Research Scientist, Cell Biology - Multiple Myeloma CAR T Cell Development

Job Description

Kite Pharma, a Gilead company, is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development of innovative cancer immunotherapies with a goal of providing rapid, long-term durable response and eliminating the burden of chronic care. The company is focused on chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) cell therapies designed to empower the immune system's ability to recognize and kill tumors.

Kite Pharma’s Cell Therapy Research division is seeking a Research Scientist to lead the discovery of next generation multiple myeloma CAR T cell products. This position will report to the Director, Cell Biology for Multiple Myeloma.

Responsibilities

• Independently design and execute experiments to select lead candidates for clinical development of next generation autologous CAR-T cell products to treat multiple myeloma
• Critically analyze and interpret results in light of previous findings and propose next steps
• Present data and communicate findings in both research and cross-functional meetings
• Document experimental results to enable future clinical study reports and patent applications
• Work closely with team members and cross-functionally to deliver on project goals within expected timelines
• Coordinate tasks across multiple projects, demonstrating prioritization and planning
• Stay up to date on recent publications and the competitive landscape
• Propose and test strategies to enhance CAR-T efficacy and develop relevant model systems as needed
• Opportunity to mentor junior scientists in formal and informal settings

Basic Qualifications

• Advanced scientific degree (i.e. MD, PharmD, PhD) - OR -
• Master’s Degree and 6+ years of scientific experience - OR -
• Bachelor’s Degree and 8+ years of scientific experience

Preferred Qualifications

• PhD or Postdoc in Cancer Biology
• In depth experience in human immunology, cancer biology and/or cancer immunotherapy and be highly motivated to impact patient outcomes in multiple myeloma
• Demonstrated experience in the following techniques:
  • Tissue culture and sterile technique
  • Primary immune cell culture
  • Immunoassays
  • Multi-parameter flow cytometry (panel design, sample acquisition, data processing) and data analysis (FACSDiva, FlowJo, GraphPad Prism, Excel)
  • Cell proliferation assays
• Cell therapy experience
• Multiple myeloma experience
• Demonstrated independence in experimental design, data analysis, interpretation, and presentation
• Excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Experience communicating results to diverse audiences
• Maintain a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail; excellent organizational and record keeping skills
• Self-motivated with a drive to learn and make a meaningful impact
• Comfortable working in a flexible and fast-paced company environment and able to adjust workload based upon changing priorities
• Strong collaboration and excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Sense of responsibility and willingness to accept temporary responsibilities outside of initial job description

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