Protein Designer

Arcadia Science; Emeryville (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

A biotechnology firm in Emeryville, California, is searching for a Protein Designer to lead protein design projects and validate novel proteins. Candidates must hold a PhD in a relevant field with a minimum of 3 years of experience. The role involves collaboration across teams, troubleshooting, and a commitment to open science. Compensation ranges from $130,000 to $180,000, reflecting experience level, and benefits are included. The role requires on-site work in Emeryville.

Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent experience in a relevant field.
• At least 3 years of post-PhD experience.
• Deep understanding of protein function in cells.

Responsibilities

• Independently design, plan, and execute protein design projects.
• Coordinate design-build-test-learn loops and validate proteins.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance methodologies.

Skills

Protein function understanding

Troubleshooting skills

Collaboration

Education

PhD or equivalent in biochemistry, biophysics, bioengineering

Tools

SOTA protein analysis and design tools (e.g., ESM, Rosetta)

Programming languages

Job description

A Bit About Us

We are Arcadia Science, an evolutionary biology company founded and led by scientists. Our mission is to turn natural innovations into real-world solutions by developing systematic and quantitative approaches to leveraging biology for therapeutics R&D. We share our research as openly as possible to accelerate discovery and make our work broadly useful.

The Opportunity

We’re closing the gap between biological data and biological understanding. Our Validation team does this by closing the design–build–test–learn loop through lab validation across diverse organisms. Read more about our work through our publications.

We are seeking a Protein Designer to join our Validation team. In this role, the Protein Designer will work cross-functionally to run experimental loops aimed at validating our novel protein design tools. The scientist in this role will work to independently plan protein design projects, apply our tools and their ideas to generate proteins, and evaluate the biological function of the proteins they design both in vitro and in vivo.

Our ideal candidate should have deep knowledge of proteins and how they function in a cellular context, as well as hands‑on experience related to running design–build–test–learn loops. They are energized by evaluating novel biology, skilled at troubleshooting, and thrive in collaborative and open research environments. Enthusiasm and participation in open science is also required as we routinely share our findings via our open-source pubs.

Key Responsibilities

• Independently design, plan, and execute projects related to protein design
• Coordinate and drive design‑build‑test‑learn loops to evaluate protein design tools
• Experimentally validate novel proteins in the lab (in vitro or in a cellular context)
• Collaborate cross‑functionally with computational and experimental scientists
• Contribute to the development and improvement of analyses, tools, and methodologies related to protein design and the evaluation of novel proteins
• Synthesize ideas, data, and findings into fully open‑access pubs and engage with the scientific community to maximize impact and garner feedback that improves the work

Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent experience in biochemistry, biophysics, bioengineering, or related field
• At least 3 years post‑PhD or equivalent experience in a related position
• Deep understanding of protein function in the cell, biology, and structure and how these might be useful for protein design
• Experience with validation, design‑build‑test‑learn loops, or something similar
• Familiarity with SOTA protein analysis and design tools (e.g., ESM, Rosetta, etc.)
• Experience with protein biology, biochemistry, or cell biology to inform protein expression and purification, assay development, experimental design, etc.
• Experience in at least one programming language and experience with relevant libraries
• High level of autonomy and critical thinking skills
• Written and oral communication skills and a willingness to share research openly, early, and often
• Experience working with cross‑functional teams with different working styles and types of expertise

Compensation

Successful applicants can expect to be compensated between $130,000-$180,000 with benefits and a highly competitive equity offering, depending on experience level. The position will require the individual to be on‑site at our Emeryville, California headquarters.

EEO Statement

Arcadia is an equal opportunity workplace; we welcome people from all backgrounds and communities. We provide competitive compensation and practical benefits to keep you happy and healthy so that you can do your best work. An offer of employment at Arcadia is contingent upon the successful clearance of a reference and background check.