What are the responsibilities and job description for the Senior Scientist, Pharmacology position at Cartography Biosciences?
About Cartography Biosciences
Cartography Biosciences is a therapeutics organization creating the first atlas to identify targets that are specific enough to only engage cancerous cells, broad enough to work across cancer cells and patients, and safe enough to sidestep toxic side effects. Founded by Kevin Parker, Howard Chang, and Ansu Satpathy, Cartography is bridging immunology and computation to understand the critical differences between normal and cancerous cells, ultimately solving the challenge of finding the safest, most selective targets for a variety of immunotherapeutic approaches.
Cartography Biosciences is seeking a highly motivated Senior Scientist to join our Pharmacology team and play a pivotal role in the in vitro development and characterization of novel T cell engagers across our pipeline. This is a balanced role combining hands-on laboratory execution with scientific oversight, including assay development, CRO oversight, and direct management of 2-3 scientists. This is an ideal position for a scientist ready to operate at the bench and at the program level simultaneously.
The successful candidate will drive in vitro pharmacology end-to-end, from hit screening through IND-enabling studies. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in T cell biology, in vitro assay development, and MoA studies, and thrives in a highly collaborative, fast-paced environment that interfaces across antibody engineering, computational, and discovery teams. With demonstrated impact, this role offers the opportunity to grow into leading a pipeline program.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead functional characterization of T cell engagers from hit screening through IND enabling studies, including in vitro cytotoxicity, T cell activation, cytokine profiling and secondary assays (MSD, multi-color flow cytometry, FlowJo, CellCyte/Incucyte)
- Design and develop novel in vitro assays to address mechanistic questions and support program progression
- Design, execute and interpret preclinical experiments aligned with program goals and timelines
- Directly manage, mentor, and support the development of 2-3 scientists while fostering a rigorous and collaborative team culture
- Oversee studies and operations performed at CROs, including protocol development and data review, as needed
- Work collaboratively and efficiently in cross functional team environment to advance drug candidates through the development pipeline as a project leader for pharmacology
- Translate experimental data into actionable insights and clearly communicate findings and recommendations in program and pipeline meetings
- Actively participate in prioritizing key milestones and developing appropriate timelines
Qualifications:
- Ph.D. in Immunology, Cancer Biology, Pharmacology or related field with 2 years of relevant industry or postdoctoral experience; or Master's/Bachelor's with 10–12 years' experience
- Deep expertise in T cell biology and in vitro functional assays
- Hands-on experience with multi-parameter flow cytometry, MSD, and live-cell imaging platforms (CellCyte/Incucyte)
- Experience working with T cell engagers is strongly preferred
- Prior experience managing or mentoring junior scientists strongly preferred
- Experience contributing to a program through IND filing is a plus
- Self-motivated, adaptable, and comfortable managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
- Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in a cross-functional environment
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
The pay range for this role is:
145,000 - 160,000 USD per year (South San Francisco)
Salary : $145,000 - $160,000