We're excited you're interested in joining us.
Cytokinetics is a late-stage, specialty cardiovascular biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing muscle biology-directed drug candidates as potential treatments for debilitating diseases in which cardiac muscle performance is compromised. As a leader in muscle biology and the mechanics of muscle performance, the company is developing small molecule drug candidates specifically engineered to impact myocardial muscle function and contractility.
Our mission
To bring forward new medicines to improve the healthspan of people with devastating cardiovascular and neuromuscular diseases of impaired muscle function.
Our vision
To be the leading muscle-focused specialty biopharma company intent on meaningfully improving the lives of patients through global access to our innovative medicines.
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Imagine what we can do together
We are a team of tenacious professionals aligned to our shared mission and guided by our values. Our culture is one-of-a-kind, where collaboration fuels creativity, diversity sparks innovation, and every voice is valued. We are seeking individuals who are eager to immerse themselves in our culture, embrace our values, and make meaningful change.
About our award-winning culture
Don’t just take our word for it. Our culture has earned us recognition as a great place to work, year after year.
From Cytokinetics’ beginning, our leaders had a vision for a culture that was guided by ambitious goals, driven by humble and hardworking employees and a few laughs along the way. That’s why we carefully select candidates who we believe possess not only the right skillset but also the right mindset to thrive.
Our culture is the driving force in how we do business, how we lead our employees, and how we collaborate to achieve our goals. At the core of our culture is a commitment to transparency and open dialogue, which powers debate, but also clarity and alignment.
Our culture is one of the most powerful elements of the employee experience at Cytokinetics, and it’s why our employees stay and grow with us.
Our Values
Our values are the core principles that guide our work, shape our decisions and determine our actions. In upholding these values, we are fostering an empowering environment for employees and making a positive impact on the communities we serve.
Science Is In Our Soul
- We are committed to robust scientific thinking, grounded in integrity and critical thinking, and not polluted by politics or divisiveness.
- See how we bring this to life through our annual Science is in Our Soul Day.
Patients Are our North Star
- We keep the patient front and center in all we do – all actions and decisions are in service of the patient and their caregivers.
- Learn more about what it’s like to live with HCM in our documentary series Behind HCM.
We > Me
- We are stronger as a team, valuing the power of diversity, rising together as one.
Make it Happen
- We are tenacious, resilient, and confidently navigate ambiguity to deliver results.
Patients are at the center of our work
Keeping patients at the center of our work has been ingrained in our culture since company operations began in 1998. The way we see it, we don’t just think about patients, we think with them. That’s why we partner with patients and caregivers and ask for their perspectives on everything from clinical trial design to pill color and shape to ensure we do right by them. Not to mention that we have patients on the walls of our offices to remind us what’s important.
We also create opportunities for our employees to interact directly with patients when we invite them to speak at the company to share their experiences living with a disease. We also actively support and elevate our local patient communities through our active sponsorship and participation in fundraising and awareness events, public policy initiatives, volunteering, and education.
Our culture of learning
We value curiosity and a growth mindset. We cultivate an environment where learning fulfills our employees’ curiosity to thrive in their career and in their personal lives. We encourage employees to invest in continuous learning to tackle new challenges with broader knowledge and perspectives.
We offer Cytokinetics-specific learning series, instructor-led courses, and on-demand modules on a variety of hard skills, soft skills and technical training to help employees build and hone skills and support their professional development.
Hear it from our employees
Working at Cytokinetics makes me feel part of a team. Our leadership embraces employee opinions, offers great career opportunities and allows for a healthy work/life balance which allows me flexibility to care for my family’s needs.
— Julie Ryans, Manager, In Vivo Research Operations
Being able to do innovative research at a company like Cytokinetics is both motivating and fulfilling. I love working alongside talented and passionate teammates toward the collective goal of developing much needed therapies for patients.
— Darren Hwee, Sr. Director, Pharmacology
I love what I do and the people I work with every day. During my 15 years at Cytokinetics, it’s felt like a family. The company has worked hard to build strong relationships with investigational sites, vendors and partners, which supports our success.
— Jackie Lee, Sr. Director, Clinical Operations
Employee-led initiatives that fuel the ambitious spirit
We set ambitious goals, and that requires equally ambitious people to achieve them. When our employees see opportunity, they are encouraged to go for it — and they do. Many of our companywide initiatives and programs that help steer our culture started from one individual’s idea that was brought to life from the ground up.
Our dedication to community engagement
Since our founding, one of our guiding principles has been to pay progress forward by enriching and supporting our communities by giving back to our neighbors, supporting underrepresented minorities, and championing success for future generations.
Our community involvement continues to be employee-led in two pillars:
- We contribute to school programs and organizations whose objectives support education and career development that help increase future diversity in the life sciences industry.
- As a responsible corporate citizen, we give back to our local neighborhoods in numerous ways that keep us at the heart of our communities.
Committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and respect (DEIR)
We believe that a commitment to a diverse, inclusive, equitable, and respectful culture brings out the best in our people and in our progress, which is why we pledge to advance a culture where everyone is valued, recognized, and encouraged to be their authentic selves.
We enable this vision through many different initiatives, including educational workshops, employee panel discussions and celebrations for heritage months. All employees will have the opportunity to get involved in our DEIR initiatives.
Spaces for connection: employee resource groups
A powerful way we promote awareness and create safe spaces is through employee resource groups (ERGs). Cytokinetics currently has two employee resource groups, which are voluntary, employee-led, and promote a sense of belonging and inclusivity. ERGs lead events and initiatives that elevate awareness to ensure we uphold the “R” in DEIR and help create connection among employees.
- CytoPride – Inclusive of our LGBTQIA+ employees, CytoPride’s mission is to create a safe, supportive, and equitable workplace for all.
- EmpowHERment – A women’s network that provides networking opportunities, learning, and resources for women to thrive.
Our office locations
Cytokinetics’ headquarters is located in South San Francisco, which known as the birthplace of biotechnology. In addition, we have an East Coast office in Radnor, PA, and our Europe headquarters are in Zug, Switzerland.
