Principal Scientist, Immunology & AI-Driven Drugs

Xaira Therapeutics, Inc.; South San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 164,000 - 205,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Bonus

Open culture

Job summary

Xaira Therapeutics in South San Francisco seeks a lab-based Principal Scientist in Inflammation and Immunology to set scientific direction for programs and deliver actionable data that informs portfolio strategy.

You will work hands-on with primary human and mouse immune cells, including ex vivo systems, while mentoring junior scientists and presenting findings to senior leadership to guide decision-making.

Qualifications

• PhD in Immunology or related field with 6+ years of experience.
• First-author publications, posters, and presentations at meetings.
• Ability to define research strategy and oversee complex experiments.
• Experience generating novel target hypotheses and prioritizing ideas.
• Proficiency with primary immune assays and ex vivo systems.

Responsibilities

• Set scientific direction for one or more programs and guide disease biology decisions.
• Generate new biology target ideas and build rationales to advance programs.
• Identify knowledge gaps and shape experimental strategies across workstreams.
• Translate data into actionable insights for senior leadership and cross-functional partners.
• Stay hands-on at the bench with key experiments when needed to move programs forward.
• Establish primary cell cultures from human and mouse tissues for downstream assays.
• Mentor junior scientists and model strong hands-on lab practices.

Skills

Immunology expertise

Flow cytometry

Single-cell RNA-seq

CRISPR/Cas9

AI in research

Education

PhD in Immunology

Tools

High-parameter flow cytometry

ELISA/MSD/Luminex

qPCR/RNA-seq

In vivo models

Job description

Xaira Therapeutics in South San Francisco seeks a lab-based Principal Scientist in Inflammation and Immunology to set scientific direction for programs and deliver actionable data that informs portfolio strategy.

You will work hands-on with primary human and mouse immune cells, including ex vivo systems, while mentoring junior scientists and presenting findings to senior leadership to guide decision-making.