Senior Scientist, Nonclinical Safety, Cell Therapy

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 137,000 - 166,000; Full time

Job summary

Bristol Myers Squibb in Seattle seeks a Senior Scientist, Nonclinical Safety, Cell Therapy to contribute to the safety assessment of engineered T-cell therapies. This laboratory-focused role supports the development of ex vivo and in vivo CAR T strategies within the Nonclinical team.

The candidate will design functional assays, analyze data, and communicate findings to cross-functional teams, advancing innovative safety platforms for cell therapy.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with 7+ years, Master's with 5+ years, or PhD with 2+ years of relevant experience.
• Strong publication record and/or presentations.
• Experience designing, executing, and interpreting in vitro functional assays in immunology, gene editing, or cell therapy.
• Excellent lab skills in cell and molecular biology including multiple techniques.
• Experience culturing primary cells and immortalized mammalian cell lines.
• Experience with functional characterization of T cells (activation, cytotoxicity, cytokines).
• Proficiency with flow cytometry assay development and data analysis (FlowJo).
• Experience with genome editing, gene expression analysis, ddPCR; enhancing safety evaluation.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate to evaluate ex vivo CAR and in vivo CAR T-cell products and toxicology challenges.
• Design and execute experiments to predict on- and off-target risks.
• Develop cell and tissue-based in vitro models and molecular assays.
• Build expertise in engineered T-cell therapies for preclinical safety evaluation.
• Communicate findings to project teams with presentations and reports.
• Drive short-term goals while innovating safety evaluation for T-cell modalities.

Skills

immunology

cell therapy

in vitro assays

flow cytometry

gene editing

cell culture

communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

PhD

Tools

FlowJo

Luminex

MSD

ddPCR

Job description

At Bristol Myers Squibb, our employees often ask, “Who are you working for?”—a question that fuels collaboration, accountability, and urgency in our work. Our purpose-driven culture inspires us to discover, develop, and deliver innovative medicines to prevail over serious diseases. We offer uniquely interesting and meaningful work, opportunities for growth, and a supportive environment that values inclusion, wellbeing, flexibility, and comprehensive benefits. This is work that transforms the lives of patients, and the careers of those who do it.

Position Summary

At Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) we’re on the cutting edge of cellular immunotherapy, harnessing the power of ex vivo and in vivo CAR-T technologies to revolutionize cancer treatment. Our mission is bold: to develop cell therapies that overcome tumors resistant to current approaches and bring hope to patients worldwide. The Cell Therapy Drug Safety Evaluation team in Seattle is seeking a passionate, creative, and driven research scientist to help shape the future of cell therapy safety. If you thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment and are excited by the challenge of pioneering new platforms and technologies, the role is primarily laboratory-based within our Nonclinical team in Seattle.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate with talented colleagues to evaluate new ex vivo CAR and in vivo CAR T-cell products and tackle toxicology challenges in cutting‑edge therapeutic strategies, including gene editing and cell engineering.
• Design and execute sophisticated experiments to predict on- and off‑target risks, developing innovative cell and tissue‑based in vitro models and molecular assays.
• Build deep expertise in engineered T-cell therapies, focusing on preclinical safety evaluation and contributing to the advancement of transformative medicines.
• Communicate your findings clearly and effectively to project teams and collaborators, preparing impactful presentations and technical reports.
• Deliver on short-term project goals while driving innovation that will shape the future of safety evaluation for T-cell therapy modalities.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree with 7+ years, Master's degree with 5+ years, or PhD with 2+ years of relevant academic and/or industry experience.
• Scientific expertise demonstrated through a strong publication record and/or scientific presentations.
• Experience designing, executing, and interpreting in vitro functional assays to support immunology, gene editing, or cell therapy research programs.
• Excellent laboratory skills in cell and molecular biology, with expertise in several of the areas listed below.
• Experience culturing primary cells (e.g., monocytes, lymphocytes, fibroblasts, and hematopoietic stem cells) and immortalized mammalian cell lines.
• Candidates with experience in analytical methods for functional characterization of T cells, including activation, cytotoxicity, cytokine secretion, proliferation, and phenotypic profiling will be prioritized.
• Proficiency with common laboratory techniques, including multicolor flow cytometry, cell imaging, ELISA, Luminex, Meso Scale Discovery (MSD) assays, Incucyte-based live-cell analysis, and Western blotting.
• For flow cytometry, proficiency with flow cytometry assay development, panel design, and data analysis using FlowJo or similar software.
• Proficiency in several molecular biology techniques, such as genome editing, shRNA-mediated gene silencing, gene expression analysis, and/or droplet digital PCR (ddPCR).
• Experience generating genetically modified cell lines, including transfectants and/or gene knockout cell lines is desirable.
• Experience with viral vector-mediated gene transfer (e.g., lentiviral and/or retroviral transduction) is desirable.
• Experience with fluorescence and/or confocal microscopy, live-cell imaging, and image analysis is a plus.

#LI-Onsite

Compensation Overview

Seattle - WA: $136,770 - $165,737

The starting pay range(s) listed above is for full-time employees (FTE). You may also be eligible for additional discretionary incentive cash and stock opportunities. We determine starting pay thoughtfully – carefully considering the nature of the role, required skills, work location, schedule and the knowledge and experience you bring. Final compensation is guided by pay equity principles and applicable employment laws. Compensation programs are reviewed on an ongoing basis and may be adjusted over time to reflect evolving market factors, and individual, team or Company performance.

Benefits

Subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable plans then in effect, you may be eligible to participate in our comprehensive benefit plans – including wellbeing support, retirement and financial protection benefits, and insurance offerings (medical, dental, vision, life and disability).

U.S.-based exempt employees are eligible for Flexible Time Off (FTO), which provides paid time off without a set accrual limit, subject to manager approval, along with 11 paid company holidays each year.

Non-exempt employees, RayzeBio employees, and employees located in Puerto Rico receive 160 hours of paid vacation annually for new hires (subject to manager approval), 11 paid company holidays, and 3 optional holidays.

Depending on eligibility, employees may also have access to additional time-off benefits, including paid sick leave, up to two paid volunteer days per year, summer hours flexibility, and leaves of absence for medical, personal, parental, caregiver, bereavement, or military needs. Eligible employees also enjoy an annual Global Shutdown between Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

U.S.-based job seekers can explore full benefit offerings at https://careers.bms.com/benefits

How We Work

Where you work matters – because collaboration, innovation and patient impact happen in many settings. Our roles are structured across four work models: site-essential, site-by-design, field-based and remote-by-design. The model assigned to this role is based on its core responsibilities. Learn more at https://careers.bms.com/ways-of-working.

Supporting People with Disabilities

BMS is dedicated to ensuring that people with disabilities can excel through a transparent recruitment process, reasonable workplace accommodations/adjustments and ongoing support in their roles. Applicants can request a reasonable workplace accommodation/adjustment prior to accepting a job offer. If you require reasonable accommodations/adjustments in completing this application, or in any part of the recruitment process, direct your inquiries to [e-mail] . Visit careers.bms.com/eeo-accessibility to access our complete Equal Employment Opportunity statement.

Candidate Rights

BMS will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records, pursuant to applicable laws in your area.

For roles based in Los Angeles County only: If you live in or expect to work from Los Angeles County if hired for this position, please visit this page for important additional information: https://careers.bms.com/california-residents/

Data Protection

We will never request payments, financial information, or social security numbers during our application or recruitment process. Learn more about protecting yourself at https://careers.bms.com/fraud-protection . Any data processed in connection with role applications will be treated in accordance with applicable data privacy policies and regulations.

If this posting is missing required information required by local law or incorrect, contact BMS at [e-mail] with the Job Title and Requisition number. Do not send application-related inquiries to this email. To check your application status, please login to your Candidate Home Account.

R1607479 : Senior Scientist, Nonclinical Safety, Cell Therapy