Target Discovery Biologist

Cogent Scientific, an insourced contract research organization, is looking for the right people to accomplish our Mission: to support the life sciences industry with specialized laboratory services delivered by professional scientists—advancing research, fostering collaboration, and accelerating innovation with quality and a commitment to excellence.  We can offer you the chance to build on your skills and knowledge while working among experts in their fields and with cutting-edge instrumentation.

Cogent Scientific offers competitive pay (with relocation bonus as needed), attractive benefits (such as medical/dental/vision insurance; 401(k); parental leave; PTO and paid holidays; etc.) and an exciting work environment.  We aim to recruit the best people who stand out among their peers and embody our Core Values:

Client Focused: We only succeed when our clients succeed.
• Outstanding: We deliver meticulous results through outstanding performance.
• Good: We act ethically and morally.
• Employee-Centric: We honor and support our employees.
• Nimble: We are prepared to adapt in an ever-changing industry.
• Team-Oriented: We collaborate with each other and with our clients.

We currently have a role available for a Target Discovery Biologist at our New York City site.

Job duties include, but are not limited to:

Design, execute, troubleshoot, and iteratively optimize complex cell-based and molecular biology experiments across multiple concurrent workstreams.

Must have extensive hands-on mammalian cell culture, including lentiviral and transposon-based cell line engineering.

Comprehensive experience with CRISPR, RNAi, or ORF overexpression pooled screening.

Proficiency in molecular cloning and construct design is required.

Biological characterization and functional interrogation of early-stage therapeutic targets in oncology.

Familiarity with cellular signaling pathways and immuno-oncology, and a strong track record in of accomplishments in cancer biology is strongly preferred for this position.

Familiarity with functional characterization of mutations of unknown function, protein variants and domain-level structure–function analysis is ideal.

Build mechanistic understanding of target biology and develop assays to support chemical matter discovery.

Prior work in early-stage drug discovery or target validation setting is preferred.

Experience studying protein–protein interactions would be highly advantageous.

Expertise in biosensor and reporter assay development is preferred.

Job requirements include, but are not limited to:

PhD plus 0-3 years experience or MS with 7+ years experience, ideally in industrial research labs.

Must be able to independently plan, execute, and troubleshoot experiments, as well as have an adaptive experimental mindset, i.e. willingness to abandon unproductive approaches and design alternatives in real time.

Must have previous experience of rigorous record-keeping and reproducibility-oriented experimental practice using ELNs, such as Benchling.

Strong scientific communication skills, including the ability to synthesize complex datasets into clear recommendations is required.

The ideal candidate will be enthusiastic, self-motivated and details oriented, with the skills necessary to operate effectively in a fast-paced multidisciplinary environment with flexibility and an adaptable approach to goal delivery.

Cogent Scientific provides equal employment opportunities to all applicants and does not discriminate based on any legally protected characteristic.

Additionally, if you require a reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process, please let us know.

This job posting will close by 4/30/2026 or when a candidate is identified, whichever comes first.