Scientist, Analytical Operations

Gilead Sciences, Inc.; Santa Monica (CA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

An innovative firm is seeking a highly motivated Research Scientist to join its cutting-edge team focused on curing cancer. In this role, you'll leverage your expertise in virology and cancer biology to enhance gene editing platforms and develop cell therapy products. You'll be responsible for designing and executing studies, leading functional assays, and mentoring junior staff. This position offers an exciting opportunity to work cross-functionally and contribute to groundbreaking advancements in cancer therapies. If you're passionate about making a difference and thrive in a dynamic environment, this role is perfect for you.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in virology or cancer biology required.
• Hands-on experience with flow cytometry and data analysis preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop biophysical characterization capabilities for viral vectors.
• Lead functional assays for viral vector fitness in cell therapy development.
• Mentor junior team members and contribute to innovative approaches.

Skills

Virology

Cancer Biology

Flow Cytometry

Data Analysis

Problem-Solving

Scientific Communication

Education

Masters' Degree

Bachelor's Degree

Associates Degree

High School Degree

Tools

FACSDiva

FlowJo

Microsoft Office

JMP

Prism

Job description

Job Description

We’re here for one reason and one reason only – to cure cancer. Every moment is dedicated to developing treatments and every action moves us one step closer to our goal. We’ve made incredible scientific breakthroughs and our pioneering personalized CAR T-cell therapies have changed the paradigm. But we're not finished yet.

Join Kite, as we make even bigger advances in cancer therapies, and help shape where our business and medical science goes next.

We believe every employee deserves a great leader. People Leaders are the cornerstone to the employee experience at Gilead and Kite. As a people leader now or in the future, you are the key driver in evolving our culture and creating an environment where every employee feels included, developed and empowered to fulfil their aspirations. Join Kite and help create more tomorrows.

Job Description

Kite's Attributes Sciences team is seeking a highly motivated Research Scientist with a strong background in virology and/or cancer biology, to elucidate the structure and function of Kite’s gene editing platforms (viral and non-viral modalities) for developing cell therapy products.

In this role, the ideal candidate will be responsible for independently designing, planning and executing studies to enhance our understanding of vector quality attributes. The successful candidate will work cross-functionally to identify opportunities for continuous process improvement for viral vector manufacturing and non-viral gene editing modalities. The scope of this role will evolve and expand over time to include mentoring junior team members and working with key stakeholders to identify new technologies and opportunities for continuous process & product improvement.

Responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

• Develop capabilities for in-house biophysical characterization of viral vectors (e.g., Dynamic Light Scattering, Sedimentation-Velocity Analytical UltraCentrifugation, Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis) to enhance viral vector product understanding.
• Lead the design of functional assays to assess viral vector fitness and mechanism of action on novel cell therapy drug product development.
• Perform multi-color flow cytometry and virometry to interrogate immunophenotype, cell health and viral vector attributes (e.g., viral titer, potency and purity).
• Contribute to development of innovative approaches to evaluate vector genomic integrity, integration sites and host cell proteins immunogenecity via ‘omics’ approaches, e.g., scRNA-seq, Long read sequencing and mass spectrometry.
• Play a key role in cross-functional initiatives aimed at designing studies that yield characterization data to mitigate potential risks to product quality.
• Function as a key contributor to Analytical Development knowledge by remaining up to date on scientific literature and the newest developments in relevant fields.
• Author, review, and edit technical documents such as SOPs and/or reports.
• Function independently in non-routine development activities and project goals.
• Maintain accurate documentation of experiments in ELN and reports.
• Present findings at internal meetings and/or contribute to the preparation of filling and patent applications.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior staff regarding concepts of virology, immunology and cell biology.

Basic Qualifications:

• Masters' Degree and Five Years’ Experience; OR
• Bachelor's Degree and Seven Years’ Experience; OR
• Associates Degree and Nine Years Experience; OR
• High School Degree and Eleven Year's Experience

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced knowledge of virology, cell biology, and/or immunology preferred.
• Hands on experience with multi-color flow cytometry and flow cytometry data analysis (FACSDiva, FlowJo).
• Experience with high-throughput screening methods for impurities profiling and biophysical characterization techniques (e.g., DLS, SV-AUC, NTA, FlowCam Nano).
• Prior experience with ddPCR, ELISA, MSD or Luminex-based assays is a plus.
• Proficiency in data analysis software (e.g., FlowJo, JMP, Prism, Microsoft office).
• Highly collaborative with excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills.
• Evidence of high level of scientific expertise demonstrated through scientific publications, literature review and scientific conference participation is preferred.
• Self-motivated, organized and detail-oriented, with demonstrated ability to work efficiently as part of a team.
• Ability to think critically and demonstrate troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
• Comfortable in a dynamic, fast-paced environment with minimal direction.
• Agile mindset and ability to adjust workload based upon changing priorities.