Principal Scientist – GEM Molecular Validation & Technologies

Career Category Scientific Job Description

Join Amgen’s Mission of Serving Patients 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.

What you will do Let’s do this. Let’s change the world. We are seeking an experienced Principal Scientist to support and advance the Amgen Comparative Medicine Genetically Engineered Models (GEM) Program. This role will provide scientific and technical expertise in the molecular characterization and qualification of genetically engineered models, supporting model integrity from generation through colony establishment and experimental use. The individual will also contribute to building scalable GEM capabilities through sequencing, automation, computational approaches, and emerging AI-enabled tools.

The ideal candidate will bring extensive experience with genetically engineered models, genome engineering, and molecular validation, with the scientific judgment to evaluate complex engineered alleles and troubleshoot unexpected molecular or genotype findings. Strong hands‑on expertise in CRISPR‑based model generation and characterization, qPCR/ddPCR, long‑read sequencing, NGS, automation, bioinformatics, and computational analysis is highly desirable. Experience with engineered cell systems, including embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), would be an additional strength.

A major focus will be developing fit‑for‑purpose GEM molecular characterization strategies, including orthogonal genotyping, allele and structural integrity, copy number and zygosity, mosaicism, off‑target analysis, and sequencing. The role will also advance scalable automation, computational, and AI‑enabled approaches for model design, sequence analysis, data interpretation, and workflow integration to improve GEM quality, efficiency, and scientific decision‑making. This is a highly hands‑on Principal Scientist role requiring deep technical expertise, independent scientific judgment, innovation, and strong problem‑solving skills.

The individual will collaborate across internal and external teams to resolve complex model questions and ensure GEMs are appropriately characterized for their intended scientific use.

• GEM Molecular Characterization & Validation Develop and execute fit‑for‑purpose molecular characterization strategies for newly generated and existing genetically engineered models, including knockout, knock‑in, conditional, transgenic, humanized, and complex multi‑allelic models. Design, develop, validate, and troubleshoot qPCR, multiplex ddPCR, long‑read sequencing, NGS, and other orthogonal molecular assays. Characterize engineered alleles for sequence and…