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Principal Scientist- Oncology Drug Discovery

GSK
United Statesfull_timeVerifiedPosted 10 Sept 2025

About the role

At GSK, we have bold ambitions for patients, aiming to positively impact the health of 2.5 billion people by the end of the decade. Our R&D focuses on discovering and delivering vaccines and medicines, combining our understanding of the immune system with cutting-edge technology to transform people’s lives. GSK fosters a culture ambitious for patients, accountable for impact, and committed to doing the right thing, making sure that we focus our efforts on accelerating significant assets that meet patients’ needs and have the highest probability of success. We’re uniting science, technology, and talent to get ahead of disease together.


Find out more:


Our approach to R&D

Position Summary


We are looking for a Principal Scientist to join our team in the United States. This role offers the opportunity to lead innovative research and contribute to the discovery and development of new therapies. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams, design experiments, and analyze data to drive impactful scientific advancements. We value candidates who are creative, detail-oriented, and passionate about making a difference in patients' lives.

Responsibilities


- Design, execute, and troubleshoot molecular, cellular, and biochemical assays to support drug discovery.
- Perform mechanistic studies to validate targets and assess therapeutic potential.
- Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, including chemists, biologists, and data scientists.
- Analyze experimental data, interpret results, and present findings to project teams.
- Identify opportunities for novel drug modalities and innovative approaches.
- Manage external collaborations and ensure timely delivery of high-quality data.

Why you?

Basic Qualification:

  • Ph.D. in Cell, Molecular, or Cancer Biology, Pharmacology, or a related life sciences field with 2+ years of post-doctoral research experience, or an M.S. degree with 3+, or a B.S. degree with 5+ years of industry experience

  • Experience in designing, executing, and analyzing cellular and molecular biology experiments using small molecular therapeutics and a diverse array of current scientific techniques.


Preferred Qualifications:

If you have the following characteristics, it would be a plus: 

  • >2 years of drug discovery experience in a biotech or pharmaceutical company

  • Deep knowledge in the field of molecular oncogenesis, signalling pathway or synthetic lethality.

  • Deep expertise in assay development in a drug discovery setting

  • Experience in applying genomic editing techniques to dissect target biology and drug mechanisms.

  • Proven track record of scientific expertise and achievement in cell biology and cancer biology through peer-reviewed publications.

  • Working knowledge of -omic methods (e.g., sequencing, transcriptomics, and/or proteomics) and databases (e.g., Sanger, CCLE, DepMap, etc.).

  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

  • Attention to detail and proficient reasoning skills in experimental design, data analysis, statistical methods, and interpretation.

  • Independence, problem-solving abilities, self-motivation, resourcefulness, and organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills.

  • Ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced team environment

Location


This role is based in the United States, Cambridge, MA and is on-site.

Join us in shaping the future of science and improving lives worldwide. Apply today!

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Please visit  GSK US Benefits Summary to learn more about the comprehensive benefits program GSK offers US employees.

Why GSK?
Uniting science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together.

GSK is a global biopharma company with a purpose to unite science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together. We aim to positively impact the health of 2.5 billion people by the end of the decade, as a successful, growing company where people can thrive. We get ahead of disease by preventing and treating it with innovation in specialty medicines

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