Scientist - Lead Discovery & Optimization

Arcus Biosciences is an exciting growth company founded on the vision of creating best-in-class cancer therapies through the utilization of unexploited insights in immunology. We are an oncology-focused biopharmaceutical company leveraging its deep cross-discipline expertise to discover highly differentiated therapies and develop a broad portfolio of novel combinations addressing significant unmet needs. The recently announced multi-year broad collaboration with Gilead Sciences will greatly accelerate our clinical development activities and will create a unique and unusual opportunity for professional development, gaining in-depth exposure to industrial drug discovery and development from an experienced and proven team.

We are in the San Francisco bay area, in the heart of the world's largest biotechnology research hub. Arcus Biosciences offers a competitive compensation and benefits package, including aggressive participation in the growth of the company in the form of stock option grants. Arcus is an ambitious undertaking, and we fully expect our company to become a force in the discovery, development and commercialization of novel therapies for the treatment of cancer.

Position Summary

Arcus Biosciences currently has an exceptional opportunity for a Scientist to join our Lead Discovery & Optimization group. Our Lead Discovery & Optimization group is a central and critical element of our research engine. Data generated by the group is critical to the assessment and selection of drug candidates and the advancement of programs into clinical evaluation. We are looking to greatly expand the size of the group in 2021 with the position available immediately. Working closely with our biology and chemistry teams, the Scientist will be responsible for developing and validating biochemical and cell-based assays that drive our drug discovery effort. The role demands working closely with the research leadership team to inform key decisions on compound and program progression. The accountabilities of this position include:

• Design, develop, automate, and execute potency, selectivity and characterization assays to support early stage drug discovery projects using the full range of modern bioassay technologies
• Design and perform assays to identify and understand mechanism-of-action of compounds
• Support drug discovery programs by providing relevant scientific and strategic input to drive project decisions
• Contribute on multidisciplinary teams, presenting scientific data in support of research projects

Basic Qualifications

• Ph.D in biochemistry, enzymology, cell Biology, molecular biology, or related life science disciplines with 0-4 years industry experience; or MS with 10+ years industry research experience in the context of drug discovery
• Proven laboratory skills coupled with an aptitude for critical thinking and exceptional attention to experimental detail
• Demonstrated ability to solve difficult problems in assay development and mechanistic enzymology
• Strong communications skills, self-motivation and proven ability work effectively both in a team environment and independently
• Great attention to details and motivation to work on multiple projects simultaneously and focus on time-sensitive objectives

Preferred Qualifications

• Broad experience with bioassays development, including but not limited to enzymatic, binding assays and cell-based functional assays. Familiarity with absorbance, luminescence, fluorescence polarization, FRET and AlphaLISA®
• Relevant drug discovery training or experience are highly desirable
• Experience in mammalian cell culture, mammalian cell transfection, and stable cell line generation
• Experience with laboratory robotics and automated data analysis is a plus