Senior Scientist (Level I-II)

Audax Biosciences Pty Ltd; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Audax Biosciences Pty Ltd is seeking a Senior Scientist (Level I/II) to advance computational design and biotherapeutics. The role combines structure-based antibody/nanobody design with bench validation, expression, purification and biophysical characterisation of candidates in a fast-paced team environment at the Alfred Hospital Precinct, Melbourne.

The ideal candidate will have a PhD with hands-on experience in protein design tools and wet-lab production, plus strong Python/Linux skills and a

Qualifications

• PhD (or equivalent) in protein engineering, structural biology, biochemistry, computational biology or related field.
• Hands-on experience with protein/antibody design tools and wet-lab workflows.
• Experience expressing/purifying recombinant proteins; strong data integrity and record-keeping.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute computational binder-design campaigns using structure-based tools.
• Own end-to-end design-build-test workstream for antibody/nanobody candidates.
• Express, purify, and characterise binders for binding affinity and developability.
• Interpret results to iteratively improve designs and predictive performance.
• Draft and maintain SOPs for computational and laboratory methods.
• Prepare reports and present results to internal stakeholders.
• Mentor junior staff and assist in tech transfer and lab maintenance.

Skills

Python

Linux

Protein expression & purification

Biophysical characterization (SPR/BLI,

Education

PhD in protein engineering / structural biology / biochemistry / computational biology

Tools

AlphaFold 2 Multimer

BindCraft / FreeBindCraft

RFdiffusion

ProteinMPNN

ABodyBuilder3

Job description

Senior Scientist (Level I-II) - Computational Protein Design & Biotherapeutics

The Opportunity

At Audax, our mission is to cure cancer by harnessing the entire immune system. We are looking for a passionate and dedicated Senior Scientist (Level I/II) to support our drug discovery and development pipeline.

Based at our labs and offices in the Alfred Hospital Precinct in Melbourne, the Senior Scientist will work across the Computational Biology and Biotherapeutics teams, splitting their time roughly evenly between the computational design of novel binders and their production and characterisation at the bench.

The role spans structure-based antibody and nanobody design and the expression, purification and biophysical characterisation of the resulting candidates. It will suit candidates who enjoy working in a fast paced and dynamic team environment, whilst adhering to the highest standards of scientific rigour and data integrity.

We anticipate this role will suit a candidate with a strong wet-laboratory background who has applied computational design tools in their own research. You will work alongside colleagues with deep expertise in the computational pipelines, so prior hands-on exposure to these tools matters more than being a specialist in them.

What you'll do:

Design and execute computational binder-design campaigns, applying structure prediction and de novo design tools to generate antibody, nanobody and other binder candidates against Audax targets.

Own an end-to-end design-build-test workstream, selecting which designs progress to expression and how they are tested.

Express and purify recombinant proteins and binder candidates, and characterise them for binding affinity, specificity, stability and developability.

Interpret experimental results and feed them back into successive design cycles to improve predictive performance and hit rates.

Work with the Computational Biology team to adapt, benchmark and document design workflows.

Draft and maintain SOPs covering both computational and laboratory methods.

Conduct work in a rigorous manner, maintaining accurate and auditable records, and generate clear, accurate data visualisations.

Prepare reports and present results and recommendations to internal stakeholders across both teams.

Contribute to training and mentoring of junior staff, technology transfer and laboratory maintenance, as required.

To qualify for the role:

A PhD (or equivalent qualification) in protein engineering, structural biology, biochemistry, computational biology or a related discipline. Academic experience is acceptable; industry experience would be well regarded.

Enthusiastic, high energy, and collaborative team player with strong ability to work in a collegiate manner to enable high performance and team success.

Demonstrated understanding of the principles of confidentiality, privacy and appropriate information handling.

Hands-on experience running protein and antibody design tools, such as AlphaFold 2 Multimer, BindCraft or FreeBindCraft, RFdiffusion, ProteinMPNN and ABodyBuilder3, with working proficiency in Python and Linux.

Demonstrated experience in recombinant protein production, including mammalian and/or bacterial expression and chromatography-based purification.

Experience characterising purified proteins, including binding kinetics by SPR or BLI, size-exclusion chromatography and thermal stability assessment.

Experience in antibody or nanobody engineering, including humanisation, affinity maturation or developability assessment, is highly desirable.

Familiarity with display technologies and library design, for the purpose of antibody discovery and engineering, is highly desirable.

Experience with accurate record keeping and the use of electronic lab notebooks and laboratory management databases.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to liaise effectively across computational and laboratory teams.

Well-developed planning and organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise competing tasks and meet deadlines.

Applicants must have valid working rights in Australia.