Senior Scientist

Payroll Title SRA 4 Department CANCER CENTER/Solid Tumor Therapeutics Hiring Pay Scale $76,694.87 - $/Year Worksite Moores Cancer Center Appointment Type Career Appointment Percent 100%
Union RX Contract Total Openings 1 Work Schedule Days, 8 hrs/day, Monday-Friday #138534 Senior Scientist Filing Deadline Tue 3/3/2026 Apply Now UC San Diego values and welcomes people from all backgrounds. If you are interested in being part of our team, possess the needed licensure and certifications, and feel that you have most of the qualifications and/or transferable skills for a job opening, we strongly encourage you to apply.

UCSD Layoff from Career Appointment:
Apply by 2/20/26 for consideration with preference for rehire. All layoff applicants should contact their Employment Advisor. Reassignment Applicants:
Eligible Reassignment clients should contact their Disability Counselor for assistance.
Description The Moores Cancer Center (MCC) is one of just 57 NCI‑designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the United States and the only one in San Diego County. As a consortium cancer center, it is a collaborative partnership between the UCSD: encompassing 28 departments, 6 schools (School of Medicine, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Public Health, Jacobs School of Engineering, School of Biological Sciences & the School of Physical Sciences), UCSD Health oncology hospitals and clinics;

the basic and public health research and outreach of San Diego State University (SDSU), and the basic and translational research of the La Jolla Institute of Immunology (LJI). These various programs and units are all dedicated to fulfilling the Moores Cancer Center's mission of reducing cancer's burden. As such, it ranks among the top centers in the nation conducting the continuum of cancer research, providing advanced patient care, and serving the community through outreach and education programs.

As a top‑ranking, future‑oriented organization, we offer challenging career opportunities in a fast‑paced and innovative environment. Moores Cancer Center follows a progressive philosophy of career‑path development for its employees including opportunities for cross‑training, professional development, and progressive responsibility. MCC's mission is to transform cancer care in our catchment area and beyond by driving exceptional scientific discoveries and innovations in prevention, detection, care, and training.

MCC will make a global impact on improving health by reducing cancer burden through accelerated discovery and translation, compassionate and interdisciplinary care, education and community engagement, with the foundation of our core values – Excellence, Innovation and Risk‑Taking, Collaboration, Diversity and Service. Dr. Bassel El‑Rayes, who will be serving as the new Deputy Director of the Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health, has a long‑standing NIH funded laboratory focused on developing new therapeutic approaches for treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Specific areas of research interest are the tumor microenvironment, cancer associated fibroblast biology, and therapeutic vulnerabilities that drive therapeutic resistance, and developing new therapeutics to more effectively target pancreatic cancer. Under direction of the Principal Investigator, the Senior Scientist will independently drive the scientific direction and research productivity of the lab. This will include making significant innovative contributions pertaining to the development and design of new complex research project and grant writing.

Manage and coordinate research collaborations between the El‑Rayes lab and others across the UCSD community and beyond. Anticipated scientific duties will include partnering with the principal investigator in developing, outlining and refining the strategic directions of the laboratory, designing and overseeing projects, contribute data for publication, and grant writing.
Minimum Qualifications

• Advanced theoretical knowledge and/or Bachelor's Degree in cancer biology with a background in cancer biology, immunology, DNA damage response signaling.
• Experience independently isolating cells…