Senior Scientist - Automation and HTS – Target Discovery & Biology (TD&B)

About the role

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. With our focus on four therapeutic areas – Oncology, Inflammation, General Medicine, and Rare Disease – we reach millions of patients each year. Amgen is advancing a broad and deep pipeline of medicines to treat cancer, heart disease, inflammatory conditions, rare diseases, and obesity and obesity-related conditions. 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.

Responsibilities

• Develop automation pipelines and strategies to execute functional arrayed genomic screens in high-throughput in advanced in vitro models in collaboration with therapeutic area partners.
• Transfer manual protocol processes in 96w or 384w format to automation platforms.
• Adapt established iPSC differentiation and long-term cell culture protocols to automated instruments to create batches of screen-ready cells.
• Optimize high content imaging assays and image acquisition parameters, such as those required in Cell Painting experiments, using automated microscopy and image analysis software.
• Identify and implement emerging technologies in robotics, automation, and high content imaging to enhance the sophistication and throughput of discovery platforms.
• Foster a collaborative, creative, and scientifically rigorous team culture committed to delivering impact across Amgen’s pipeline.

Requirements

Doctorate degree or Master’s degree and 3 years of functional genomic screening experience or Bachelor’s degree and 5 years of functional genomic screening experience.

Qualifications

Doctorate degree in cell biology, chemical engineering, bioengineering, biomedical engineering, or related discipline; High throughput screening experience; arrayed CRISPR (KO/i/a) and perturbation screening experience preferred; experience with high content imaging screens preferred; A high level of comfort working with automation instrumentation; proven track record optimizing performance of and troubleshooting such instruments; Familiarity with automation scheduling software, e.g. HighRes Cellario; Experience with any of the following specific platforms is highly preferred: HighRes Prime tip-based liquid handler, HighRes PreciseDrop II flying-reagent dispenser; GNF Washer-Dispenser II flying-reagent dispenser and plate washer; BlueCat BlueWasher plate washer; Beckman Coulter (Labcyte) Echo acoustic liquid handler; Experience with CellTrio and/or CellXpress.ai platforms also highly preferred; Familiarity with HTS metrics (e.g. Z’, S/B, MSMR); Cell culture experience; iPSC experience and work in complex in vitro cellular models preferred; Excellent organizational and communication skills, with the ability to drive cross-site collaboration in a matrixed research environment.

Benefits

As we work to develop treatments that take care of others, we also work to care for our teammates’ professional and personal growth and well-being.

• Comprehensive employee benefits package, including a Retirement and Savings Plan with generous company contributions, group medical, dental and vision coverage, life and disability insurance, and flexible spending accounts.
• A discretionary annual bonus program, or for field sales representatives, a sales-based incentive plan
• Stock-based long-term incentives
• Award-winning time-off plans and bi-annual company-wide shutdowns
• Flexible work models, including remote work arrangements, where possible