Principal Scientist, Cell Line Genome Engineering

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Challenging. Meaningful. Life-changing. Those aren’t words that are usually associated with a job. But working at Bristol Myers Squibb is anything but usual. Here, uniquely interesting work happens every day, in every department. From optimizing a production line to the latest breakthroughs in cell therapy, this is work that transforms the lives of patients, and the careers of those who do it. You’ll get the chance to grow and thrive through opportunities uncommon in scale and scope, alongside high-achieving teams. Take your career farther than you thought possible.

Bristol Myers Squibb recognizes the importance of balance and flexibility in our work environment. We offer a wide variety of competitive benefits, services and programs that provide our employees with the resources to pursue their goals, both at work and in their personal lives. Read more: careers.bms.com/working-with-us.

We are seeking a highly motivated and innovative scientist to join the Cell Line Genome Engineering team at Bristol Myers Squibb. The successful candidate will play a key role in developing advanced engineered cellular models to support drug discovery, contributing to a foundational capability within Lead Discovery and Optimization. In this fast-paced and collaborative environment, the individual will work across therapeutic areas and global sites to design, engineer, and validate physiologically and/or disease-relevant cellular systems that enable the initiation and progression of drug discovery programs. In addition, the candidate will help guide project teams in selecting the most appropriate cellular models at the outset of projects to ensure strong biological alignment and maximize translational impact.

To succeed in this role, the candidate should bring strong experience in drug discovery, along with a broad and deep technical background in cell and molecular biology. Expertise in emerging functional genomics technologies is highly desirable, with a demonstrated ability to implement and adapt these approaches to advance cell line engineering strategies. The ideal candidate will be able to translate cutting-edge concepts into practical, scalable solutions that enhance biological understanding and discovery outcomes.

This laboratory-based position requires effective collaboration with both internal teams and external academic and industry partners. The successful candidate will be expected to integrate insights from these collaborations into innovative, research-driven solutions. This role is critical to maintaining Bristol Myers Squibb’s leadership in leveraging next-generation cellular and genomic engineering approaches to transform the drug discovery process.

The successful candidate will have:

• A deep and comprehensive understanding of genome biology, including gene regulation and its impact on cellular function, with a demonstrated ability to apply this knowledge to design and guide strategy for engineered cellular systems in drug discovery.
• Extensive hands-on and strategic experience with CRISPR-based genome engineering technologies (e.g., Cas9, Cas12a, dCas9, base-editing, prime-editing and related systems), and gene delivery methods (lentiviral, AAV, electroporation, transposon), with a proven track record of leveraging these tools to build, scale, and optimize cellular models that advance discovery programs.
• Demonstrated expertise in engineering and deploying diverse cellular systems, including established cell lines, primary cells, and physiologically relevant models, with the ability to guide project teams in selecting appropriate model systems for specific discovery questions.
• Experience/familiarity with high-content imaging and cell painting and their application in drug discovery.
• Strong proficiency in genomic sequence analysis and bioinformatics, including short and long-read sequencing, enabling rigorous experimental design, clonal characterization, and high-confidence validation of engineered systems.
• Experience integrating emerging approaches such as AI-guided cell line engineering, including the application of computational models to design, prioritize, and interpret genetic perturbations and cellular phenotypes.
• Outstanding analytical and data interpretation skills, with the ability to derive actionable biological insights from complex, multi-dimensional datasets and influence scientific and strategic decisions.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and influence cross-functional teams in a matrixed environment, managing projects across disciplines, therapeutic areas, and geographic locations.
• A strong desire and willingness to continuously learn beyond core expertise and apply these across drug discovery programs
• Excellent communication skills, with a track record of effectively presenting complex concepts, shaping discussions, and influencing stakeholders at multiple levels of the organization.
• A strong record of scientific innovation, intellectual curiosity, and commitment to adopting and advancing cutting-edge technologies, with a clear drive to translate new approaches into impactful solutions that enhance drug discovery and benefit patients.

Basic Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in molecular biology, Cell Biology, Bioengineering or related fields and 6+ years of academic / industry experience OR PhD in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Bioengineering or related fields and 4+ years of academic / industry experience.

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Bioengineering, or a related field, with strong postdoctoral or industry experience preferred, with 5+ years or MS with 8+ years of industry experience.
• Demonstrated expertise in the design and generation of genetically engineered cellular systems (e.g., knockouts, knock-ins, targeted insertions, overexpression) using a range of approaches including CRISPR-based editing, viral delivery systems, and transposon-based technologies, with the ability to apply these strategically to drug discovery challenges.
• Deep cell biology expertise, including extensive experience culturing and engineering diverse cellular systems such as cancer cell lines, primary cells, and iPSC-derived models. Experience applying genome editing in iPSC and/or primary cell systems to generate physiologically and disease-relevant cellular models is highly desirable.
• Strong experience with next-generation sequencing (NGS) platforms (e.g., Illumina MiSeq, NextSeq) and downstream analysis workflows, including clonal characterization, sequence validation, and interpretation of complex genomic datasets.
• Experience with quantitative molecular biology techniques such as ddPCR, TaqMan, or related assays, with the ability to apply these methods for precise characterization of engineered systems.
• A track record of scientific innovation, evidenced by impactful publications, patents, or contributions to advancing technologies in genome engineering or related fields.
• Demonstrated excellence in written and verbal communication, with the ability to clearly articulate complex scientific concepts and influence cross-functional stakeholders.
• Proven ability to thrive in and contribute to highly collaborative, matrixed environments, with experience working across disciplines to advance drug discovery programs.
• Working knowledge of the drug discovery and development process, with an understanding of how cellular models inform target validation, hit identification, and lead optimization.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to prioritize, manage multiple complex projects, and deliver high-quality results in a dynamic environment.
• Experience or interest in integrating emerging approaches such as AI/ML-driven analyses or AI-guided cell line engineering to enhance experimental design, model selection, and interpretation of biological data.

#LI-Onsite

If you come across a role that intrigues you but doesn’t perfectly line up with your resume, we encourage you to apply anyway. You could be one step away from work that will transform your life and career.

Princeton - NJ - US: $135,800 - $164,563

The starting compensation range(s) for this role are listed above for a full-time employee (FTE) basis. Additional incentive cash and stock opportunities (based on eligibility) may be available. The starting pay rate takes into account characteristics of the job, such as required skills, where the job is performed, the employee’s work schedule, job-related knowledge, and experience. Final, individual compensation will be decided based on demonstrated experience. 

Eligibility for specific benefits listed on our careers site may vary based on the job and location. For more on benefits, please visit https://careers.bms.com/life-at-bms/.
 

Benefit offerings are subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable plans in effect at the time and may require enrollment. Our benefits include:

• Health Coverage: Medical, pharmacy, dental, and vision care.

• Wellbeing Support: Programs such as BMS Well-Being Account, BMS Living Life Better, and Employee Assistance Programs (EAP).

• Financial Well-being and Protection: 401(k) plan, short- and long-term disability, life insurance, accident insurance, supplemental health insurance, business travel protection, personal liability protection, identity theft benefit, legal support, and survivor support.

​Work-life benefits include:

Paid Time Off

• US Exempt Employees: flexible time off (unlimited, with manager approval, 11 paid national holidays (not applicable to employees in Phoenix, AZ, Puerto Rico or Rayzebio employees)

• Phoenix, AZ, Puerto Rico and Rayzebio Exempt, Non-Exempt, Hourly Employees: 160 hours annual paid vacation for new hires with manager approval, 11 national holidays, and 3 optional holidays

Based on eligibility*, additional time off for employees may include unlimited paid sick time, up to 2 paid volunteer days per year, summer hours flexibility, leaves of absence for medical, personal, parental, caregiver, bereavement, and military needs and an annual Global Shutdown between Christmas and New Years Day.

All global employees full and part-time who are actively employed at and paid directly by BMS at the end of the calendar year are eligible to take advantage of the Global Shutdown.

*Eligibility Disclosure: The summer hours program is for United States (U.S.) office-based employees due to the unique nature of their work. Summer hours are generally not available for field sales and manufacturing operations and may also be limited for the capability centers. Employees in remote-by-design or lab-based roles may be eligible for summer hours, depending on the nature of their work, and should discuss eligibility with their manager. Employees covered under a collective bargaining agreement should consult that document to determine if they are eligible. Contractors, leased workers and other service providers are not eligible to participate in the program.

Uniquely Interesting Work, Life-changing Careers
With a single vision as inspiring as “Transforming patients’ lives through science™ ”, every BMS employee plays an integral role in work that goes far beyond ordinary. Each of us is empowered to apply our individual talents and unique perspectives in a supportive culture, promoting global participation in clinical trials, while our shared values of passion, innovation, urgency, accountability, inclusion and integrity bring out the highest potential of each of our colleagues.

On-site Protocol

BMS has an occupancy structure that determines where an employee is required to conduct their work. This structure includes site-essential, site-by-design, field-based and remote-by-design jobs. The occupancy type that you are assigned is determined by the nature and responsibilities of your role:

Site-essential roles require 100% of shifts onsite at your assigned facility. Site-by-design roles may be eligible for a hybrid work model with at least 50% onsite at your assigned facility. For these roles, onsite presence is considered an essential job function and is critical to collaboration, innovation, productivity, and a positive Company culture. For field-based and remote-by-design roles the ability to physically travel to visit customers, patients or business partners and to attend meetings on behalf of BMS as directed is an essential job function.

Supporting People with Disabilities

BMS is dedicated to ensuring that people with disabilities can excel through a transparent recruitment process, reasonable workplace accommodations/adjustments and ongoing support in their roles. Applicants can request a reasonable workplace accommodation/adjustment prior to accepting a job offer. If you require reasonable accommodations/adjustments in completing this application, or in any part of the recruitment process, direct your inquiries to [email protected]. Visit careers.bms.com/eeo-accessibility to access our complete Equal Employment Opportunity statement.

Candidate Rights

BMS will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records, pursuant to applicable laws in your area.

If you live in or expect to work from Los Angeles County if hired for this position, please visit this page for important additional information: https://careers.bms.com/california-residents/

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If you believe that the job posting is missing information required by local law or incorrect in any way, please contact BMS at [email protected]. Please provide the Job Title and Requisition number so we can review. Communications related to your application should not be sent to this email and you will not receive a response. Inquiries related to the status of your application should be directed to Chat with Ripley.

R1605341 : Principal Scientist, Cell Line Genome Engineering