Associate Scientist, Pharmacology

About the job

Cartography Biosciences is seeking a highly motivated Associate Scientist to join our Pharmacology team and play a pivotal role in the in vitro development and characterization of novel T cell engagers across our pipeline. This lab-focused role centers on high-throughput functional screening as well as secondary characterization assays. The ideal candidate brings experience in T cell biology, in vitro assay development and MoA studies.

• Key Responsibilities:
• Execute high-throughput in vitro screening assays for T cell engagers, such as in vitro cytotoxicity
• Perform characterization assays, including flow cytometry
• Maintain and expand primary cell culture (PBMCs, primary T cells) and cancer cell line culture
• Design, execute, and troubleshoot assays independently as well as in collaboration with others
• Maintain accurate, well-organized records in the electronic lab notebook (ELN) and contribute to SOP development and assay documentation
• Analyze, visualize, and interpret experimental data (e.g., FlowJo, GraphPad Prism, Excel)
• Contribute to general lab operations, including reagent preparation, equipment maintenance, and inventory management
• Summarize and present experimental results and progress updates at team meetings

• Qualifications :
• Master's/Bachelor's degree in Biology, or a related scientific field
• 3+ years of relevant hands-on laboratory experience in academia or industry
• Proficiency in tissue culture, including both primary cell culture (e.g., PBMCs, primary T cells) and cancer cell line maintenance
• Experience in T cell biology and in vitro functional assays
• Hands-on experience with flow cytometry
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to independently analyze, interpret, and troubleshoot experimental data
• Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, and accurate record-keeping (ELN)
• Self-motivated, adaptable, and proactive in a fast-paced environment
• Demonstrated team player with a professional and positive attitude
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Able to be on-site and in person 5 days a week
• Preferred :
• Experience working with T cell engagers is strongly preferred
• Familiarity with TDCC and on-cell binding assays
• Experience with data analysis software such as FlowJo and GraphPad Prism
• Location
• South San Francisco, CA — on-site, 5 days a week (Pharmacology team).

About Cartography Biosciences
Cartography Biosciences is advancing a differentiated oncology pipeline of antibody-based therapies designed to target tumors with unprecedented precision. The company’s ATLAS and SUMMIT discovery platforms are powered by an industry-leading, fully integrated dataset spanning hundreds of thousands of cell states across healthy tissues alongside large-scale single-cell profiling of patient tumors. By combining petabyte-scale proprietary data, machine learning, and AI-driven biological insights, Cartography is identifying highly specific tumor targets and logic-gated target combinations to generate therapies engineered for maximal tumor selectivity and meaningful patient impact. The company’s lead program, CBI-1214, is a T-cell engager in development for colorectal cancer. CBI-1214 entered the clinic in early 2026 and is currently enrolling and treating patients in a phase 1 trial.