Senior Scientist, Spatial Assays

At Bristol Myers Squibb, our employees often ask, “Who are you working for?”—a question that fuels collaboration, accountability, and urgency in our work. Our purpose-driven culture inspires us to discover, develop, and deliver innovative medicines to prevail over serious diseases. We offer uniquely interesting and meaningful work, opportunities for growth, and a supportive environment that values inclusion, wellbeing, flexibility, and comprehensive benefits. This is work that transforms the lives of patients, and the careers of those who do it.

The Cell Therapy Thematic Research Center is one of BMS’s differentiated research platforms delivering innovative therapies to patients. Our mission is to drive leadership in the use of cellular therapies to harness the power of the immune system in treating hematologic malignancies, solid cancers, and autoimmune disease. More specifically, our discovery and translational scientists are focused on developing next-generation, engineered cell-based therapies. The team is committed to discovering and developing transformative therapies that harness the power of the immune system to improve patient outcomes.

Position Responsibilities

In the role as a Spatial Assays Scientist (Senior Scientist) within the Spatial Assays team in Translational Research, Cell Therapy TRC the ideal candidate will:

Lead the strategy, design, development, optimization, qualification, validation, transfer, implementation, and lifecycle management of tissue-based biomarker assays, including IHC, ISH, multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF), spatial and digital pathology platforms, supporting translational research and clinical development programs.

Lead assay feasibility studies, antibody characterization and selection, panel development, staining optimization, orthogonal specificity assessments, analytical validation, robustness studies, indication expansion activities, and the development of novel pathology methodologies.

Serve as a technical subject matter expert (SME) for external laboratory partnerships (CROs), leading assay transfer, implementation, and lifecycle oversight to ensure robust assay performance, high-quality data generation, alignment of study reportables, comprehensive validation report review, and successful clinical implementation.

Establish assay performance criteria, quality control measures, acceptance specifications, image analysis workflows, and data review processes; conduct laboratory studies supporting control material generation and assay verification to ensure high-quality, decision-ready biomarker data.

• •Partner closely with translational scientists to develop fit-for-purpose biomarker and pathology assay strategies aligned with translational hypotheses, mechanism-of-action investigations, exploratory
• •endpoints, pharmacodynamic assessments, and safety monitoring across early- and late-stage development.

Collaborate with internal Pathology laboratories to design, develop, and validate novel tissue-based assays, leveraging preclinical data to guide assay strategy, enable clinically relevant translational endpoints, and support both program-specific needs and portfolio-wide standardization efforts.

Interpret, analyze, and communicate assay validation data and scientific findings to multidisciplinary project teams and governance committees.

Manage complex external collaborations and vendor relationships, including assay placement strategy, vendor selection, statement-of-work development, sample sourcing, budget and timeline management, technical oversight, quality review, and issue resolution.

Drive innovation in spatial and digital pathology by evaluating and implementing emerging technologies such as multiplex imaging, RNAscope, CosMx, COMET, digital pathology, and image analysis to answer key translational and mechanistic questions.

Experience

Basic Qualifications:

Bachelor’s Degree

7+ years of academic and / or industry experience

Or

Master’s Degree

5+ years of academic and / or industry experience

Or

Ph.D. or equivalent advanced degree in the Life Sciences

2+ of academic and / or industry experience

Preferred Qualifications:

Ph.D. in Pathology, Immunology, Cancer Biology, Molecular Biology, Biomedical Sciences, or related field with 2+ years of relevant industry experience.

• •Strong expertise in IHC, ISH, multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF), image analysis, spatial biology, and digital pathology assay development.
• •Experience developing, optimizing, qualifying, validating, and implementing tissue-based biomarker assays for translational and clinical studies.

Knowledge of assay validation principles, including specificity, sensitivity, precision, robustness, controls, and quality systems.

Laboratory experience with cell culture, control material generation, tissue processing, and orthogonal assay verification techniques such as flow cytometry, RNAscope etc.

Familiarity with spatial biology and tissue imaging platforms such as CosMx, COMET, GeoMx, RNAscope, Akoya, 10xgenomics, or related technologies.

Experience with digital pathology, image analysis, pathology scoring, and biomarker data interpretation.

Experience managing CROs and external laboratory partnerships, including assay transfer, technical oversight, vendor management, and validation report review.

Strong project management skills with experience managing timelines, budgets, and cross-functional deliverables.

Scientific curiosity, excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to present scientific findings to multidisciplinary teams and governance committees.

Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced, matrixed research environment.

Experience in oncology, immunology, autoimmune disease, cell therapy, gene therapy, or other advanced therapeutic areas preferred.

#LI-Hybrid

We hire for skills and capabilities, not just credentials – if this role excites you, but doesn’t perfectly match your resume, we encourage you to apply anyway.

Compensation Overview:

• Seattle - WA: $136,030 - $164,841

• The starting pay range(s) listed above is for full-time employees (FTE). You may also be eligible for additional discretionary incentive cash and stock opportunities. We determine starting pay thoughtfully – carefully considering the nature of the role, required skills, work location, schedule and the knowledge and experience you bring. Final compensation is guided by pay equity principles and applicable employment laws. Compensation programs are reviewed on an ongoing basis and may be adjusted over time to reflect evolving market factors, and individual, team or Company performance.

Benefits:

Subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable plans then in effect, you may be eligible to participate in our comprehensive benefit plans – including wellbeing support, retirement and financial protection benefits, and insurance offerings (medical, dental, vision, life and disability).

U.S.-based exempt employees are eligible for Flexible Time Off (FTO), which provides paid time off without a set accrual limit, subject to manager approval, along with 11 paid company holidays each year.

Non-exempt employees, RayzeBio employees, and employees located in Puerto Rico receive 160 hours of paid vacation annually for new hires (subject to manager approval), 11 paid company holidays, and 3 optional holidays.

Depending on eligibility, employees may also have access to additional time-off benefits, including paid sick leave, up to two paid volunteer days per year, summer hours flexibility, and leaves of absence for medical, personal, parental, caregiver, bereavement, or military needs. Eligible employees also enjoy an annual Global Shutdown between Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

U.S.-based job seekers can explore full benefit offerings at https://careers.bms.com/benefits

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