Scientist/Sr. Scientist Yeast Surface Dislay

Zealand Pharma; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 125,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Zealand Pharma A/S in Cambridge, MA is seeking a Scientist or Senior Scientist for Yeast Surface Display to drive antibody and binder discovery. You will build and operate a high‑throughput display platform at our new molecular platform development center, collaborating across Mass Spec, Biophysics, and Pharmaceutical Development.

You will lead full workflow execution, perform selections against complex targets, and apply NGS to track diversity and enrichment, contributing to developability

Qualifications

• PhD preferred; candidates with BS/MS and substantial industry experience will be considered
• 2+ years post‑degree experience in yeast surface display (Scientist); 4+ years (Senior Scientist)
• Experience with antibody, VHH, affibody, or other mini‑proteins
• Experience performing display selections against complex targets (GPCRs, membrane proteins, receptor complexes) is a plus
• Experience applying NGS to analyze library diversity and enrichment; bioinformatics familiarity is beneficial
• Familiarity with other in vitro/in vivo display technologies and protein expression/purification for binder validation

Responsibilities

• Execute the full yeast surface display workflow from library construction to selections
• Conduct display selections against challenging targets and optimize binders
• Design affinity maturation and selection strategies to improve affinity and developability
• Apply NGS to monitor diversity, enrichment, and lead clone identification
• Collaborate with Mass Spectrometry, Biophysics, and Pharmaceutical Development teams
• Support validation of hit quality and sequence fidelity early in campaigns

Skills

Yeast surface display workflow

NGS data analysis

Antibody/protein discovery

Phage display familiarity

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

PhD in Protein Engineering, Immunology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry or related field

BS/MS with significant industry experience

Tools

NGS

Phage display

Job description

Does it excite you to work at the frontier of antibody and binder discovery, and do you have hands‑on experience with yeast surface display technology? If this sounds like you, and you are ready to help build a new discovery platform from the ground up, then you could be our new colleague.

Your new position

As a Scientist or Senior Scientist in Yeast Surface Display, you will play a central scientific role in our new Molecular Platform Development organization, driving antibody, VHH, and other mini‑protein and binder discovery through yeast display technology. You will help build and operate a modern, high‑throughput display platform at the inception of our new Cambridge, MA research center. This role suits a scientist with strong technical expertise across the full yeast surface display workflow, scientific curiosity, and a desire to grow in scope and responsibility.

We offer exciting responsibilities:

• Execute the full yeast surface display workflow, from library construction and transformation through magnetic bead and FACS‑based selections, generating antibody, VHH, affibody, constrained peptide, and other mini‑protein binders
• Conduct display selections against complex and challenging targets, including GPCRs, other multi‑pass membrane proteins, and receptor complexes
• Design and execute affinity maturation and selection strategies to improve binder affinity, specificity, and developability
• Apply next‑generation sequencing (NGS) to track library diversity, monitor selection enrichment, and identify lead clones from display campaigns
• Contribute to the development and application of yeast surface display capabilities within Molecular Platform Development
• Partner closely with Mass Spectrometry, Biophysics, and Pharmaceutical Development colleagues to validate hit quality, sequence fidelity, and developability early in selection campaigns

Your profile

You bring strong technical expertise across the full yeast surface display workflow, along with scientific curiosity and sound judgment. You thrive in a collaborative, multidisciplinary environment and are motivated to help shape a new platform and research center from an early stage. You communicate scientific data and concepts clearly and work effectively across cross‑functional project teams.

• PhD in Protein Engineering, Immunology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, or a related field preferred (postdoctoral training preferred); candidates with a BS/MS and significantly more relevant industry experience will also be considered
• 2+ years of relevant post‑degree experience in yeast surface display or related antibody/protein discovery technologies (Scientist); 4+ years (Senior Scientist)
• Experience with antibody, VHH, affibody, constrained peptide, and other mini‑protein or binder formats
• Experience conducting display selections against complex targets, such as GPCRs, other multi‑pass membrane proteins, or receptor complexes, is a plus
• Experience applying next‑generation sequencing (NGS) to analyze display library diversity and selection enrichment; familiarity with associated bioinformatics is a plus
• Familiarity with phage display or other in vitro/in vivo display technologies, and with protein expression, purification, and analytical characterization sufficient to support binder validation

Your new team

You will join Molecular Platform Development, a new organization created to strengthen and advance diverse drug modality capabilities in metabolic disease, based at our new Cambridge, MA research center. The site is a highly collaborative, multidisciplinary discovery hub integrating computational research, chemistry, and biology, and is deeply connected to the Greater Boston life sciences ecosystem.

Let’s bond and be bold

We have a unique culture, characterized by excellent teamwork and strong engagement across the organization. And we want you to help us strengthen this culture.

Making bonds is at the core of everything we do. From discovering and developing the best new peptide drugs for patients, to engaging with our partners or connecting with each other. We bond through curiosity and playfulness as a team, allowing ourselves to challenge common thinking and drive future innovation. Join us and let’s bond and be bold.

Salary Range: $125,000 - $170,000

We are committed to an inclusive recruitment process and welcome applications from all job applicants.

About Zealand Pharma A/S

Zealand Pharma A/S (Nasdaq: ZEAL) is a biotechnology company focused on advancing medicines for obesity and metabolic health. Combining more than 25 years of peptide R&D expertise with a proprietary data platform that leverages advanced data‑driven and AI/ML approaches, Zealand Pharma aims to lead a new era in obesity and metabolic health. To date, more than ten Zealand Pharma‑invented drug candidates have entered clinical development, of which two products have reached the market and three candidates are in late‑stage development. The Company has collaborations with global pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners for research, development, and commercialization. Founded in 1998, Zealand Pharma is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, with a U.S. presence in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Learn more at www.zealandpharma.com.