has a major focus on exploiting BMS’ expertise in protein degradation to discover and develop therapies aimed at tumor intrinsic vulnerabilities and mechanisms of resistance to existing cancer therapeutics. This focus on protein degradation allows us to attack protein classes that were previously deemed undruggable.

Position Summary

We are seeking a highly motivated Cancer Biologist to join the Molecular Pharmacology discovery biology team at the Protein Homeostasis TRC in San Diego, CA.  The qualified candidate should be a self-motivated and creative cancer biologist who possesses substantial expertise in and passion for cancer biology and genetics, with a keen eye for novel therapeutic opportunities to address well defined patient populations. The individual will support and lead the discovery of novel targeted protein degradation drugs for solid tumor.  The successful candidate will be expected to work collaboratively in a multi-disciplinary environment to explore disease biology enabling identification of novel drug targets; develop and implement robust cellular assays to support discovery of small molecules as clinical development candidates; design and execute research strategies that further our understanding of the mechanisms of novel compounds and targets; and develop collaborations and interact with external partners relevant to the target discovery efforts. The desired candidate should have broad experience in cancer biology and in vitro cell culture techniques and a willingness to learn and adapt to any direction a project may take them. The candidate is expected to be able to work as an independent scientist, but also extensively collaborate or coordinate with other functional areas and contribute as part of a team to make project-based decisions. The successful candidate will demonstrate strong verbal and written communication skills, capable of presenting scientific results to multidisciplinary teams. This role is a primarily bench-facing cancer biology research position.

Position Responsibilities

In the role as a Senior Scientist within the Molecular Pharmacology team, the ideal candidate:

• Based on literature and internal data, formulate mechanistic hypothesis for drug discovery projects and design and execute experiments to test these hypotheses

• Find, establish, and execute techniques or assays that are key for understanding mechanism of action of selected compounds/targets

• Develop new drug discovery projects based on literature and mining of existing data sets

• Utilize and develop disease models to design target validation studies and relevant assays in support of SAR

• Collaborate with colleagues in other functional areas including informatics and translational research to generate testable hypotheses that will validate novel targets and solidify patient selection hypotheses

• Accurately maintain written reports and present results in an organized and timely manner

• Communicate effectively, foster teamwork and contribute to project strategy discussions

• Strong commitment to quality and demonstrate adaptability

Experience

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree

• 7+ years of academic and / or industry experience

or

• Master’s Degree

• 5+ years of academic and / or industry experience

or

• Ph.D. or equivalent advanced degree in the Life Sciences

• 2+ of academic and / or industry experience

Preferred Qualifications:

• Ph.D. degree in cancer biology or related field with 3+ years of relevant academic or industry research experience in cancer biology, oncology target validation and/or drug discovery

• In-depth knowledge of molecular drivers of cancer

• Experience with preclinical models of solid tumors (2D and 3D spheroids and organoids, and cancer stem cells)

• Experience with CRISPR based technologies and cloning to interrogate targets and biological pathways

• Excellent oral and written communication skills, as well as the ability to effectively present scientific data and concepts to international standards

• Experience with targeted protein degradation technologies and molecular glue approaches is a plus

• A proven track record in the field of cancer biology/genetics, as evidenced by publication record

• Specific requirements:

• Strong molecular and cell biology skillsets

• Excellent capabilities in critical thinking and problem solving; able to independently design and efficiently execute experiments in the lab; capable of deliver high quality data in a timely manner

• Cell culture, plate-based assays (eg CTG, annexin V), CRISPR, RNAi, cloning

• Lentiviral expression, qPCR, western blotting, FACS, Immunofluorescence, live cell imaging

• Windows, MS Office, graphing software (eg PRISM)

• Capable of leading yet willing to support teams

• Ability to work in a fast-paced dynamic team environment; flexibility to adapt to changes with a positive attitude and independently collaborate across teams, requiring excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with strong interpersonal skills

#LI-Onsite

If you come across a role that intrigues you but doesn’t perfectly line up with your resume, we encourage you to apply anyway. You could be one step away from work that will transform your life and career.

The starting compensation range(s) for this role are listed above for a full-time employee (FTE) basis. Additional incentive cash and stock opportunities (based on eligibility) may be available. The starting pay rate takes into account characteristics of the job, such as required skills, where the job is performed, the employee’s work schedule, job-related knowledge, and experience. Final, individual compensation will be decided based on demonstrated experience. 

Eligibility for specific benefits listed on our careers site may vary based on the job and location. For more on benefits, please visit https://careers.bms.com/life-at-bms/.
 

Benefit offerings are subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable plans in effect at the time and may require enrollment. Our benefits include:

• Health Coverage: Medical, pharmacy, dental, and vision care.

• Wellbeing Support: Programs such as BMS Well-Being Account, BMS Living Life Better, and Employee Assistance Programs (EAP).

• Financial Well-being and Protection: 401(k) plan, short- and long-term disability, life insurance, accident insurance, supplemental health insurance, business travel protection, personal liability protection, identity theft benefit, legal support, and survivor support.

​Work-life benefits include:

Paid Time Off

• US Exempt Employees: flexible time off (unlimited, with manager approval, 11 paid national holidays (not applicable to employees in Phoenix, AZ, Puerto Rico or Rayzebio employees)

• Phoenix, AZ, Puerto Rico and Rayzebio Exempt, Non-Exempt, Hourly Employees: 160 hours annual paid vacation for new hires with manager approval, 11 national holidays, and 3 optional holidays

Based on eligibility*, additional time off for employees may include unlimited paid sick time, up to 2 paid volunteer days per year, summer hours flexibility, leaves of absence for medical, personal, parental, caregiver, bereavement, and military needs and an annual Global Shutdown between Christmas and New Years Day.

All global employees full and part-time who are actively employed at and paid directly by BMS at the end of the calendar year are eligible to take advantage of the Global Shutdown.

*Eligibility Disclosure: The summer hours program is for United States (U.S.) office-based employees due to the unique nature of their work. Summer hours are generally not available for field sales and manufacturing operations and may also be limited for the capability centers. Employees in remote-by-design or lab-based roles may be eligible for summer hours, depending on the nature of their work, and should discuss eligibility with their manager. Employees covered under a collective bargaining agreement should consult that document to determine if they are eligible. Contractors, leased workers and other service providers are not eligible to participate in the program.

Uniquely Interesting Work, Life-changing Careers
With a single vision as inspiring as “Transforming patients’ lives through science™ ”, every BMS employee plays an integral role in work that goes far beyond ordinary. Each of us is empowered to apply our individual talents and unique perspectives in a supportive culture, promoting global participation in clinical trials, while our shared values of passion, innovation, urgency, accountability, inclusion and integrity bring out the highest potential of each of our colleagues.

On-site Protocol

BMS has an occupancy structure that determines where an employee is required to conduct their work. This structure includes site-essential, site-by-design, field-based and remote-by-design jobs. The occupancy type that you are assigned is determined by the nature and responsibilities of your role:

Site-essential roles require 100% of shifts onsite at your assigned facility. Site-by-design roles may be eligible for a hybrid work model with at least 50% onsite at your assigned facility. For these roles, onsite presence is considered an essential job function and is critical to collaboration, innovation, productivity, and a positive Company culture. For field-based and remote-by-design roles the ability to physically travel to visit customers, patients or business partners and to attend meetings on behalf of BMS as directed is an essential job function.

Supporting People with Disabilities

BMS is dedicated to ensuring that people with disabilities can excel through a transparent recruitment process, reasonable workplace accommodations/adjustments and ongoing support in their roles. Applicants can request a reasonable workplace accommodation/adjustment prior to accepting a job offer. If you require reasonable accommodations/adjustments in completing this application, or in any part of the recruitment process, direct your inquiries to adastaffingsupport@bms.com. Visit careers.bms.com/eeo-accessibility to access our complete Equal Employment Opportuni