Scientist - Biotransformation

Amgen is seeking a Scientist to join the Pharmacokinetics and Drug Metabolism (PKDM) department at our Kendall Square site in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

In this role you will contribute to Amgen's diverse discovery and development portfolio of therapeutic modalities with a focus on small molecule metabolite identification and elucidation of metabolic pathways. You will work directly with other PKDM stakeholders at multiple Amgen research sites (Cambridge, MA, San Francisco and Thousand Oaks, CA) to influence drug discovery direction including interpretation and communication of the impact of your results on drug safety, chemistry strategy, and clinical pharmacology planning to advance the best therapeutic candidates. In addition, this position will make meaningful and innovative contributions to the fundamental understanding of the biological factors that affect the metabolism and clearance of small molecules as well as contribute to regulatory filing activities.

In this position the core responsibilities are to:

Identify drug metabolites using LC-MSMS and other analytical methodologies (sometimes requiring the use of radio-labelled materials)

Plan, design, and conduct in vitro studies and in vivo sample analysis; analyze, interpret, integrate and communicate study results

Work with project team representatives to design fit-for-purpose metabolite identification studies to achieve an appropriate level of understanding of the disposition of our molecules at various program stages to best meet therapeutic and safety objectives

Devise, articulate, and implement strategies for improvement of the clearance and safety properties for candidate molecules

Implement new techniques, improved processes and evaluate new instrumentation

In addition to the core responsibilities, the position provides the opportunity to pursue scientific inquiries into the metabolism of small molecule biotherapeutics including mechanistic studies. The role also allows the individual to write scientific reports, author scientific papers and present at scientific meetings where appropriate. A collaborative and highly capable scientific cross-site community at Amgen is available to support these efforts.

Basic Qualifications

Doctorate degree

OR

Master's degree and 4 years of scientific experience

OR

Bachelor's degree and 6 years of scientific experience

Preferred Qualifications

Master's Degree in a pharmaceutical science, chemistry or equivalent field of study

7+ years of drug discovery and/or development experience

Experience with HRMS and Thermo Orbitrap platform including experience with metabolite ID software (i.e. MassMetaSite, Webmetabase, Compound Discoverer, etc)

Experience planning/performing in vivo radiolabeled ADME studies including sample analysis, metID and report writing

Knowledge/expertise of operating and interpreting 1D/2D NMR data of isolated metabolites

Critical thinking and demonstrated ability to communicate with team members across broad disciplines

Effective oral and written communication skills

Amgen is committed to unlocking the potential of biology for patients suffering from serious illnesses by discovering, developing, manufacturing and delivering innovative human therapeutics. This approach begins by using tools like advanced human genetics to unravel the complexities of disease and understand the fundamentals of human biology.

Amgen focuses on areas of high unmet medical need and leverages its expertise to strive for solutions that improve health outcomes and dramatically improve people's lives. A biotechnology pioneer since 1980, Amgen has grown to be one of the world's leading independent biotechnology companies, has reached millions of patients around the world and is developing a pipeline of medicines with breakaway potential.