Pharmacia & Upjohn Company Posted September 29, 2026

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, BioMedicine Design

San Diego, United States Full time
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Pharmacia & Upjohn Company is the source of truth for this posting and owns the application process. We surface normalized context and market comparison you won't find on the original listing.

About this opportunity

Last day to apply: Oct. 13th, 2026

*Must include two letters of recommendation, one from your PI, and 1 from an additional professor.

BioMedicine Design (BMD) group at La Jolla, CA is seeking a highly driven and innovative Ph.D.-level scientist to join our Biotherapeutics Discovery group as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in driving therapeutic innovation through the development of a next-generation T cell engager (TCE) designed to improve tumor selectivity and minimize on-target, off-tumor toxicity. This is a unique opportunity to be trained at the interface of protein engineering, cell biology, and immunology, to work collaboratively with diverse research teams within Pfizer, and to publish in high-impact journals. By the end of the program, the Postdoc will be proficient in antibody discovery and engineering, cellular assays, and preclinical evaluation, and will be fully prepared to contribute to early-stage therapeutic discovery and modality selection. The ideal candidate should have solid training in molecular biology, cell biology, immunology or structural biology, with a good understanding of biology/oncology.

Key Responsibilities:

Demonstrate strong technical and scientific rigor in project planning and gap identification

Proactively conduct literature searches to gather relevant information and form hypotheses for testing experimentally

Design and produce constructs to further our understanding of underlying biology and mechanism of action; develop and utilize cell-based assays to test hypothesis and screen and rank molecules

Generate and effectively communicate results regularly at internal meetings, make data-driven decisions in shaping direction of research project

Participate in developing creative approaches to discover and optimize therapeutics

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS (must-have):

PhD in cancel biology, immunology, molecular or cellular biology, biochemistry, chemical and biomolecular engineering or a related discipline is required

Provide two letters of recommendation with your application (e.g. professors/PI)

Willingness to commit to the fixed‑term full-time postdoctoral fellowship (duration: 2–4 years)

Less than 2 years post-doctoral experience

At least 1 first-author scientific research article in high-quality specialty or general readership journals

Technically proficient in (at least) some molecular and cell biology tools, including construct design, molecular cloning, recombinant protein expression/purification, mammalian cell culture and cell line engineering, cell line transfection and characterization, development of cell-based assays (e.g. cytotoxicity proliferation, cytokine production), and flow cytometry

Proficient with data reporting and analysis software, strong planning and organizational skills

Strong motivation, passion and commitment to science and engineering of novel entities

Ability and desire to multitask and work in a fast-paced, interdisciplinary scientific team both independently and as part of a team, strong problem-solving and analytical skills

Excellent written and oral communication skills

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS (nice-to-have):

Prior experience with antibody discovery, protein engineering, and/or display technology (e.g., yeast and/or phage display) is highly desirable

Experience with bispecific antibodies or T cell engagers

ADDITIONAL INFORAMATION

Work Location Assignment: On Premise

Last day to apply Oct. 13th, 2026

The annual base salary for this position ranges from $64,600.00 to $107,600.00. In addition, this position is eligible for participation in Pfizer’s Global Performance Plan with a bonus target of 7.5% of the base salary. We offer comprehensive and generous benefits and programs to help our colleagues lead healthy lives and to support each of life’s moments. Benefits offered include a 401(k) plan with Pfizer Matching Contributions and an additional Pfizer Retirement Savings Contribution, paid vacation, holiday and personal days, paid caregiver/parental and medical leave, and health benefits to include medical, prescription drug, dental and vision coverage. Learn more at Pfizer Candidate Site – U.S. Benefits | (uscandidates.mypfizerbenefits.com). Pfizer compensation structures and benefit packages are aligned based on the location of hire. The United States salary range provided does not apply to Tampa, FL or any location outside of the United States.

Relocation assistance may be available based on business needs and/or eligibility.

Candidates must be authorized to be employed in the U.S. by any employer.

U.S. work visa sponsorship (such as TN, O-1, H-1B, etc.) is not available for this role now or in the future.

Sunshine Act

Pfizer reports payments and other transfers of value to health care providers as required by federal and state transparency laws and implementing regulations.  These laws and regulations require Pfizer to provide government agencies with information such as a health care provider’s name, address and the type of payments or other value received, generally for public disclosure.  Subject to further legal review and statutory or regulatory clarification, which Pfizer intends to pursue, reimbursement of recruiting expenses for licensed physicians may constitute a reportable transfer of value under the federal transparency law commonly known as the Sunshine Act.  Therefore, if you are a licensed physician who incurs recruiting expenses as a result of interviewing with Pfizer that we pay or reimburse, your name, address and the amount of payments made currently will be reported to the government.  If you have questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact your Talent Acquisition representative.

EEO & Employment Eligibility

Pfizer is committed to equal opportunity in the terms and conditions of employment for all employees and job applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, gender identity or gender expression, national origin, disability or veteran status.  Pfizer also complies with all applicable national, state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements of the Immigration and Nationality Act and IRCA.  Pfizer is an E-Verify employer.  This position requires permanent work authorization in the United States.

Pfizer endeavors to make   www.pfizer.com/careers   accessible to all users. If you would like to contact us regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process and/or interviewing, please email   disabilityrecruitment@pfizer.com . This is to be used solely for accommodation requests with respect to the accessibility of our website, online application process and/or interviewing. Requests for any other reason will not be returned.

To learn more about acceptable and prohibited uses of AI during the recruitment process, please review our candidate AI-use guidelines available on  Pfizer Careers .

Research and Development

Job details

Seniority
Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
Function
Drug Discovery & Preclinical Research
Therapeutic area
Not listed
Location
San Diego, United States
Employment type
Full time

How this role compares

Computed from every other active Drug Discovery & Preclinical Research role in our database, not just this employer's listings.

We currently track 93 comparable Intern/Fellow/Postdoc Drug Discovery & Preclinical Research roles across 22 biopharma companies.

93Comparable roles tracked
83Currently active
22Companies hiring similar roles
10Countries represented

Salary context

22 of 93 peers report a salary range (USD, annualized)

Peers share this role's job function and a matching or adjacent seniority level -- not necessarily the same therapeutic area or country.

This roleSubject $64,600/yr – $107,600/yr
Lowest disclosed · 2027 Future Talent Program - Discovery Neuroscience - Co-op · Merck $39,908/yr – $111,111/yr
Highest disclosed · Associate Scientist, Biology · Gilead Sciences, Inc. $109,650/yr – $141,900/yr
Peer group range $75,510 – $125,775 (median $90,600)

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 93 comparable roles

United States68
France6
Germany5
Canada4
Switzerland3
Iceland3

+ 4 more countries

Seniority mix

93 of 93 peers have a known seniority level

Intern/Fellow/Postdoc67
Associate26

Therapeutic area mix

14 of 93 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

Neuroscience5
Oncology5
Immunology3
Cardiovascular / CVRM1

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How we calculate "similar"

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Every comparison starts from the same 100-point budget: 25 for working in the same function, 40 for the same therapeutic area, 20 for the same or adjacent seniority, 15 for the same country. A dimension we can't confirm on both sides contributes nothing, never a guess, never a free pass.

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Unmatched or unknown dimensions score exactly the same: 0 points, never a partial guess. A role we know almost nothing about beyond its function bottoms out at 25%; it never inflates to 100% just because there's little to compare against. Seniority uses a defined ladder (Associate → Manager → Associate Director → Senior → Principal → Director → Senior Director → Executive/VP) so "Director" and "Senior Director" count as adjacent, but "Director" and "Executive/VP" do not.