Six Figure Work

Principal Scientist Oligonucleotides

Amgen

Company websiteamgen.com (Amgen, opens in new tab)

Base salary $141,837  to $191,897

Employer-published annual base salary, USD. Advertised base range in Cambridge, MA +1 more

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  • LocationCambridge, MA +1 more
  • WorkplaceOn-site
  • Status at last checkSource accepting applications when checked
  • Last checked (2 h ago) · observed since
All places named
  • Cambridge, MA
  • Thousand Oaks, CA

About this job

Career Category

Scientific

Job Description

Join Amgen’s Mission of Serving Patients

At Amgen, if you feel like you’re part of something bigger, it’s because you are. Our shared mission—to serve patients living with serious illnesses—drives all that we do.

Since 1980, we’ve helped pioneer the world of biotech in our fight against the world’s toughest diseases. Amgen is advancing a broad and deep pipeline and portfolio of medicines to treat heart disease, obesity and obesity-related conditions, rare diseases, inflammatory conditions and cancer.  As a member of the Amgen team, you’ll help make a lasting impact on the lives of patients as we research, manufacture, and deliver innovative medicines to help people live longer, fuller happier lives.

Our award-winning culture is collaborative, innovative, and science based. If you have a passion for challenges and the opportunities that lay within them, you’ll thrive as part of the Amgen team. Join us and transform the lives of patients while transforming your career.

Principal Scientist Oligonucleotides

What you will do

Let’s do this. Let’s change the world. In this vital role you will be part of  DSTS group within Process Development (PD) which  is responsible for the invention, development, and implementation of drug substance manufacturing processes and technologies to advance Amgen's exciting portfolio of synthetic and hybrid assets. Process chemists within our team to apply their training to invent synthetic routes and chemical processes to support drug substance manufacturing from early to late-stage development. 

Amgen is currently seeking a talented Principal Scientist who will who will lead the development of efficient and sustainable manufacturing processes, drive capacity expansion projects, and lead technology transfers for oligonucleotides. The candidate will drive technology innovation, provide technical expertise, and develop and mentor staff within the organization. The successful candidate for this role will be experienced in oligonucleotide process development and industrialization with a proven track record of scientific innovation and leadership within the pharmaceutical industry. The role will be located at either our Thousand Oaks, California or Cambridge, Massachusetts campus. 

  • Lead a multidisciplinary project team in the development of sustainable and cost-effective processes for oligonucleotide manufacturing.  
  • Work with cross-functional teams to develop strategies and implementation plans to expand production capacity and improve yield. 
  • Drive oligonucleotide technology innovation  
  • Support cGMP manufacturing and technology transfer to GMP production facilities 
  • Develop strategies to ensure process performance through process understanding, modeling and characterization 
  • Guide successful completion of project deliverables and ensure timelines are met 
  • Work cross-functionally to deliver regulatory documents and support regulatory filings 
  • Serve as a technical expert and keep current in the field of bioconjugate manufacturing 
  • Coach and provide career and scientific / technical advice to colleagues within the organization 

What we expect of you

We are all different, yet we all use our unique contributions to serve patients. The dynamic professional we seek is a leader with these qualifications.

Basic Qualifications:

  • Doctorate degree PhD OR PharmD OR MD [and relevant post-doc where applicable] and 2 years of Scientific experience
    OR
  • Master’s degree and 5 years of Scientific experience
    OR
  • Bachelor’s degree and 7 years of Scientific experience

Preferred Qualifications:

 

  • Doctoral degree and 4+ years in the pharmaceutical industry with expertise in oligonucleotide process development 
  • GMP manufacturing and technology transfer to CMOs 
  • Demonstrated functional representation on a CMC or PDT team 
  • Demonstrated ability to work within a dynamic and interdisciplinary environment to achieve results 
  • People-centered leadership skills in building strong teams through mutual trust and respect and exhibits Amgen leadership attributes of inspire, accelerate, integrate, and adapt 
  • Proven track record of publications, patents and presentations 

What you can expect of us

As we work to develop treatments that take care of others, we also work to care for your professional and personal growth and well-being. From our competitive benefits to our collaborative culture, we’ll support your journey every step of the way.

The expected annual salary range for this role in the U.S. (excluding Puerto Rico) is posted. Actual salary will vary based on several factors including but not limited to, relevant skills, experience, and qualifications.

In addition to the base salary, Amgen offers a Total Rewards Plan, based on eligibility, comprising of health and welfare plans for staff and eligible dependents, financial plans with opportunities to save towards retirement or other goals, work/life balance, and career development opportunities that may include:

  • A comprehensive employee benefits package, including a Retirement and Savings Plan with generous company contributions, group medical, dental and vision coverage, life and disability insurance, and flexible spending accounts
  • A discretionary annual bonus program, or for field sales representatives, a sales-based incentive plan
  • Stock-based long-term incentives
  • Award-winning time-off plans
  • Flexible work models where possible. Refer to the Work Location Type in the job posting to see if this applies.

Apply now and make a lasting impact with the Amgen team.

careers.amgen.com

In any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.

Application deadline

 

Amgen does not have an application deadline for this position; we will continue accepting applications until we receive a sufficient number or select a candidate for the position.

 

Sponsorship

Sponsorship for this role is not guaranteed.

As an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for people around the world, Amgen fosters an inclusive environment of ethical, committed and highly accomplished people who respect each other and live the Amgen values to continue advancing science to serve patients. Together, we compete in the fight against serious disease.

Amgen is an Equal Opportunity employer. We make all employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities, consistent with legal requirements. Please contact us to request accommodation.

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Salary Range

141,836.95USD -191,897.05 USD

Source: Amgen on Workday · View original posting (opens in new tab)

Pay in context

This role's base floor ($141,837) is above 59% of the 147 Science & Research roles in Massachusetts listed on this site; 1 other lists the same floor. Their median floor is $134,117; the middle half runs from $114,100 to $165,369.

Only jobs on this site count, and each one publishes a base salary of $100,000 or more, so this compares six-figure jobs with each other, not with the whole market. Computed Nov 7, 2026.

This range next to 6 other live Amgen roles with the nearest advertised base floor
Chart as a table
This range next to 6 other live Amgen roles with the nearest advertised base floor
RolePublished base
Principal Scientist Oligonucleotides (this listing)$141,837 - $191,897
Principal Scientist Bioconjugation$141,837 - $191,897
Process Development Principal Scientist$141,837 - $191,897
BAI - US Commercial Forecasting Senior Manager, Cardiovascular$141,737 - $191,761
BAI – Senior Manager, Global Oncology Forecasting Lead$141,737 - $191,761
BAI – Senior Manager, US Forecasting, Oncology$141,737 - $191,761
Forecasting Senior Manager$141,737 - $191,761

Same $100K to $400K scale as every card. All Amgen roles · How to read the bar

Observed changes

  1. First observed on the employer's board
  2. Began meeting the published-salary criteria
Observed since
Employer-stated posting date
2026-10-23
Where this pay comes from

Location as the employer wrote it: US - Massachusetts - Cambridge • US - California - Thousand Oaks

141,836.95USD -191,897.05 USD

Method
Employer text, read with fixed rules and re-verified
Checked
Rule set
us-base-v2

The pay passage appears in the employer's own job text. Fixed, deterministic rules located it, and the passage below was checked against the stored copy of the posting.

What we verified

  • The pay figures come from the employer's own listing, quoted exactly above.
  • The pay is an annual base salary in US dollars with a minimum of at least $100,000.
  • The role was publicly listed on the employer's job board when last checked.

We do not verify what the employer will actually offer, whether the employer is still recruiting for the role, or anything beyond what the employer published. Full methodology.