Senior Scientist, Cellular & Translational Sciences, OneLab

Ipsen; Dreux; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Ipsen seeks a Senior Scientist, Cellular & Translational Sciences, OneLab to lead cellular characterization and translational approaches across Oncology, Rare Diseases and Neuroscience. You will drive decision-enabling data for target validation, candidate progression and pharmacodynamic studies, leveraging high-dimensional flow cytometry and cellular profiling.

You will design complex assays, supervise scientists and collaborate with cross-functional teams to advance drug discovery and

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in advanced flow cytometry and cellular biology, in pharma/biotech or academia.
• Demonstrated ability to lead translational/preclinical research guiding drug development.
• Experience managing laboratory scientists and postdoctoral researchers.

Responsibilities

• Provide scientific leadership for cellular and translational lab activities across programs and therapeutic areas.
• Design, implement and improve complex multi-parameter flow cytometry panels.
• Oversee study design, execution, data analysis and reporting of pharmacological results.

Skills

Advanced flow cytometry

Cellular profiling

Translational science

Team leadership

Data analysis

Scientific communication

Education

Master of Science or PhD

Flow cytometry Diploma

Tools

Spectral flow cytometry

Multicolor panels design

Job description

WHAT - Summary & Purpose Of The Position

The Senior Scientist, Cellular & Translational Sciences, OneLab is a senior laboratory-based scientific leader responsible for advancing Ipsen’s R&D portfolio across therapeutic areas, including Oncology, Rare Diseases and Neuroscience, through the development and application of cutting-edge cellular characterization, functional and translational approaches. The role provides scientific and operational leadership for preclinical and translational laboratory activities, with particular expertise in high-dimensional flow cytometry, cellular profiling and functional cellular assays. The position drives the generation of decision-enabling data supporting target validation, candidate selection, mechanism-of-action and pharmacodynamic studies, biomarker discovery and clinical translation. As a recognized subject matter expert in flow cytometry and cellular profiling, the individual will lead the development of innovative experimental strategies applicable across therapeutic areas, oversee laboratory capabilities, manage scientists and/or postdoctoral researchers, and contribute to portfolio decisions through deep scientific expertise and cross-functional collaboration.

WHAT - Main Responsibilities & Technical Competencies

Scientific Leadership

• Provide scientific leadership for cellular and translational laboratory activities across multiple research and development programs and therapeutic areas, including Oncology, Rare Diseases and Neuroscience.
• Generate mechanistic and translational scientific insights that inform drug discovery, candidate progression and development strategies.
• Partner with project and cross-functional teams to translate biological questions into robust experimental strategies and decision-enabling data.
• Identify, evaluate and implement emerging technologies and innovative approaches relevant to cellular biology, translational science and drug development.
• Contribute scientific expertise to portfolio and project decisions across different modalities, mechanisms of action and disease areas.

Advanced Flow Cytometry & Cellular Profiling Expertise

• Act as Ipsen’s laboratory subject matter expert for advanced flow cytometry and cellular profiling applications across therapeutic areas.
• Design, implement and continuously improve complex multi-parameter and spectral flow cytometry panels.
• Develop cellular profiling strategies to characterize disease-relevant cell populations, cellular phenotypes, target expression, pathway modulation and pharmacological responses.
• Develop and qualify robust assays enabling characterization of cell identity, activation state, functional responses, target engagement, pharmacodynamic effects and mechanisms of action.
• Establish best practices for assay design, panel optimization, data quality, reproducibility and quantitative data analysis.
• Drive innovation in single-cell, high-content and multimodal cellular profiling technologies.
• Provide scientific guidance on the interpretation and biological relevance of complex cellular datasets.
• Establish and maintain efficient technology-transfer processes for internally developed assays to external partners and CROs, ensuring reproducibility, quality and compliance.

Laboratory Leadership

• Lead laboratory activities for advanced flow cytometry supporting research objectives.
• Ensure scientific excellence, data integrity and compliance with laboratory standards.
• Oversee study design, execution, data analysis and reporting of pharmacological reports.
• Develop laboratory capabilities and contribute to strategic investment and technology roadmaps.
• Manage external laboratories and CRO collaborations when required.

People Management

• Directly manage laboratory scientist(s) and/or postdoctoral researcher(s).
• Establish objectives, priorities and development plans for team members.
• Coach and mentor scientists to foster scientific excellence and innovation.
• Create a collaborative and high-performing laboratory environment.

HOW - Behavioural Competencies Required

Cultivate Innovation Questions status-quo and adopt new approaches; Has vision, bring ideas and possibilities and turn it into actions; Thinks outside the box, reframes problems in different lights; Encourages/considers/integrates different perspectives/ideas; Innovation is central to the position rather than incidental. The role is expected to identify emerging technologies, develop innovative immunoprofiling strategies and actively advance single-cell and high-content approaches. This makes the ability to challenge existing approaches and translate new ideas into action especially important for future success.“Identify emerging technologies and innovative approaches relevant to immuno-oncology and translational science.” “Drive innovation in single-cell and high-content immune profiling technologies.” “As a recognized subject matter expert in flow cytometry, the individual will lead the development of innovative immunoprofiling strategies, oversee laboratory capabilities, manage a team of scientists and/or postdoctoral researchers, and contribute to portfolio decisions through deep scientific expertise and cross-functional collaboration.”

Excellence in execution

Approaches priority setting and setting the stage through the lens of execution; Establishes clarity about the goals, accountabilities, timelines, and next steps; can identify/spot opportunities for real impact on patient and society; Able to be focused and performance-driven with clear KPIs; Plans and aligns effectively (steps, resources, timelines etc.); Displays a commitment to best practice sharing and setting; Promotes single point of accountabilities.The role combines scientific leadership with operational laboratory responsibility. Success requires converting scientific strategy into robust assays and studies, maintaining quality and reproducibility, and overseeing execution, analysis and reporting. These responsibilities align very closely with disciplined planning, prioritisation, clarity and best-practice execution. “Establish best practices for assay design, panel optimization, data quality, reproducibility and analysis.”

Develops/ coaches Talent

Able to identify and align career goals, and blend organizational objectives into a cohesive development plan for self and team; Able to coach; Provides structured, actionable, regular and directional feedback and acts as a coach to empower people to own their own growth/development; Prepares their own succession plans; Displays a radically human-centered mindset; puts people first; focuses on doing good; Demonstrates ability to build team effectiveness. People development is an explicit part of this senior scientific leadership position. The individual is expected not simply to supervise scientists, but to establish development plans, coach and mentor them, and build an effective laboratory team. The competency therefore directly supports a significant continuing responsibility of the role. “Directly manage laboratory scientist(s) and/or postdoctoral researcher(s).” “Establish objectives, priorities and development plans for team members.” “Coach and mentor scientists to foster scientific excellence and innovation.”

Collaborates

Collaborates and communicates without boundaries, continuously removes organizational barriers; Focuses on continuous improvement; integrates and leverages key learnings, showcases resourcefulness, learning/experimenting at scale, demonstrates strong entrepreneurial behaviors and mindset. The position must operate beyond its immediate laboratory. Its scientific expertise feeds portfolio decisions, it works cross-functionally, and it manages relationships with external laboratories and CROs. Collaboration is therefore important for converting specialist laboratory expertise into broader R&D impact. “As a recognized subject matter expert in flow cytometry, the individual will lead the development of innovative immunoprofiling strategies, oversee laboratory capabilities, manage a team of scientists and/or postdoctoral researchers, and contribute to portfolio decisions through deep scientific expertise and cross-functional collaboration.” Establish and maintain efficient technology transfer processes for internally developed assays to external partners and CROs, ensuring reproducibility, quality, and compliance. Manage external laboratories and CRO collaborations when required.

Manage Complexity

Identifies contradictory information/demands/inputs to effectively solve problems; Develops and evaluates alternative scenario and solutions; Able to identify what truly matters and ruthlessly focus/ prioritize on making decisions with real impact. The scientific remit requires interpretation of complex biological and high-dimensional flow-cytometry information and using that evidence to inform consequential development decisions. Managing complexity is therefore particularly relevant to translating technically sophisticated experiments into clear scientific guidance and portfolio decisions. “The position drives the generation of decision-enabling data supporting target validation, candidate selection, mechanism-of-action studies, biomarker discovery, and clinical translation.”

HOW - Knowledge & Experience

Knowledge & Experience (essential)

• Extensive experience in advanced flow cytometry and cellular biology, with recognized expertise in pharmaceutical, biotechnology or leading academic research environments.
• Demonstrated experience developing and applying complex multicolor and/or spectral flow cytometry assays.
• Strong understanding of cellular biology, pharmacology, disease mechanics and translational science.
• Demonstrated ability to apply cellular technologies to answer mechanistic and drug-development questions.
• Proven track record of leading translational or preclinical research activities supporting drug discovery and/or development.
• Experience developing robust, reproducible and decision-enabling cellular assays.
• Experience managing laboratory scientists and/or postdoctoral researchers.
• Strong scientific communication and publication track record.
• Experience working within multidisciplinary drug-development teams.

Knowledge & Experience (preferred)

• Experience applying cellular and translational approaches within one or more therapeutic areas, including Oncology, Rare Diseases and/or Neuroscience.
• Experience with clinical biomarker development and pharmacodynamic or cellular biomarker assessment.
• Experience with single-cell technologies, high-content imaging, spatial biology and/or other advanced cellular profiling approaches.
• Experience supporting IND/CTA-enabling or clinical development activities.
• Experience with human primary cells, disease-relevant cellular models and/or translational sample analysis.
• Experience managing external collaborations and CROs.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in French and English
• Ability to anticipate and coordinate multiple activities simultaneously.
• Eagerness and willingness to learn and grow.

Education / Certifications (essential)

• Master of Science degree or PhD plus a minimum of 5 years of experience in biotech and/or pharmaceutical companies.
• “Flow cytometry” Postgraduate University Diploma

Language(s)

• Fluent in French and English