Principal Scientist, Pharmacology

Celgene Corporation is a global integrated biopharmaceutical company primarily engaged in the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative therapies designed to treat cancer and immune-inflammatory related diseases in patients with limited treatment options.

The role of the Pharmacology Department at Celgene is to provide in vivo pharmacology support to discovery teams focused on identifying small or large molecules for the treatment of severe unmet medical needs in oncology, inflammation, autoimmunity and fibrosis. The Pharmacology department also contributes to development teams by providing preclinical data to support the clinical development plan. The Pharmacology Department is an integrated part of discovery programs, supporting the identification of lead molecules through in vivo model screening and the characterization of the mechanism of action of promising development candidates. The Pharmacology Department is responsible for the development, validation and implementation of acute and chronic animal models of disease, including the identification of pathway biomarkers and clinically relevant endpoints to characterize the efficacy of lead molecules. Members of the department provide leadership for discovery programs from target identification to development candidate nomination. There is a close working relationship with DMPK, Exploratory Toxicology and Translational Development. Reporting to the Sr. Principal Scientist, the candidate will have responsibility for the design, planning, execution and interpretation of in vivo studies focused on identifying candidate molecules within the area of cancer, cancer stem cells and epigenetics. The candidate will drive scientific excellence and lead by example in the lab by demonstrating best practices in the development, implementation and execution of in vivo models. They will be expected to support multiple projects within the epigenetics thematic area and will be responsible for communicating data both within the department and to multidisciplinary discovery teams. They will contribute to setting the pharmacology strategy for support of epigenetics discovery projects and new targets and will be viewed as an expert resource in epigenetics pharmacology by members within and outside the department. The candidate will have the opportunity to lead cancer drug discovery projects, participate in the evaluation of new targets and design and implement a strategy for in vivo validation of these targets. They will also lead and manage the pharmacology staff assigned to them focusing on execution, priority setting and career development to accomplish the department and project goals. The candidate must have strong written and oral communication skills, be self-motivated, innovative, a team player, have proven leadership skills and must be able to work independently.

* Independently design, plan, execute and interpret complex in vivo studies focused on identifying small and large candidate molecules within the area of cancer epigenetics * Formulation of small and/or large molecules for in vivo studies. * Evaluation of pathway biomarkers and endpoints from in vivo studies via techniques such as ChIP assays, DNA methylation assays, Flow cytometry, qPCR, IHC, ELISA, Mesoscale and Western blots. * Plan, execute and interpret pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic studies in acute and chronic disease models. * Data presentation to multidisciplinary discovery teams. * Participate in the evaluation of new targets. * Preparation of technical reports. * Participate in strategy setting. * Identification of risks within function and development of contingencies plans to mitigate risk. * Lead and manage the pharmacology staff assigned to them to accomplish the goals and requirements of the organization, including excellence in execution, priority setting & career development. * Interface with cross-functional team members * Represent department on discovery teams and lead sub-teams. **Other Attributes** * Exhibits strong leadership skills, flexibility and a commitment to scientific excellence * Collaborates with other departments to enhance the quality and content of the pharmacology work * Able to have a direct impact on department and project performance * Possess strong interpersonal skills with a demonstrated ability for creative thinking

**Requirements & Education** * PhD in cancer biology, epigenetics, pharmacology or relevant scientific discipline; * Minimum 8 years of work experience or relevant academic experience. * Bachelor’s degree in a relevant scientific discipline with at least 16 years work experience or Master’s degree with at least 14 years work experience. **Technical Skills** * Proven track record in validating and implementing animal models for testing cancer therapies including epigenetic therapies * Knowledge/experience with alternative pharmacologic endpoints relevant to epigenetics and Cancer Stem Cells, e.g. differentiation, limiting dilution or Tumor Initiating Cell enumeration * Experience with small animal imaging (CT, PET, etc) is highly desired * Knowledge in Immuno-Oncology is a plus * In vivo skills include animal handling, dosing of small or large molecules, sample preparation, small animal surgeries, imaging modalities, siRNA for target validation and experience with more complex transgenic and knockout models * Proficiency in laboratory bench skills such as ELISAs, Western blots, Mesoscale, qPCR, Flow cytometry, and/or histology is required. * Experience in DNA methylation and chromatin modification assays is a plus * Proven track record of working in projects related to epigenetic targets or cancer stem cells * Proven track record of good experimental design, in-depth data analysis and interpretation based on strong scientific rationale * Detail oriented and able to problem solve and offer potential solutions * Excellent written and oral communication skills * Works independently or as part of a team in a fast-paced environment * Supervisory experience * Computer skills: Advanced knowledge of Excel, Word, Powerpoint and Graphpad prism