Principal Scientist, Protein Engineering
About this role
Xaira Therapeutics is building generative AI models to design protein and antibody therapeutics alongside foundation models for biology and disease. The Protein Engineering team merges experimental protein engineering with computational design to advance drug discovery against historically difficult targets.
As a Principal Scientist, you will drive scientific and technical strategy from early program conception through lead optimization. You will partner with computational designers to guide AI-driven design campaigns, design experiments, and evaluate designed molecules in a lab-based setting.
Ideal candidates bring substantial industry experience in large-molecule drug R&D, a strong background in antibody engineering, and a track record of mentoring junior staff. You will thrive here if you enjoy leading cross-functional initiatives and operating in a collaborative, hands-on laboratory environment.
What you will do
- Define the scientific strategy for therapeutic programs by partnering with Disease Biology and Therapeutic Protein Design teams.
- Collaborate with computational protein designers to guide AI-driven design campaigns and optimize binder affinity, specificity, and developability.
- Lead binder discovery campaigns, prioritize screening strategies, and analyze screening results to identify hits.
- Design, produce, purify, and characterize therapeutic proteins and antibodies using chromatographic, biophysical, and biochemical techniques.
- Serve as a scientific lead in cross-functional meetings and communicate program progress to internal stakeholders.
- Mentor and develop junior scientific staff while overseeing external work supported by contract research organizations.
- Maintain accurate laboratory records in an electronic notebook and contribute to technical reports, regulatory documents, and scientific presentations.
What you need
- Ph.D. in molecular biology, biochemistry, structural biology, or a related scientific discipline.
- At least 6 years of industry experience within biotech or biopharma research and development supporting large-molecule therapeutic programs.
- Extensive hands-on experience in protein engineering and the structural and functional characterization of antibodies and other proteins.
- Deep expertise in antibody formats, production, purification, biophysical characterization, and stability studies.
- Proficiency with protein visualization and structure prediction tools like PyMOL and AlphaFold.
- Demonstrated record of scientific achievement through first-author peer-reviewed publications or granted patents.
Nice to have
- Direct experience with structure prediction or machine learning tools for protein design
- Experience collaborating with Process Development
- Experience supporting IND documentation
Benefits
- Competitive base salary
- Bonus
- Equity
- Flexible and friendly work environment
Skills and tech stack
Questions candidates ask
Is this a remote position?
This is a hands-on, lab-based, on-site position located in South San Francisco, California.
What is the salary range for this role?
The base pay range for this position is expected to be $164,000 to $205,000 annually, alongside bonus and equity.
What tools and technologies will I use?
You will use protein visualization and structure prediction tools such as PyMOL and AlphaFold, alongside chromatographic techniques and biophysical assays.
The application is on the official Xaira Therapeutics careers page.
Apply on company site