Scientist 3, Induced Proximity Pharmacology, Discovery Oncology

About the role

The Department of Discovery Oncology seeks a Scientist 3 to pioneer new approaches in cancer drug discovery, focusing on induced proximity to reprogram protein function in cancer cells.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute creative, hypothesis-driven experiments to discover and validate novel oncology targets and proximity-based mechanisms of action.
• Pioneer the design and implementation of induced proximity strategies to modulate protein function in cancer cells.
• Develop and test bold therapeutic hypotheses, identify robust pharmacodynamic markers, and establish practical strategies to drug the targets uncovered.
• Engineer cancer cell systems to build the cellular models needed to interrogate proximity pharmacology.
• Deploy and innovate on a diverse toolkit for measuring protein–protein and protein–small molecule interactions in cells (proximity labeling, FRET, BRET, and emerging approaches).
• Collaborate with outstanding scientists across Genentech, including colleagues in Genomics, Transcriptomics, Proteomics, and Computational Sciences.
• Present and discuss data in lab meetings, department forums, and cross-functional project teams.
• Foster a collaborative culture by sharing expertise, learning from others, and staying current with the literature in a fast-moving field.

Requirements

• A Ph.D. in Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Cancer Biology, Chemical Biology, or a related field.
• At least 3 years of research experience in an academic or industry laboratory.
• Creative and rigorous experimentalist with a proven track record of impactful research, demonstrated through publications.
• Cancer cell culture expertise, including experience establishing and maintaining difficult-to-culture cell lines.
• Cell line engineering expertise spanning lentiviral delivery, transposon-based gene insertion, and CRISPR knock-in approaches.
• Hands-on experience using multiple strategies to measure protein–protein and protein–small molecule interactions in cells, such as proximity labeling, FRET, and BRET.
• Proficiency in a broad range of biochemical, molecular, and cell biology techniques including flow cytometry.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to independently design, execute, and interpret experiments.
• Strong communication skills and a genuine enthusiasm for collaborative, team-based science.
• Motivation to learn new experimental approaches and computational analyses, and the curiosity to explore unconventional ideas.

Preferred Qualifications

• Training and a strong research record in chemical biology.
• Strong background in cancer cell signaling pathways.
• Experience in functional genomics, including work with barcoded/pooled libraries.
• Direct experience with induced proximity modalities (e.g., PROTACs/molecular glues and related approaches), or a demonstrated interest in extending proximity pharmacology to novel functional outcomes.
• Deep mechanistic understanding of the processes that drive cancer development and progression.