Job Details

Scientist II, Cancer Models, Translational Research 

The Opportunity:

As a Temp Scientist II on the Cancer Models team, you will expand the team’s executional bandwidth by managing multiple projects to acquire, develop, qualify, and deploy preclinical cancer models for Translational Research, with particular emphasis on GEMM-derived pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and colorectal cancer (CRC) models. You will coordinate work across internal scientists, contract research organizations (CROs), academic collaborators, and operational and legal partners while applying scientific judgment and contributing hands-on support as needed to deliver high-quality models, data, and documentation.

• Manage multiple preclinical cancer model development and acquisition projects from scientific evaluation and procurement through contracting, transfer, characterization, and readiness for internal use.

• Contribute to model engineering, validation, and characterization for externally sourced or internally created models with emphasis on PDAC and CRC; manage work plans, timelines, deliverables, data review, risks, and follow-up.

• Coordinate with cross-functional team members to interrogate and validate molecular features of models at the DNA, RNA, and protein levels, characterize in vitro growth and baseline responses, and assess in vivo growth, preparing suites of models for rapid deployment in in vivo efficacy studies and other applications.

• Maintain an integrated inventory of available preclinical cancer models across Cancer Models and partner groups in Research; identify models in internal collections, CROs, and academic laboratories, track unmet needs, and help determine which gaps to fill through sourcing or development.

• Partner with internal operational and legal teams to provide scientific context and coordinate the documentation, permissions, and transfer logistics needed to access and onboard models from external sources.

• Partner with Cancer Pharmacology, Cancer Immunology, and other Research teams with disease area focuses to align model work with study needs and transition qualified models into preclinical experiments.

• Ensure model provenance, agreement status, protocols, metadata, and qualification data are accurately documented in internal systems, with rigorous and reproducible records.

• Communicate project goals, status, and proposals; proactively identify blockers and coordinate decisions and follow-up across internal and external stakeholders.

Required Skills, Experience and Education:

• Ph.D. in cancer biology, genetics, molecular biology, pharmacology, or a related field and a minimum of 2 years of relevant experience, or an M.S. and a minimum of 7 years of relevant experience. Level will be determined by qualifications and experience.

• Solid knowledge of PDAC and/or CRC biology and associated preclinical modeling approaches.

• Direct experience developing, engineering, or characterizing GEMMs or GEMM-derived cancer models and familiarity with additional model types, such as mouse or human cell lines, mouse organoids, CDXs, PDXs, and PDOs.

• Demonstrated ability to independently manage external research projects, including scopes, timelines, deliverables, data interpretation and review, risks, and multiple concurrent workstreams.

• Strong experimental-design, data-interpretation, troubleshooting, and documentation skills, with practical experience using DNA-, RNA-, and protein-based assays and in vitro or in vivo studies to validate and characterize cancer models.

• Excellent organizational, written, and verbal communication skills and the ability to drive execution across internal teams and external partners in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Skills:

• Direct experience with PDAC and/or CRC GEMMs, GEMM-derived cell lines or organoids, and RAS-driven cancer biology.

• Experience managing model projects with CROs or academic laboratories and working effectively with internal operational and legal teams to support model access and material-transfer processes.

• Experience with PDX/PDO models or in vivo oncology pharmacology, including tumor-growth, efficacy, or pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic studies.

• Experience with genetic engineering approaches such as CRISPR or RNAi and with model or experimental data management in Benchling or a comparable system.