Astellas Pharma · 1 day ago
Lead, Cancer Biology Research and Therapeutics, Disease Mechanism Research
South San Francisco, CA
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
$140K/yr - $220K/yr
7+ years expAstellas Pharma Inc. is a pharmaceutical company committed to developing innovative therapies for patients. The Disease Mechanism Research team is seeking a scientific leader in oncology research to provide direction for pre-clinical research and advance the oncology pipeline while leading a team of scientists.
BiotechnologyHealth CareMedical
Responsibilities
Expert knowledge of tumor biology, including cancer cell intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms leading to disease progression and maintenance
Provide extensive expertise in cancer biology, including model and assay development to support preclinical drug development
Establish key in vitro and ex vivo immuno-oncology assays and models suitable for therapeutic evaluation and mechanistic investigation across the Astellas portfolio
Mentor and support a team of junior researchers to address mechanisms of action and resistance to cancer therapies
Contribute to program development through broad expertise in oncogenic signaling pathways
Manage multiple projects simultaneously and act as a project lead to effectively collaborate cross-functionally with colleagues across the Astellas organization
Effectively communicate with team members to efficiently conduct experiments, articulate experimental details and results with other members of the Astellas research organization, and present research findings and recommendations to senior leadership
Qualification
Required
PhD and post-doctoral training in cancer biology, cancer immunotherapy or a closely related fields with a minimum of 7+ years postdoctoral experience in an academic or industry setting
Experience and strong interest in cancer therapy and/or immuno-oncology research
Demonstrated expertise in solid tumor biology and tumor model development
Proven ability to drive innovative research strategies and deliver results
Recognized leadership in mentoring talent, establishing best practices, and ensuring experimental rigor
Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills are essential
Strong work ethic with a dedicated mindset of proactively identifying and productively filling gaps
Preferred
Understanding of novel modalities in cancer therapeutics including but not limited to targeted protein degradation, ADC and bispecific T cell engager platforms
Knowledge of methodologies employed in tumor metabolism research
Experience in multicellular in vitro models
Benefits
Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
Generous Paid Time Off options, including Vacation and Sick time, plus national holidays including year-end shut down
401(k) match and annual company contribution
Company paid life insurance
Annual Corporate Bonus and Quarterly Sales Incentive for eligible positions
Long Term Incentive Plan for eligible positions
Company fleet vehicle for eligible positions
Referral bonus program
Company
Astellas Pharma
Astellas Pharma is a global pharmaceutical research & development company.
10001+ employees
H1B Sponsorship
Astellas Pharma has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (7)
2024 (4)
2023 (4)
2022 (2)
2021 (3)
2020 (5)
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
unknownKey Investors
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
2020-07-22Grant
2008-10-13IPO
Leadership Team
Amanda Hart
Head, Global Commercial Analytics and Reporting
Recent News
2026-01-07
2025-12-18
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