Glycobiology & Mass Spectrometry Scientist

GlycoData; Billerica (MA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision benefits

Paid time off and paid holidays

Equity participation

Job summary

Zolexeon, Inc. is seeking a founding laboratory scientist in Billerica, MA. You will develop MALDI-MS workflows and oversee laboratory operations, contributing to cutting-edge glycoproteomics diagnostics.

The ideal candidate holds a PhD and has extensive experience with MALDI technology and protein biochemistry. This role offers competitive salary, benefits, and the opportunity to shape pioneering scientific work in a growing company.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of hands-on experience with MALDI-MS in a clinical environment.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple workflows independently.
• Track record of first-author publications.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of MALDI-MS acquisition workflows for diagnostics.
• Standardize protocols for glycan release and purification.
• Manage laboratory operations and ensure instrument uptime.

Skills

MALDI-MS experience

Protein/glycoprotein biochemistry

Laboratory automation

Python or R proficiency

Education

PhD in analytical chemistry or related fields

Tools

MALDI-TOF

High-resolution MS platforms

Job description

Glycobiology & Mass Spectrometry Scientist – Zolexeon, Inc

Posted on: June 04, 2026

Description:

Laboratory Head — Founding Scientific Role

Company:Zolexeon, Inc. - early-stage clinical glycoproteomics diagnostics
Location:Billerica, MA (on-site)
Start Date:Immediate
Employment Type:Full-time
Compensation:Competitive base salary + benefits + early-stage equity

Zolexeon: Pioneering Precision Glycomics at Clinical Scale

Building on this advanced platform and on highly promising pilot results, our current pipeline targetscancerandautoimmune diagnostics, supported by collaborations with leading academic biobanks, clinical key-opinion-leaders, and with first-line access to today’s most advanced MALDI technology. We operate from a dedicated laboratory in Billerica, MA, with next-generation MALDI instrumentation and established infrastructure.

Your Mission/The Role

We’re hiring afounding laboratory scientistto lead bench-level MS and glycobiology work at Zolexeon. To be clear: this is not a narrow, pigeon-hole specialist position where someone hands you an SOP and asks you to process samples. This is a vitalscientific leadership rolein which you’ll drive the development of our core analytical platform from sample preparation through data output. You’ll work shoulder-to-shoulder with company leadership to turn prototype assays into bullet-proof reproducible, high-throughput clinical workflows.

This role is built for a PhD-level mass spectrometrist with strong protein biochemistry fundamentals who wants the authority, messiness, and upside ofbuilding something from the ground up— someone who embraces meaningful work and thrives in both academic and industry settings, is comfortable with early-stage ambiguity, and sees the chance to shape a laboratory, a platform, and a company as a rare and exciting scientific opportunity.

The Day-to-Day / What You’ll Actually Be Doing

• MALDI-MS Workflow Development:Design, optimize, and validate high-throughput, high specificity, and high-sensitivity MALDI-MS acquisition workflows for glycan and glycoprotein biomarker detection from human serum, plasma, and urine specimens.
• Sample Preparation & Glycochemistry:Develop and standardize protocols for glycan release (PNGase F, chemical cleavage), derivatization, enrichment, and purification, optimized for clinical-grade reproducibility.
• Automation & Throughput Engineering:Implement and optimize liquid-handling automation (96/384-well plate workflows) to achieve the throughput and reproducibility required for clinical sample processing.
• Data Processing & QC:Build downstream data processing pipelines for spectral QC, feature extraction, normalization, and reporting. You'll seamlessly fuse your MS data with bioinformatics and ML stacks developed by the wider team.
• SOPs & Regulatory Documentation:Author SOPs, validation protocols, and documentation meeting diagnostics-grade standards (CLIA/CAP framework) in anticipation of laboratory certification.
• Translational Assay Development:Drive clinical validation studies from analytical validation through early clinical concordance testing, partnering with our clinical and biostatistical allies.
• Laboratory Operations:Manage instrument uptime, consumables, vendor relationships, and laboratory safety in a BSL-2 environment. As the primary laboratory scientist, you’ll run day-to-day operations.
• Scientific Strategy:Contribute to experimental design, help write grants and manuscripts, and be a voice for Zolexeon at conferences.

What We’re Looking For

The Non-Negotiables:

• PhD in analytical chemistry, biochemistry, mass spectrometry, glycobiology, or a closely related discipline.
• 3+ years of hands‑on experience with MALDI-MS or high-resolution MS platforms in a research or clinical laboratory setting.
• Strong protein/glycoprotein biochemistry skills — comfortable with enzymatic digestion, target protein purification, sample prep optimization, derivatization, and analytical troubleshooting
• Experience with laboratory automation/liquid-handling platforms
• Proficiency in Python, R, or similar tools for MS data processing and statistical analysis
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, document rigorously, and manage multiple concurrent workflows
• Track record of first-author or co-first-author publications in peer-reviewed journals

Desirable, not essential:

• Direct experience with glycan or glycoprotein mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF, ESI-MS/MS, or LC-MS glyco-profiling)
• Background in clinical assay development, diagnostics, or CLIA/CAP lab operations
• Familiarity with MALDI-TOF platforms used in high-throughput or clinical settings
• Experience in a startup environment with comfort managing ambiguity and wearing multiple hats
• Prior experience mentoring junior scientists or managing laboratory teams
• Founding scientific rolein a ground-breaking health care company.
• Access to next‑generation MALDI instrumentationand a fully equipped BSL-2 laboratory facility.
• Cutting‑edge translational scienceat the intersection of glycobiology, clinical proteomics, and precision diagnostics.
• Publication and visibility:Zolexeon values scientific communication — you will be encouraged to publish and present your work.
• Competitive base salary,medical/dental/vision benefits, PTO, and paid holidays.
• Meaningful equity participationcommensurate with the early-stage risk and your contribution.
• Career trajectory:as Zolexeon scales, this role is positioned to grow into a senior level laboratory leadership position.

What you Get

• Founding scientific rolein a ground-breaking health care company.
• Access to next‑generation MALDI instrumentationand a fully equipped BSL-2 laboratory facility.
• Cutting‑edge translational scienceat the intersection of glycobiology, clinical proteomics, and precision diagnostics.
• Publication and visibility:Zolexeon values scientific communication — you will be encouraged to publish and present your work.
• Competitive base salary,medical/dental/vision benefits, PTO, and paid holidays.
• Meaningful equity participationcommensurate with the early-stage risk and your contribution.
• Career trajectory:as Zolexeon scales, this role is positioned to grow into a senior level laboratory leadership position.

Why This Role, Why Now

Glycoproteomics is entering a translational inflection point. The analytical tools, automation platforms, and computational methods are finally converging to make glycan-level diagnostics feasible at clinical scale. That convergence doesn’t come around often, and Zolexeon is purpose-built to move on it.

If you’re a mass spectrometrist who’s ready tostop servicing other people’s projectsand startdriving the science that defines a company— we’d like to talk.

Zolexeon, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. We enthusiastically welcome candidates from all backgrounds and are especially interested in “bent arrow” scientists whose career paths— just like ours—don’t follow a single straight line.