Senior Principal Scientist – Target Discovery & Biology; TD&B

Senior Principal Scientist – Target Discovery & Biology (TD&B)

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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 biotechnology in our fight against the world’s toughest diseases. With a focus on Oncology, Inflammation, General Medicine, and Rare Disease, we reach millions of patients each year. As a member of the Amgen team, you’ll help make a lasting impact on patients’ lives by researching, manufacturing, and delivering innovative medicines.

Our award‑winning culture is collaborative, innovative, and science‑based. If you have a passion for challenges and the opportunities they bring, you’ll thrive n us and transform patients’ lives while advancing your career.

Amgen’s Target Discovery & Biology (TD&B) organization integrates functional genomics, multi‑omics profiling, human genetics, and complex in‑vitro systems to uncover new biological insights and therapeutic targets. TD&B partners closely across Amgen’s therapeutic areas to translate data into discovery, accelerating the path to target development.

We are seeking a highly motivated, innovative, and experienced Senior Principal Scientist based in Thousand Oaks to lead a team focused on the development, delivery, and implementation of complex in‑vitro models that power target discovery and functional genomics efforts. In this essential role, you will be part of a dynamic, cross‑functional team advancing target and biological discovery.

• Provide scientific and operational leadership for a team of scientists delivering advanced in‑vitro models and screening‑ready systems in collaboration with therapeutic area partners.
• Guide the design, optimization, and screen implementation of cellular models that capture disease‑relevant biology, integrating insights from disease tissue profiling data.
• Champion partnerships with automation colleagues to accelerate model deployment and reproducibility.
• Collaborate with Amgen therapeutic area scientists to define requirements, ensure biological relevance, and deliver systems that enable mechanistic and translational insights.
• Identify and implement emerging technologies in cell engineering, automation, and complex model systems 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.

The dynamic professional we seek is a leader with the following qualifications.

• Doctorate (PhD, Pharm
  
  D, or MD) with relevant post‑doc where applicable and 3 years of directly related experience
• Or Master’s degree and 6 years of directly related experience
• Or Bachelor’s degree and 8 years of directly related experience

• Doctorate degree in cell biology, molecular biology, biomedical engineering, or related discipline.
• 6+ years of relevant experience in biotech or pharma, including leadership of scientific teams.
• Strong track record in complex in‑vitro model development, cell engineering, and high‑throughput or automated screening.
• Experience with high‑content imaging and transcriptional assay readouts.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with cross‑functional teams to translate disease biology into experimental models.
• Experience with viral vector systems (AAV, lentivirus, or related technologies) for gene delivery and perturbation.
• Experience in leading or mentoring scientists, with proven success in project execution and team development.
• Familiarity with data‑driven discovery approaches, including integration of genetic or multi‑omics insights.
• Excellent organizational and communication skills, with the ability to drive cross‑site collaboration in a matrixed research environment.

We support your professional and personal growth with competitive benefits and a collaborative culture.

The expected annual salary range…