About the RoleAs a member of the Protein Engineering team, you will play a critical role in the discovery and development of next-generation protein therapeutics. You will be responsible for designing, producing, and characterizing proteins and antibodies, with an emphasis on engineering desired functions and evaluating drug-like properties. The ideal candidate will bring deep technical expertise in protein engineering, a strong understanding of antibody formats and developability metrics, and a collaborative mindset. This is a hands-on, on-site position.
Responsibilities- Partner with Disease Biology and Therapeutic Binder Design teams to evaluate new targets, define therapeutic hypotheses and target molecule profiles, and plan and coordinate the execution of drug discovery programs.
- Design and carry out protein engineering efforts, including antibody format optimization and antigen design.
- Express, purify, and characterize tool and therapeutic antibodies and proteins using chromatographic techniques and biophysical/biochemical assays.
- Assess the developability profile of therapeutic molecules (e.g., stability, specificity, immunogenicity) by in silico and analytical methods.
- Collaborate with computational protein design, screening, protein science, pharmacology and biology teams to advance programs toward clinical development.
- Collaborate with computational teams and provide clear articulation of biological constraints including immunogenicity and manufacturability.
- Present data at protein engineering group meetings and at cross-functional team meetings.
- Maintain accurate, timely, and well-documented experiment records in ELN.
- Ensure compliance with laboratory safety protocols; contribute to lab organization and operational efficiency.
- Contribute to the preparation of technical reports, regulatory documentation, and scientific presentations.
- Stay current on advancements in antibody engineering and protein design.
- Mentor and develop junior scientific staff to foster a high-performing and collaborative team.
- Manage and oversee CROs for outsourced protein production, assay development, and screening, ensuring data quality and timely delivery.
Qualifications- Ph.D. in a relevant scientific discipline, with a strong foundation in molecular biology, biochemistry, structural biology, or a related field.
- Minimum of 4 years of post-academic experience in a biotech or biopharma R&D environment supporting large molecule-based therapeutic programs.
- Extensive hands-on experience in protein engineering, including structural and functional characterization of antibodies and proteins using state-of-the-art analytical methods.
- Deep expertise in antibody formats, production, purification, and characterization.
- Proficiency in developability assessments and stability studies.
- Fluency with protein visualization and structural modeling software (e.g., PyMOL, AlphaFold).
- Experience with protein/protein interaction assays is preferred
- Experience interacting with CMC and writing IND reports is preferred.
- Strong organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to propose novel scientific approaches and a genuine interest in exploring relevant therapeutic hypotheses.
- Proactive, self-starter mindset with excellent problem-solving and troubleshooting capabilities.
- Enthusiasm for working in a fast-paced, collaborative startup environment, with a demonstrated ability to foster cooperation and knowledge sharing across multidisciplinary teams.
- A strong record of scientific achievement as evidenced by first-author publications in peer-reviewed journals or granted patents.
CompensationAnnualWe offer a competitive compensation and benefits package, seeking to provide an open, flexible, and friendly work environment to empower employees and provide them with a platform to develop their long-term careers. A Summary of Benefits is available for all applicants. We offer a competitive package that includes base salary, bonus, and equity. The base pay range for this position is expected to be $150,000 to $170,000 annually; however, the base pay offered may vary depending on the market, job-related knowledge, skills and capabilities, and experience.
