Senior Molecular Interactions Scientist — Six‑Month Contract

WorkLLama; South San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Discovery Biologics in South San Francisco, CA seeks a PhD scientist for a six‑month contract in Molecular Interactions to deliver timely, decision‑enabling data on binding, kinetics, and developability for antibodies and other biologics.

The contractor will design and execute experiments, work closely with biology and computational teams, and deliver clear results with robust workflows and documentation.

Qualifications

• PhD required in a relevant life sciences field.
• Strong biomolecular interaction and protein characterization background.
• Hands-on experience with interaction analysis platforms (SPR, Carterra, Biacore, BLI, KinExA).
• Ability to analyze kinetic and affinity data and troubleshoot experiments.
• Excellent written and verbal communication in a collaborative setting.

Responsibilities

• Design, execute, troubleshoot, and interpret molecular interaction studies to support hit identification and lead optimization.
• Generate and analyze binding affinity, kinetics, avidity, and developability data for biologics.
• Coordinate with project scientists to define assay plans and deliver results on program timelines.
• Document methods and results clearly in electronic systems and deliver summary reports.
• Communicate data and risks to project teams and stakeholders; optimize assays and workflows.
• Operate platforms such as SPR, Carterra, BLI, and flow cytometry; improve throughput.
• Use data visualization and automation tools to accelerate interpretation and reporting.
• Identify issues, troubleshoot, and partner with platform owners as needed.
• Develop transferable protocols and analysis workflows for the broader team.

Skills

Biomolecular interactions

Protein characterization

Experimental design

Data interpretation

Scientific communication

Collaboration

Education

PhD in biophysics, biochemistry, molecular biology, or related field

Tools

SPR

Carterra

Biacore

BLI

KinExA

Job description

Discovery Biologics in South San Francisco, CA seeks a PhD scientist for a six‑month contract in Molecular Interactions to deliver timely, decision‑enabling data on binding, kinetics, and developability for antibodies and other biologics.

The contractor will design and execute experiments, work closely with biology and computational teams, and deliver clear results with robust workflows and documentation.