Principal Scientist, Protein Engineering - AI-Driven Therapeutics

Xairatherapeutics; South San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 164,000 - 205,000; Full time

Job summary

Xaira Therapeutics in the San Francisco Bay Area is seeking a Principal Scientist to lead AI-driven protein engineering for therapeutic proteins and antibodies. You will design, produce, and characterize molecules, guiding experimental strategies and collaborating with computational designers.

You will mentor junior staff, oversee CROs, and drive program strategy from conception through early discovery with a hands-on, on-site leadership role in a fast-paced startup environment.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in molecular biology/biochemistry/structural biology or related field.
• 6+ years in biotech/biopharma R&D with large-molecule programs.
• Hands-on protein engineering with antibodies and proteins.
• Experience with developability and stability studies.

Responsibilities

• Define scientific strategy for therapeutic programs with AI-driven discovery.
• Collaborate with AI designers to guide design campaigns.
• Lead binder discovery and prioritize screening strategies.
• Develop strategies to optimize binder affinity and developability.
• Present progress to cross-functional teams.
• Design, produce, purify, and characterize therapeutic proteins and antibodies.
• Maintain accurate ELN records and contribute to reports.
• Ensure lab safety and efficient operations.
• Mentor junior staff and oversee CROs.
• Help define Protein Engineering portfolio with leadership.

Skills

Protein engineering

Antibody formats

Developability assessments

Structure prediction tools

Mentoring

Education

Ph.D. in relevant field

Tools

PyMOL

AlphaFold

Job description

Xaira Therapeutics in the San Francisco Bay Area is seeking a Principal Scientist to lead AI-driven protein engineering for therapeutic proteins and antibodies. You will design, produce, and characterize molecules, guiding experimental strategies and collaborating with computational designers.

You will mentor junior staff, oversee CROs, and drive program strategy from conception through early discovery with a hands-on, on-site leadership role in a fast-paced startup environment.