Principal Scientist

About the role

Join the Protein Homeostasis Thematric Research Center at BMS San Diego as a Principal Scientist within the Discovery Biology department. This is a high-impact role at the intersection of cutting-edge biology and drug discovery, where your work will directly influence clinical advancement decisions.

Responsibilities

• Lead the genome engineering and cell line development platform supporting diverse oncology and hematology discovery programs.

• Apply deep expertise in CRISPR/Cas9 (KO/KI/Activation), non-viral transposases, and lentiviral systems to generate isogenic disease models and SAR assay systems.

• Design and implement high-throughput automation workflows to improve efficiency and reduce operational costs.

• Develop novel cell-based SAR assays supporting E3 ubiquitin ligase-mediated TPD programs from hit-to-lead through clinical advancement.

• Lead target validation efforts for new and emerging discovery projects, defining experimental strategies to establish therapeutic relevance of novel targets in AML and related hematologic malignancies.

• Oversee validation frameworks integrating CRISPR-KO, RNAi, CRISPRa, proteomics, transcriptomics, and functional cell biology.

• Evaluate and de-risk new targets prior to full drug discovery investment.

• Generate and interpret MOA data packages pivotal for IND filings, clinical trial milestones, and regulatory submissions.

• Provide strategic scientific direction and experimental guidance on discovery project teams.

• Represent Discovery Biology at internal and external forums (e.g., ASH, AACR).

• Mentor and develop junior scientists and postdoctoral researchers.

• Manage external CRO relationships and coordinate multi-site collaborations for high-priority discovery projects.

• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives including automation development and OPEX reduction strategies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in the Life Sciences with 8+ years of academic and/or industry experience, or Master’s Degree with 6+ years of academic and/or industry experience, or Ph.D. or equivalent advanced degree in the Life Sciences with 4+ years of academic and/or industry experience.

• Demonstrated expertise in CRISPR/Cas9-based genome engineering and non-viral gene integration systems.

• Hands-on experience in Targeted Protein Degradation, including E3 ubiquitin ligase biology and degrader SAR programs.

• Proven track record of advancing discovery assets into clinical trials, including IND-enabling data package generation.

• Strong communication skills with experience authoring scientific manuscripts and presenting at conferences.

• Publishations in peer-reviewed journals in oncology, hematology, or genome engineering preferred.

Benefits

Bristol Myers Squibb offers a wide variety of competitive benefits, services and programs that provide employees with the resources to pursue their goals, both at work and in their personal lives. Read more: careers.bms.com/working-with-us.

Pay

The starting compensation range for this role is $149,390 - $181,023.

Schedule

This role is US Exempt and requires 100% onsite at the assigned facility.