Scientist - Cell Engineering & Functional Target Validation

Amgen; Thousand Oaks (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Amgen in Thousand Oaks is seeking a Scientist in Cell Engineering & Functional Target Validation. You will support the Surfaceome Platform by engineering target-specific cellular models, establishing reporter systems, and executing functional screening assays to guide early pipeline decisions.

You will leverage CRISPR genome editing, reporter line development, and flow cytometry to triage hits and define actionable target properties for therapeutic development.

Qualifications

• Doctorate degree required (Ph.D.).
• Experience with precision genome editing using CRISPR systems (KO/KI/CRISPRa).
• Experience with multi-color flow cytometry and FACS.
• Experience developing cell-based functional assays (luminescence/fluorescence).
• Experience in generating stable cell lines, reporters, and collaboration in teams.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement genome editing strategies to generate cellular models for surface target validation.
• Engineer reporter cell lines and quantitative assays for target validation.
• Develop functional assays with luminescence/fluorescence readouts for early validation workflows.
• Perform flow cytometry and cell sorting to verify target expression.
• Maintain electronic lab notebooks and present datasets to cross-functional teams.

Skills

Genome editing

Cell engineering

Flow cytometry

Reporter assays

Education

Ph.D. in Molecular Biology/Cell Biology/Biotechnology

M.S. + 2 years experience

B.S. + 4 years experience

Tools

CRISPR systems

Flow cytometry / FACS

Lentiviral transduction

Luminescence/fluorescence assays

Job description

Career Category

Research

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. Amgen is advancing a broad and deep pipeline and portfolio of medicines to treat heart disease, obesity and obesity-related conditions, rare diseases, inflammatory conditions and cancer. 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.

Scientist - Cell Engineering & Functional Target Validation

What you will do

Let's do this. Let's change the world. Amgen's Surfaceome Platform is advancing the discovery and validation of cell type-specific surface targets across multiple disease areas, enabling the development of targeted therapeutics through a deeper understanding of cell-surface biology.

To support this mission, the Surface Biology early validation group focuses on triaging proteomics- and transcriptomics-derived hits to define actionable target properties and guide early therapeutic modality selection. We are seeking a highly motivated Scientist to support cellular engineering, genetic tool generation, and cell-based functional assays within our high-throughput validation funnel.

In this role, you will leverage hands‑on laboratory expertise to engineer target‑specific cellular models, establish reporter systems, and execute functional screening assays. You will construct cellular tools through genetic perturbation and develop and implement relevant downstream functional assays to support target biology validation and early pipeline decisions.

Key Responsibilities: Scientist

• Design and implement genome editing and genetic perturbation strategies, including gene knockout, knock‑in, activation, or suppression approaches, to generate cellular models for surface target validation.
• Engineer and characterize reporter cell lines and quantitative cellular assays to assess target expression, surface localization, protein turnover, internalization, and other modality‑relevant properties.
• Develop and implement functional assays using luminescence, fluorescence, and other quantitative readouts to support target confirmation, functional characterization, and early validation workflows.
• Perform flow cytometry, cell sorting, and complementary approaches to verify target expression and surface localization in engineered cellular models and validate their suitability for downstream assays.
• Maintain meticulous electronic laboratory notebooks, support high-throughput flow and imaging workflows across the early validation team as portfolio demands require, and present functional datasets in cross‑functional project team forums.

What we expect of you

We are all different, yet we all use our unique contributions to serve patients. The professional we seek is a collaborative, critical‑thinking scientist with these qualifications.

Basic Qualifications: Scientist

• Doctorate degree (Ph.D.)
• OR
• Master's degree and 2 years of relevant scientific experience
• OR
• Bachelor's degree and 4 years of relevant scientific experience

Preferred Qualifications:

Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Biotechnology or related scientific discipline, with demonstrated scientific curiosity, independent thinking, and problem‑solving skills.
• Experience with precision genome editing using CRISPR systems to achieve genetic perturbation, specifically targeted knockout (KO), knock‑in (KI, including functional tags and human gene sequences), and CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) or knockdown, utilizing ribonucleoprotein (RNP) electroporation or lentiviral transduction.
• Experience with multi‑color flow cytometry, including cellular staining protocols, surface expression verification, and fluorescence‑activated cell sorting (FACS).
• Experience with developing, optimizing, and routinely executing cell‑based functional assays (e.g., plate‑based reporter readouts, luminescence/fluorescence assays, viability or cytotoxicity assays).
• Experience designing experimental workflows where cell line engineering strategies are directly guided by downstream functional assay requirements.
• Experience in the generation, single‑cell cloning, and functional validation of stable cell lines and reporter systems.
• Experience working collaboratively in multidisciplinary research teams, demonstrating strong organizational skills, high accountability, and clear communication.

Experience with mul