Associate Dir, Protein Sciences

US Health Partners, LLC; Vancouver (WA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Absci is seeking an Associate Director of Protein Engineering and Structural Biology to lead a team focused on antibody engineering, structural biology, and AI-enabled biologics discovery. You will guide experimental design, coordinate with computational biology, and drive program milestones across internal and partnered efforts.

The role requires a PhD with extensive biopharma experience or an MS with equivalent background, plus strong leadership and communication skills.

Qualifications

• PhD in life sciences with 8+ years in biopharma/biotech or MS with equivalent experience.
• Proficiency in protein structure–function analysis and computational modeling.
• Hands-on experience designing/optimizing bispecific and multispecific antibodies.

Responsibilities

• Lead a multidisciplinary team focused on antibody engineering, structural biology, and binding characterization to support multiple programs.
• Mentor scientists and research associates, supporting technical development and career growth.
• Partner with the AI team to align experimental and computational strategies for the generative AI platform.
• Serve as the protein engineering lead on cross-functional project teams coordinating experiments and timelines.
• Regularly summarize and present data to stakeholders to support decision-making.
• Maintain awareness of emerging technologies and the competitive landscape in biologics discovery.

Skills

Protein engineering

Structural biology

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Scientific communication

Education

PhD in life sciences

MS with equivalent experience

Tools

Schrödinger

MOE

Rosetta

Job description

About Absci

Absci is a clinical-stage biotechnology company advancing novel therapeutics using generative AI. Our Integrated Drug Creation™ platform combines cutting-edge AI models with a synthetic biology data engine, enabling the rapid design of innovative therapeutics that address challenging therapeutic targets.

Absci is a global company headquartered in Vancouver, WA, and maintains offices in New York City, Switzerland, and Serbia. Learn more at www.absci.com or follow us on LinkedIn @absci, X @Abscibio, and YouTube.

The Associate Director, Protein Engineering and Structural Biology, will lead a team of highly specialized scientists supporting Absci’s drug-creation programs at the intersection of antibody engineering, structural biology, and AI-enabled biologics discovery. This role contributes directly to advancing internal and partnered programs while embodying Absci’s values ofInnovation, Collaboration, and Determination.

Demonstrated experience leading efforts related to protein engineering and/or structural biology in programs (such as project teams, technical initiatives, or technology development). Track record of scientific and technical contributions to pipeline advancement.

Responsibilities Include:

Scientific Leadership and Collaboration

• Lead a multidisciplinary team focused on antibody engineering, structural biology, and binding characterization to support multiple internal and external drug-creation programs.
• Mentor scientists and research associates, supporting technical development, scientific excellence, and career growth.
• Partner closely with the AI team to align experimental and computational strategies supporting Absci’s generative AI drug-creation platform, including collaboration on model evaluation and establishment of in-silico metrics to assess performance of de novo design and lead optimization efforts.
• Serve as the protein engineering lead on cross-functional project teams, partnering with computational biology, analytical development and translational teams to coordinate experiments and maintain alignment on timelines, resources and objectives.
• Regularly summarize and present data to internal and external stakeholders to support informed decision-making to advance programs.
• Maintain awareness of emerging technologies and the competitive landscape in biologics discovery.

Research and Innovation:

• Lead efforts to develop and optimize platforms for mAb and multispecific therapeutics, from design to production, testing, and evaluation.
• Rationally design molecules, perform antigen/antibody structural analyses to recommend residue-level changes that improve interaction function, specificity, stability, and manufacturability.
• Design and implement binding and biophysical assays to assess the mutation impacts on protein structure and function.
• Coordinate closely with Absci teams to ensure high-quality protein expression, purification, and biophysical characterization of complex biologics and antigens.
• Partner with Translational biology teams to provide mechanistic insight into target biology and antibody–target interactions, supporting target assessment and MOA understanding.

Profile for Success:

• PhD in life sciences with 8+ years of experience (including 5+ years in biopharma or biotech) or MS with equivalent experience.
• Proficiency in protein structure–function analysis and computational modeling (e.g., Schrödinger, MOE, Rosetta), with hands-on experience designing and optimizing bispecific and multispecific antibodies.
• Deep understanding of antibody structure-function relationships, sequence optimization, and expression/purification workflows.
• Experience in binding and interaction analyses (e.g., BLI, SPR) and/or biophysical characterization techniques (e.g., analytical SEC, DSF, DLS).
• Familiarity with Fc engineering, half-life extension strategies, antibody developability, and immunogenicity assessment.
• Experience in deploying AI/ML models for protein sequence and structure analysis to enable biologics design and optimization is a plus.
• Demonstrated success progressing one or more biologics programs to lead candidate stage.
• Experience managing teams of PhD-level scientists and research associates.
• Track record of peer-reviewed publications and/or patent filings.
• Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills.

Legal authorization to work in the United States is required. Absci is committed to equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to a person's race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, disability, veteran status, genetic information, marital status, or any characteristic protected under applicable law. Any applicant requiring an accommodation in connection with the hiring process and/or to perform the essential functions of the position for which they have applied should make a request to the recruiter or hiring manager, or contact [e-mail].