Safety Pharmacology Senior Scientist

Amgen Inc. (IR); Thousand Oaks (CA); On-site; USD 129,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive benefits

Flexible work models where possible

Bonus program

Job summary

Amgen is seeking a Safety Pharmacology Senior Scientist to lead nonclinical safety pharmacology strategy within a collaborative, cross‑functional team. You will design, execute, and interpret GLP and non‑GLP studies, translating complex data into actionable guidance for project teams and governance forums.

The role emphasizes strong regulatory awareness, cross‑functional communication, and the ability to influence decisions across discovery, lead optimization, IND‑enabling, and clinical

Qualifications

• Doctorate degree and 1 year of scientific experience OR Master’s degree and 3 years of scientific experience OR Bachelor’s degree and 5 years of scientific experience
• PhD in Pharmacology, Neuroscience, Physiology, Biomedical Sciences, or related field
• Experience supporting discovery and development project teams as a safety pharmacology SME or toxicology representative
• Broad experience in nonclinical safety pharmacology across cardiovascular, respiratory and CNS domains
• Experience authoring or contributing to regulatory documents such as Investigator’s Brochures, IND sections, briefing documents, or responses to regulatory questions
• Strong cross-functional communication and problem-solving skills
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate across disciplines, influence without direct authority, and manage multiple priorities in a matrixed environment
• Track record of scientific publications and participation in external scientific forums or consortia

Responsibilities

• Serve as a Safety Pharmacology SME on cross‑functional project teams, guiding discovery through clinical development.
• Design and oversee GLP and non‑GLP safety pharmacology studies, internal or external.
• Evaluate nonclinical safety pharmacology data across cardiovascular, respiratory, CNS endpoints.
• Integrate safety pharmacology data with toxicology, pharmacology, translational biology, DMPK and regulatory info.
• Contribute to governance presentations, regulatory strategy meetings, and study issue resolution.
• Contribute to safety pharmacology sections of regulatory documents like INDs and Investigator’s Brochures

Skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Strong communication

Scientific publications

Regulatory awareness

Study director experience

Education

Doctorate degree

Master's degree

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Career Category Scientific Job Description

Join Amgen’s Mission of Serving Patients. At Amgen, if you feel like you’re part of something bigger, it’s because you are. Our shared mission—to serve patients living with serious illnesses—drives all that we do. Since 1980, we’ve helped pioneer the world of biotech in our fight against the world’s toughest diseases. With our focus on four therapeutic areas –Oncology, Inflammation, General Medicine, and Rare Disease– we reach millions of patients each year. Amgen is advancing a broad and deep pipeline of medicines to treat cancer, heart disease, inflammatory conditions, rare diseases, and obesity and obesity‑related conditions. As a member of the Amgen team, you’ll help make a lasting impact on the lives of patients as we research, manufacture, and deliver innovative medicines to help people live longer, fuller happier lives. Our award‑winning culture is collaborative, innovative, and science based. If you have a passion for challenges and the opportunities that lay within them, you’ll thrive as part of the Amgen team. Join us and transform the lives of patients while transforming your career.

Safety Pharmacology Senior Scientist

What you will do

Let’s do this. Let’s change the world. In this vital role you will join the Safety Pharmacology Sciences team. The successful candidate will serve as a subject matter expert in nonclinical safety pharmacology, partnering closely with project teams to develop and execute integrated safety pharmacology strategies that support discovery, candidate selection, IND‑enabling packages and regulatory submissions. This role will require strong scientific judgment, regulatory awareness, cross‑functional collaboration, and the ability to translate complex nonclinical safety pharmacology data into clear, actionable recommendations for project teams and governance forums. The Senior Scientist will work closely with Safety Pharmacology Sciences colleagues to shape and deliver high‑quality safety pharmacology strategies across Amgen’s portfolio to support high‑quality development decisions to enable progression of innovative therapeutics for patients.

The role includes opportunities to contribute to Amgen’s external scientific influence through collaborations, presentations, publications, or participation in industry working groups with the following responsibilities:

Safety Pharmacology Strategy and Project Team Support

Serve as a Safety Pharmacology subject matter expert on cross‑functional project teams, developing fit‑for‑purpose strategies and providing strategic guidance across discovery, lead optimization, candidate selection, IND‑enabling, and clinical development stages, aligned with program biology, modality, target risk, regulatory expectations, and development needs.

Design and oversee GLP and non‑GLP safety pharmacology studies conducted internally or at external contract research organizations, ensuring scientific rigor, operational feasibility, compliance, and timely delivery.

Evaluate and integrate nonclinical safety pharmacology data, including cardiovascular, respiratory, CNS, ECG, hemodynamic, telemetry, and related endpoints, to assess biological relevance, translational significance, and regulatory impact.

Integrate safety pharmacology data with toxicology, pharmacology, translational biology, DMPK, clinical, and regulatory information to support weight‑of‑evidence decision‑making.

Contribute to internal governance presentations, project team discussions, regulatory strategy meetings, development milestone decisions, and resolution of study‑related scientific or technical issues.

Contribute to safety pharmacology sections of regulatory documents, including IND‑enabling summaries, Investigator’s Brochures, briefing documents, responses to regulatory questions, and internal development reports.

Scientific Leadership and Innovation

Contribute to development and implementation of innovative safety pharmacology approaches, including fit‑for‑purpose study designs, risk‑based assessment frameworks, and translational safety strategies. Stay current with evolving regulatory expectations, industry best practices, scientific literature, and emerging methodologies in safety pharmacology. Participate in internal initiatives to improve safety pharmacology processes, templates, data standards, reporting practices, and decision frameworks. Promote high scientific standards, quality, and compliance across internal and external study activities. Contribute to a culture of scientific curiosity, collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.

External Engagement

Represent Amgen externally through scientific presentations, publications, professional societies, consortia, and cross‑industry working groups, as appropriate. Build external scientific relationships that enhance Amgen’s visibility and influence in safety pharmacology. Monitor and contribute to emerging best practices in cardiovascular, respiratory, CNS, and integrated nonclinical safety assessment.

Basic Qualifications:

• Doctorate degree and 1 year of scientific experience OR Master’s degree and 3 years of scientific experience OR Bachelor’s degree and 5 years of scientific experience

Preferred Qualifications

• PhD in Pharmacology, Neuroscience, Physiology, Biomedical Sciences, or related field
• Experience supporting discovery and development project teams as a safety pharmacology SME or toxicology representative
• Broad experience in nonclinical safety pharmacology across cardiovascular, respiratory and CNS domains
• Experience serving as a study director, project representative, or subject matter expert for GLP and/or non‑GLP safety pharmacology studies
• Experience authoring or contributing to regulatory documents such as Investigator’s Brochures, IND sections, briefing documents, or responses to regulatory questions
• Strong cross‑functional communication and problem‑solving skills
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate across disciplines, influence without direct authority, and manage multiple priorities in a matrixed environment
• Track record of scientific publications and participation in external scientific forums or consortia

What you can expect of us

As we work to develop treatments that take care of others, we also work to care for your professional and personal growth and well‑being. 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

Refer to the Work Location Type in the job posting to see if this applies.

In any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age‑identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.

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.

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.

Salary Range 129,228.90USD -174,839.10 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