Principal Scientist, Inflammation

Amgen Inc. (IR); South San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 154,000 - 208,000; Full time

Job summary

Amgen Inc. (IR) in South San Francisco seeks a Principal Scientist in Inflammation to lead discovery and translational biology for an immune-targeting platform.

You will drive in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo studies to characterize immune modulation and durability of responses, supporting candidate advancement and platform optimization. The role emphasizes mechanistic insights, biomarker development, and collaboration with cross-functional teams to deliver robust preclinical data for progression

Qualifications

• PhD, PharmD, or MD with post‑doc experience or equivalent
• Experience in immunology and drug discovery is preferred
• Strong track record in immunology research and publications

Responsibilities

• Lead in vitro and ex vivo strategies to evaluate immune activity and target cell modulation.
• Design and execute in vivo studies assessing immune pharmacology in mouse models.
• Develop and optimize functional immune-cell assays and readouts.
• Build translational biology capabilities including biomarker development.
• Integrate data to inform platform optimization and candidate selection.
• Deliver preclinical efficacy and mechanistic datasets supporting program progression.
• Collaborate across discovery biology, protein engineering, and translational safety teams.
• Present data and recommendations to cross-functional teams.

Skills

Lymphocyte biology

Immune effector mechanisms

Flow cytometry

Education

PhD

Tools

Flow cytometry

Job description

Principal Scientist, Inflammation

What you will do Let’s do this. Let’s change the world. In this vital role you will lead discovery and translational biology efforts for a novel immune-targeting therapeutic platform focused on selective modulation of pathogenic immune-cell populations in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. This role will emphasize in vitro and ex vivo immune cell-assay development, mechanistic characterization and in vivo translational pharmacology to support candidate advancement. You will play a central role in defining the experimental and translational framework required to translate early platform concepts into therapeutic candidates capable of delivering robust and durable immune pharmacology.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead in vitro and ex vivo biological strategy for a next‑generation immune‑targeting therapeutic platform, establishing experimental approaches to evaluate immune effector activity and target cell elimination in relevant in vitro and preclinical models.
• Design and execute in vivo studies evaluating lymphocyte‑mediated target cell depletion, immune pharmacology, and durability of therapeutic responses in mouse models of inflammatory disease.
• Develop and optimize in vitro and ex vivo functional immune‑cell assays, including co‑culture systems, cytotoxicity or target‑cell modulation assays and readouts of immune‑cell activation, expansion, persistence, target engagement and pharmacodynamic response.
• Build translational biology capabilities including immune cell profiling, biodistribution studies, and pharmacodynamic biomarker development to support candidate optimization.
• Integrate in vitro and in vivo datasets to generate mechanistic insights that inform platform optimization and candidate selection.
• Advance lead therapeutic candidates toward development by delivering preclinical efficacy and mechanistic datasets supporting program progression.
• Collaborate with discovery biology, protein engineering, delivery sciences, in vivo pharmacology and translational safety to design, perform, and analyze laboratory experiments encompassing in vitro, ex vivo, in silico, and in vivo methodologies.
• Serve as key scientific contributor on cross‑functional project teams by synthesizing data, presenting conclusions, documenting results and communicating recommendations to internal and external scientific audiences.
• Exhibit excellent organizational, verbal, and written communication skills, produce reliable and reproducible results, multitask efficiently, and coordinate multiple projects confidently.

What we expect of you

We are all different, yet we all use our unique contributions to serve patients. The dynamic professional we seek is a research leader with these qualifications.

Basic Qualifications

• Doctorate degree PhD OR PharmD OR MD [and relevant post‑doc where applicable] and 2 years of experience in drug discovery or academic settings OR Master’s degree and 5 years of experience in drug discovery or academic settings OR Bachelor’s degree and 7 years of experience in drug discovery or academic settings experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Research Experience: PhD with deep expertise in lymphocyte biology and immune effector mechanisms and over 5 years of experience in immunology‑related research in industry or academic settings.
• Scientific Contributions: Demonstrated track record of independent scientific contributions in immunology, as evidenced by publications in high‑impact journals.
• Technical Skills: Strong expertise in in vitro and ex vivo immunology, including primary immune‑cell assays, co‑culture systems, immune mediated cytotoxicity or target cell depletion assays, and high parameter flow cytometry. Experience characterizing lymphocyte activation states, effector function, persistence, target engagement and pharmacodynamic responses is highly desirable.
• Experience with preclinical mouse models of immune‑mediated target‑cell modulation.
• Familiarity with small and large molecule drug discovery, mechanism of action studies, ELISA, MSD, and flow cytometry‑based immune cell profiling, single‑cell RNA sequencing (scRNA‑Seq), CRISPR/Cas9, and omics data analysis experience a plus.
• Collaborative Skills: Proven ability to work effectively in team environments with strong documentation and laboratory management skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills to clearly articulate scientific proposals and results, lead discussions, and make presentations in multidisciplinary meetings.
• Innovative Thinking: A creative and innovative approach to identify and validate novel targets and therapeutic approaches. This includes staying abreast of current trends, literature, and new developments in pre‑clinical and clinical development.

What you can expect of us

• From our competitive benefits to our collaborative culture, we’ll support your journey every step of the way.
• The expected annual salary range for this role in the U.S. (excluding Puerto Rico) is posted. Actual salary will vary based on several factors including but not limited to, relevant skills, experience, and qualifications.
• In addition to the base salary, Amgen offers a Total Rewards Plan, based on eligibility, comprising of health and welfare plans for staff and eligible dependents, financial plans with opportunities to save towards retirement or other goals, work/life balance, and career development opportunities that may include: 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.

Application deadline

Amgen does not have an application deadline for this position; we will continue accepting applications until we receive a sufficient number or select a candidate for the position.

Sponsorship

Sponsorship for this role is not guaranteed.

Equal Opportunity Statement

As an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for people around the world, Amgen fosters an inclusive environment of diverse, ethical, committed and highly accomplished people who respect each other and live the Amgen values to continue advancing science to serve patients. Together, we compete in the fight against serious disease.

Amgen is an Equal Opportunity employer and will consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or any other basis protected by applicable law. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation. Amgen will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.

Salary Range

153,524.45USD -207,709.55 USD

Amgen is committed to unlocking the potential of biology for patients suffering from serious illnesses by discovering, developing, manufacturing and delivering innovative human therapeutics. This approach begins by using tools like advanced human genetics to unravel the complexities of disease and understand the fundamentals of human biology. Amgen focuses on areas of high unmet medical need and leverages its biologics manufacturing expertise to strive for solutions that improve health outcomes and dramatically improve people's lives. A biotechnology pioneer since 1980, Amgen has grown to be one of the world's leading independent biotechnology companies, has reached millions of patients around the world and is developing a pipeline of medicines with breakaway potential.

For more information, visit www.amgen.com and follow us on www.twitter.com/amgen