Senior Principal Scientist, Pathologist

Opportunity

As an integral member of our dynamic team, you will:

• Serve as lead/project pathologist for multiple complex development programs and provide independent pathology strategy from discovery and candidate selection through regulatory milestones and later-stage development, as needed.
• Provide expert veterinary, clinical, technical, and scientific input for studies, including necropsy, clinical pathology and histopathology interpretation, pathology peer review, and integrated assessment of study findings.
• Partner closely with toxicologists, study operations professionals, translational scientists, pharmacologists, clinicians, and regulatory colleagues to design fit-for-purpose GLP and non-GLP safety programs that answer key development questions efficiently.
• Rapidly synthesize complex or incomplete datasets, leverage the external literature, and develop clear best-evidence positions that support risk assessment, dose selection, study design, and program decisions.
• Anticipate potential target-, modality-, or mechanism-related safety issues and design or lead investigative and mechanistic studies to resolve uncertainty and inform development strategy.
• Contribute to and, where appropriate, lead the development of safety biomarkers, diagnostics, digital/computational pathology approaches, and new approach methodologies (NAMs) that strengthen translation and decision making.
• Identify opportunities to refine study design and reduce or replace animal use where scientifically appropriate, while maintaining robust safety assessment and regulatory readiness.
• Author or critically review regulatory documents and presentations; represent Translational Safety and Genentech/Roche in interactions with health authorities and support programs using novel, accelerated, or otherwise nontraditional regulatory strategies.
• Provide proactive, high-impact scientific and strategic pathology leadership beyond assigned programs, including leadership of cross-functional initiatives, therapeutic-area or expert working groups, and functional capability-building efforts.
• Mentor pathologists and other scientists, promote rigorous and pragmatic scientific decision making, and contribute to an inclusive, collaborative, high-performing team culture.
• Advance the external scientific standing of Genentech/Roche through high-quality publications, presentations, scientific collaborations, and participation in relevant professional or industry forums.

Who You Are

• DVM/VMD or equivalent veterinary degree and board certification by the American College of Veterinary Pathology (ACVP), European College of Veterinary Pathologists (ECVP), or equivalent recognized board with 5+ years of direct drug-development experience in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry, with sufficient breadth and depth to independently support active programs from the time of hire.
• Demonstrated ability to independently support and influence drug-development programs as a toxicologic pathologist, including interpretation of nonclinical safety data in a broader translational and regulatory context.
• A track record of effective cross-functional leadership and sound, risk-based decision making in situations with ambiguity, incomplete data, compressed timelines, or competing program priorities.
• Strong knowledge of toxicologic pathology, nonclinical safety assessment, and the principles that underpin regulatory toxicology and drug-development strategy.
• Recognized expertise and a demonstrated record of scientific leadership in at least one area relevant to translational safety, toxicologic pathology, or drug development.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex pathology and safety issues clearly to project teams, senior leaders, and regulatory audiences.
• Ability and willingness to work on-site in South San Francisco at least 3 days per week.

Preferred Qualifications and Experience

• PhD or equivalent advanced research training/experience in pathology or a related biomedical discipline.
• Experience with, or strong scientific interest in, novel therapeutic modalities and the unique safety-assessment challenges they create.
• Experience developing or applying NAMs, organotypic/in vitro models, computational or digital pathology approaches, or other innovative tools that improve human relevance and/or reduce animal use.
• Demonstrated commitment to animal welfare and the 3Rs (replacement, reduction, and refinement) in nonclinical development.
• Drug-development experience working across therapeutic areas/disease indications.
• Direct experience with health-authority interactions, novel development pathways, or regulatory strategies that require a high degree of scientific judgment and integration.
• Evidence of scientific thought leadership through influential internal contributions, publications, presentations, professional society activity, or other recognized contributions to the field.

Please note: This is not a fully remote position. Regular on-site presence in South San Francisco is an essential expectation of the role. Relocation benefits are not available for this posting.