PhD, MD, or MD/PhD in relevant life sciences discipline.
Significant research experience with a record of first-author publications.
Prior industry or substantial postdoctoral experience required.
Technical knowledge in biomarker and translational research methodologies.
Exceptional collaboration and communication skills across multidisciplinary teams.
Proficiency in computational biology workflows and data analysis (R and/or Python).
Responsibilities
Design and implement biomarker strategies for clinical studies.
Champion translational research to identify novel biomarkers and resistance mechanisms.
Integrate high-dimensional data with computational scientists and AI platforms.
Lead the authoring and review of biomarker sections in clinical documents.
Collaborate cross-functionally to ensure scientific alignment.
Provide scientific leadership for trial design and implementation.
Engage with external collaborators and disseminate findings through publications and presentations.
Benefits
Hybrid work schedule with 3 days on campus.
Discretionary annual bonus based on performance.
Access to comprehensive benefits package.
Full Job Description
The Opportunity
As a Principal Scientist in Translational Medicine Oncology, you will serve as a vital scientific anchor bridging discovery research and clinical development. You will lead biomarker discovery and translational strategy for innovative oncology clinical pipelines, working directly on early- to late-stage clinical programs.
As an integral member of our dynamic team, you will:
Design, implement, and drive end-to-end pharmacodynamic and predictive biomarker strategies across first-in-human through registrational clinical studies.
Champion hypothesis-driven translational research to identify novel biomarkers of therapeutic response, mechanisms of clinical resistance, and tumor microenvironment dynamics.
Integrate and leverage high-dimensional data—including multi-omic profiling, spatial biology, single-cell platforms, and functional immune assays—in partnership with computational scientists and AI-driven platforms.
Lead the authoring, review, and strategic integration of biomarker and translational sections within clinical trial protocols, regulatory submissions, clinical study reports, and investigator brochures.
Partner cross-functionally across Research, Clinical Development, Clinical Pharmacology, Companion Diagnostics, Biostatistics, Regulatory, and Clinical Operations to ensure seamless scientific alignment.
Partner with Operations team to provide scientific leadership and strategic guidance for trial design, implementation, and conduct.
Drive scientific engagement externally with academic collaborators, clinical trial investigators, and key opinion leaders (KOLs) while disseminating breakthrough science via high-impact peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.
Who you are
Hold a PhD, MD, or MD/PhD in Molecular Biology, Cancer Biology, Immunology, Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, or a related life sciences discipline.
Possess significant graduate or postdoctoral research experience demonstrating scientific excellence and rigor through a record of first-author publications in peer-reviewed journals.
Prior post-graduate industry experience or significant postdoctoral experience is required.
Bring technical knowledge in biomarker/translational research methodologies, including molecular profiling, multi-omics, single-cell genomics, or spatial biology
Exhibit exceptional cross-functional collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to translate complex biological concepts into actionable clinical insights across multidisciplinary teams.
Demonstrate proficiency with or solid exposure to computational biology workflows and biological data analysis (familiarity with R and/or Python).
Preferred
Prior industry experience within oncology drug discovery, translational oncology, or clinical development.
Practical experience or strong enthusiasm for leveraging machine learning and emerging agentic/generative AI tools to accelerate translational discovery and multi-modal data interpretation.
Deep subject matter expertise or a focused research background in lung cancer and/ or colorectal cancer.
Experience collaborating on companion diagnostics (CDx) development and clinical protocol execution.
This role is based in South San Francisco and offers a hybrid schedule working 3 days per week on campus
Relocation benefits are not available for this posting
The expected salary range for this position based on the primary location of California is $141,500 - $262,900. Actual pay will be determined based on experience, qualifications, geographic location, and other job-related factors permitted by law. A discretionary annual bonus may be available based on individual and Company performance. This position also qualifies for the benefits detailed at the link provided below.
This position also qualifies for the benefits detailed at the link provided below.
About Roche
Roche Holding AG is a Swiss multinational healthcare company that operates worldwide under two divisions: Pharmaceuticals and Diagnostics. Its holding company, Roche Holding AG, has bearer shares listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange. The company headquarters are located in Basel. Roche is the largest pharmaceutical company in the world, and the leading provider of cancer treatments globally. The company also produces a range of diagnostic tests for medical professionals and patients. Roche was one of the first companies to bring targeted treatments to patients. In 2019, Roche had over 100,000 employees worldwide, and generated revenue of CHF 61.5 billion.
