Research Scholar

Duke Careers; Durham (NC); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, NC, seeks a Research Scholar – Director of the Protein Design and Analysis Core to provide strategic leadership for a multidisciplinary facility focused on de novo protein design, engineering, characterization, and structural analysis.

The Director will oversee a team of scientists and technicians, partner with internal programs and external collaborators, and ensure high-throughput, service-oriented operations.

Qualifications

• PhD with 8–10 years of post-doctoral research or industry experience.
• 3–5 years in leadership or supervisory roles.
• Expertise at the intersection of computational protein design, structural biology, and biophysical characterization.

Responsibilities

• Provide visionary scientific and operational leadership for the Protein Design and Analysis Core.
• Oversee a multidisciplinary team of scientists, engineers, and technical staff.
• Partner with internal research programs and external collaborators to advance de novo design projects.
• Manage high-throughput, service-oriented core operations and quality control.

Skills

Protein design

Protein expression

Biophysical characterization

X-ray crystallography

Cryo-EM

Rosetta

AlphaFold

Python

Pymol scripting

Education

PhD in Biochemistry / Structural Biology / Biophysics / Computational Biology / Bioengineering

Tools

Rosetta

AlphaFold

ESMFold

Job description

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School of Medicine Established in 1930, Duke University School of Medicine is the youngest of the nation's top medical schools. Ranked sixth among medical schools in the nation, the School takes pride in being an inclusive community of outstanding learners, investigators, clinicians, and staff where interdisciplinary collaboration is embraced and great ideas accelerate translation of fundamental scientific discoveries to improve human health locally and around the globe. Composed of more than 2,600 faculty physicians and researchers, nearly 2,000 students, and more than 6,200 staff, the Duke University School of Medicine along with the Duke University School of Nursing, and Duke University Health System comprise Duke Health, a world-class academic medical center. The Health System encompasses Duke University Hospital, Duke Regional Hospital, Duke Raleigh Hospital, Duke Health Integrated Practice, Duke Primary Care, Duke Home Care and Hospice, Duke Health and Wellness, and multiple affiliations.

Be You.

Research Scholar – Director of the Protein Design and Analysis Core

The Research Scholar role will serve as the Director of the Protein Design and Analysis Core provides visionary scientific and operational leadership for a multidisciplinary core facility dedicated to the de novo design, engineering, characterization, and structural analysis of proteins. The Director oversees a team of scientists, engineers, and technical staff, and serves as a strategic partner to internal research programs and external collaborators. This role demands expertise at the intersection of computational protein design, structural biology, and biophysical characterization, combined with the management acumen to operate a high-throughput, service-oriented research core.

Qualified candidates will have a Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Structural Biology, Biophysics, Computational Biology, Bioengineering, or a closely related field with a minimum of 8–10 years of post-doctoral research or industry experience, with at least 3–5 years in a leadership or supervisory role.

Be Bold.

Demonstrated deep expertise in protein expression systems (bacterial, mammalian, insect), purification, and quality control is essential as well as a strong command of biophysical characterization techniques (SPR, ITC, SEC-MALS, CD, DLS, HDX-MS). Proficiency in structural biology methods (X-ray crystallography and/or cryo-EM) and associated software pipelines is required, with hands-on experience with computational protein design platforms (Rosetta, AlphaFold, ESMFold, or equivalent) and relevant scripting languages (Python, PyMOL scripting, etc.).

Choose Duke.

Highly qualified candidates will have a proven track record of scientific productivity evidenced by peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals, with demonstrated ability to manage complex, multi-stakeholder projects and lead interdisciplinary teams.

Duke University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Please note that Duke will specifically seek information about past misconduct or policy violations (in the past ten (10) years) and/or relevant pending investigations as part of the application process. Disclosures will not be an automatic bar to hiring but, instead, will initiate further dialogue regarding past actions and steps taken to address them. Disclosures will not be shared with search committees during the application review process.

Duke is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions), sexual orientation or military status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions:

Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essential job functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.

• Nearest Major Market: Durham
• Nearest Secondary Market: Raleigh

Read more about Duke’s commitment to affirmative action and nondiscrimination at hr.duke.edu/eeo.