Protein Biophysicist & Assay Developer

Decade Bio; Daly City (CA); On-site; USD 125,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Decade Bio in Daly City, CA is seeking a Biophysicist or Biochemist to expand in-house protein characterization and assay development. You will own end-to-end workflows, including expression, purification, and analytical assays, while collaborating with ML engineers to inform design models.

This hands-on role requires independence and strong problem-solving in an onsite lab. The position offers a competitive salary and the opportunity to help translate cutting-edge AI-driven biology into cancer

Qualifications

• Strong hands-on experience in protein biophysical characterization.
• Breadth across multiple relevant assay types such as SEC, HIC, BLI/SPR, & ELISA-style methods, protein stability, or related workflows.
• Experience owning assays end to end, including optimization and troubleshooting.
• Ability to interpret data and make sound scientific judgements.
• Strong communication skills and comfort working cross-functionally in a small team with diverse technical backgrounds.
• Ability to ramp quickly and operate with a high level of independence.
• Comfort working onsite in a lab-centered role.
• Scientist-level wet lab experience (approx. BS + 6+ years, MS + 4+ years, PhD + 2+ years).

Responsibilities

• Develop and expand in-house protein characterization: method development, execution, troubleshooting and interpretation
• Build out the in-house assay suite — including analytical chromatography (SEC, HIC, RP), ELISA and related binding assays, thermal and colloidal stability — and take our highest-value assays off CRO timelines
• Contribute to protein production and purification workflows — including cell-free expression — that the characterization layer depends on
• Deliver characterization data our team can act on with confidence, including a clear and opinionated view of its precision and limits
• Implement and own assays on our automation stack (Opentrons Flex, iDoT, etc.) — move methods from manual bench protocols to scripted, runs with the throughput and repeatability that informing our models demands
• Work with the ML engineers so characterization data is generated and structured in a form that informs our design models
• Set the specification for CRO work that stays external, and hold partners to it

Skills

protein biophysical characterization

assay development

data interpretation

cross-functional communication

independence

Education

BS + 6+ years wet lab experience

MS + 4+ years

PhD + 2+ years

Tools

SEC

HIC

BLI/SPR

ELISA

Opentrons Flex

iDoT

Job description

Decade Bio in Daly City, CA is seeking a Biophysicist or Biochemist to expand in-house protein characterization and assay development. You will own end-to-end workflows, including expression, purification, and analytical assays, while collaborating with ML engineers to inform design models.

This hands-on role requires independence and strong problem-solving in an onsite lab. The position offers a competitive salary and the opportunity to help translate cutting-edge AI-driven biology into cancer