Biologics Innovation Director, Protein Engineering

Neurocrine Biosciences; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 300,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

Neurocrine Biosciences is seeking a Senior Scientific Director, Protein Engineering to provide scientific and strategic leadership for its protein engineering and biologics discovery capabilities. This role leads an established team and expands platforms to enable next-generation biologics discovery and development.

The successful candidate will be an accomplished leader with a record of innovation in antibody and protein engineering, advancing candidates from discovery through IND-enabling

Qualifications

• PhD in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Protein Engineering, Immunology, Structural Biology, or a related discipline with 10+ years of industry experience in biologics discovery and development
• Master’s degree with 20+ years of relevant experience
• Bachelor’s degree with 22+ years of relevant experience
• Proven track record of scientific leadership in biologics drug discovery and development, including advancing antibody and/or protein therapeutic candidates from discovery through candidate selection and into IND-enabling development
• Extensive expertise in protein engineering, antibody engineering, and structure-function relationships of therapeutic proteins
• Expertise with protein conjugation technologies, multispecific antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates, or other next-generation biologic modalities
• Demonstrated success leading and developing high-performing scientific teams in an industry environment
• Experience establishing, growing, and evolving protein engineering capabilities, technologies, and organizational infrastructure
• Deep understanding of biologics discovery workflows, including molecular design, lead optimization, developability, and candidate selection
• Strong experience in protein construct design, molecular biology, recombinant protein expression in mammalian and microbial systems, purification, and biochemical and biophysical characterization
• Working knowledge of antibody discovery technologies, including display platforms, affinity maturation, multispecific antibodies, engineered scaffolds, or related biologic modalities
• Demonstrated success managing external collaborations, CROs, and strategic partnerships
• Strong publication and/or patent record demonstrating innovation in protein therapeutics
• Excellent scientific communication skills with experience presenting to executive leadership, governance committees, and external scientific audiences
• Ability to develop long-term scientific strategy while effectively translating strategic priorities into executable research plans

Responsibilities

• Lead and provide strategic direction for Neurocrine’s Protein Engineering function, establishing scientific priorities that support the company’s biologics portfolio
• Guide discovery programs from target assessment through lead generation, optimization, candidate selection, and transition into development
• Drive innovation in antibody and protein engineering technologies to enable novel therapeutic modalities and differentiated biologics
• Evaluate and implement emerging technologies, platforms, and computational approaches that enhance biologics discovery
• Lead, mentor, and develop an existing high-performing team of protein engineers while recruiting additional scientific talent to support portfolio growth
• Foster a collaborative, innovative, and inclusive scientific culture that promotes technical excellence and career development
• Build organizational capabilities through investment in new technologies, workflows, and scientific expertise
• Establish and maintain productive collaborations with CROs, academic partners, and strategic technology providers
• Partner with multidisciplinary teams to accelerate biologics programs through discovery and into IND-enabling studies
• Provide scientific leadership in candidate selection, developability assessment, and optimization strategies
• Contribute to portfolio strategy, program governance, and decision-making through data-driven scientific recommendations
• Ensure protein engineering activities align with project timelines, quality standards, and strategic objectives
• Maintain expertise in advances in protein engineering, antibody therapeutics, biologics development, and regulatory expectations
• Present scientific strategy and program updates to senior leadership, governance committees, and external scientific audiences
• Publish impactful scientific findings and contribute to intellectual property generation that strengthens Neurocrine’s competitive position

Job description

Neurocrine Biosciences is seeking a Senior Scientific Director, Protein Engineering to provide scientific and strategic leadership for its protein engineering and biologics discovery capabilities. This role leads an established team and expands platforms to enable next-generation biologics discovery and development.

The successful candidate will be an accomplished leader with a record of innovation in antibody and protein engineering, advancing candidates from discovery through IND-enabling