Principal Scientist, Applied Genomics

Role Summary

The Applied Genomics group at Novartis, San Diego is actively seeking a highly motivated associate with exceptional cellular/molecular biology and genomic screening experience to support new and ongoing technology development and drug discovery programs. This position plays a foundational role at Novartis, developing tools, reagents, and enabling technologies to power early drug discovery efforts. The successful candidate will be expected to have 2+ years of industry experience and work directly with multidisciplinary technology and drug discovery teams across the organization.

Responsibilities

• Strong proficiencies in cell culture and functional genomics, including the design and implementation of genomic screens using technologies like CRISPR, RNAi, and cDNA.
• Experience in assay development, evaluating new technologies, and an extensive understanding of various assay methods and principles.
• Collaboration with cross-functional teams, including researchers, engineers, and bioinformaticians, to design and execute automated workflows tailored to specific screening requirements, including advising upon choice of perturbagen and design of orthogonal or secondary validation workflows.
• Independently design and conduct experiments, analyze and interpret data, and communicate findings to project teams.
• Design and create custom molecular biology solutions to assist project teams. A strong background and extensive experience in all aspects of molecular biology, including CRISPR-based techniques.

Qualifications

• BS/MS plus 10-15+ years, or PhD plus 5+ years in biology (or relevant field), with applicable related industry experience.
• Hands-on experience in genomic screening and automation, preferably in a research or industrial setting.
• Proficient with mammalian cell culture and experience with physiologically relevant in vitro disease models.
• Demonstrated familiarity with both genomics perturbagens, including strengths and liabilities of each class (siRNA, CRISPR, cDNA), and in the proper delivery and QC of each.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to work in a fast-paced, collaborative environment. Outstanding problem-solving skills and attention to detail, with good troubleshooting and resolving technical challenges in automated assay development.

Desirable Skills

• Ability to lead independent research to develop enabling technologies for drug discovery
• Optimize and implement biochemical and phenotypic assays to characterize protein-protein interactions
• Protein expression, vector design and optimization, and lab automation experience are pluses
• Viral-mediated gene transfer, engineering, and production experience
• Expertise in routine cell-based assays such as luminescence and FRET-based assays, Western Blots, and Flow Cytometry.