Lead Scientist, In Vitro Selection & Protein Design

Biopharma Careers; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 143,000 - 257,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare coverage

Well-being programs

Family planning benefits

Generous paid time off

Job summary

Moderna in Cambridge, MA seeks a Principal Scientist to lead and evolve high-throughput in vitro selection and cell-surface screening for glycoprotein antigens. You will shape experimental strategy, mentor scientists, and partner with computational design teams to translate design concepts into scalable datasets and actionable insights.

The role reports to the Senior Director of Computational Design and In Vitro Selection and interacts with senior leadership to advance vaccine antigens and novel

Qualifications

• PhD in Immunology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Protein Engineering, or a related field.
• 5+ years post-PhD industry or equivalent experience leading in vitro selection, mammalian cell-surface display, or directed-evolution efforts.
• Demonstrated ability to drive complex screening campaigns end-to-end.
• Deep expertise in mammalian display systems, high-throughput selection strategies, and experimental assay design.
• Strong working knowledge of computational, structure-based, or AI-driven protein design workflows.
• Scientific independence, judgment, and ownership consistent with a Principal Scientist role.

Responsibilities

• Lead execution of in vitro selection and cell-surface screening campaigns, providing technical leadership through direct involvement in experimental design and execution.
• Design and run high-throughput mammalian display campaigns for complex, multimeric glycoproteins.
• Build and deploy scalable screening systems that replace resource-intensive plate-based assays.
• Develop and operationalize advanced in vitro selection and directed-evolution capabilities, including novel selection pressures and expanded mammalian display modalities.
• Serve as a key experimental partner to computational protein design teams, generating high-quality datasets and actionable design feedback.
• Provide technical mentorship and scientific guidance to other scientists.
• Represent in vitro selection capabilities in cross-functional discovery and platform discussions.
• Mentor and technically guide junior scientists to elevate overall design quality.

Skills

In vitro selection

Mammalian display

Directed evolution

Computational protein design

Education

PhD in Immunology or related field

Tools

NGS workflows

Job description

Moderna in Cambridge, MA seeks a Principal Scientist to lead and evolve high-throughput in vitro selection and cell-surface screening for glycoprotein antigens. You will shape experimental strategy, mentor scientists, and partner with computational design teams to translate design concepts into scalable datasets and actionable insights.

The role reports to the Senior Director of Computational Design and In Vitro Selection and interacts with senior leadership to advance vaccine antigens and novel