Principal Scientist, Antibody Engineering & Rational Design

Calico

$198K — $241K *
Pharmaceuticals & Biotech
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Ph.D. in molecular biology, biochemistry, computational modeling, structural biology, or related discipline
  • 8+ years' post-PhD experience in antibody/protein engineering in biotech or biopharma
  • Ability to collaborate closely with data scientists and ML engineers
  • Hands-on proficiency with structural modeling and ML protein design tools
  • Experience in designing experiments to generate training data for ML models
  • Extensive knowledge in rational design and engineering multi-specific antibodies
  • Strong understanding of biophysical characterization for therapeutic development

Responsibilities

  • Serve as the primary scientific liaison between wet-lab and computational design teams
  • Drive the evolution of the 'Design-Build-Test-Learn' cycle
  • Translate complex in silico designs into experimental workflows
  • Validate computational predictions and structure biological data for model retraining
  • Propose and champion data-driven approaches to biologic drug discovery
  • Manage relationships with CROs for antibody discovery and screening assays
  • Lead projects and solve complex technical challenges independently

Benefits

  • Opportunity to work at the intersection of biotech and machine learning
  • Access to cutting-edge protein design tools and methodologies
  • Dynamic collaborative environment fostering innovation
  • Potential for leadership in scientific strategy and direction
  • Onsite work environment promoting team synergy
Full Job Description
Position Description:

We are seeking an innovative Principal Scientist to bridge the gap between traditional antibody discovery and cutting-edge computational design. In this role, you will serve as the primary scientific liaison between wet-lab antibody team and our machine learning engineers, driving the evolution of our "Design-Build-Test-Learn" cycle.

Acting as both a project leader and technical expert, you will translate complex in silico designs into actionable experimental workflows. You will be responsible for ensuring that computational predictions are rigorously validated and that the resulting biological data is structured to retrain and refine our internal models. We are looking for a deep expert in therapeutic antibody development who is eager to move beyond traditional random screening and champion a rational, data-driven approach to biologic drug discovery.

Position Requirements:
  • Ph.D. in molecular biology, biochemistry, computational modeling, structural biology, or related discipline
  • 8+ years' post-PhD experience in antibody/protein engineering within the biotech or biopharma industry
  • Demonstrated ability to work intimately with data scientists and ML engineers and able to articulate biological constraints (e.g., immunogenicity, manufacturability) to computational teams and interpret their in silico outputs for experimental validation
  • Hands-on proficiency with structural modeling and extensive knowledge in ML protein design tools
  • Experience designing experiments specifically to generate high-quality training data for ML models (e.g., focused libraries, systematic mutagenesis) is highly desirable
  • Extensive experience in rational design for humanization, affinity/specificity optimization, pH-dependence, and liability removal
  • Experience in engineering multi-specific antibodies
  • Strong understanding of biophysical characterization to ensure designed molecules are developable therapeutics
  • Experience technically managing CROs for in vivo and in vitro discovery of antibodies, gene synthesis, protein production, and screening assays
  • Ability to propose novel scientific approaches and solve complex technical hurdles independently
  • Must be willing to work onsite 5 days a week

The estimated base salary range for this role is $198,000 - $241,000. Actual pay will be based on a number of factors including experience and qualifications. This position is also eligible for two annual cash bonuses.

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