Senior Research Associate - Protein Biochemist

Vylor Inc.; Des Moines (IA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

PTO & wellbeing pay

Parental leave

Retirement plan

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Vylor Inc. is seeking a Senior Research Associate—Protein Biochemist to develop and scale expression, purification, and characterization workflows for diverse protein candidates.

You will troubleshoot solubility, stability, and quality while enabling high-throughput screening in a collaborative team. The ideal candidate has 3+ years of protein purification experience and hands-on expertise with SDS-PAGE, Western blotting, analytical SEC, and DLS.

Qualifications

• B.S. or M.S. in a related field with hands-on lab experience.
• Hands-on recombinant protein expression, purification, and characterization.
• Ability to design experiments, troubleshoot complex problems, and ensure reproducibility.

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize protein expression, purification, and screening workflows.
• Perform biochemical and biophysical characterization (SDS-PAGE, Western blot, SEC, DLS).
• Troubleshoot challenging proteins and scale workflows across expression systems.
• Collaborate across protein engineering, screening, and discovery teams; mentor junior scientists.
• Maintain thorough electronic records and present findings clearly.

Skills

Protein expression

Protein purification

Protein characterization

SDS-PAGE

Western blot

Analytical SEC

DLS

Troubleshooting proteins

Experiment design

Data analysis

Independent work

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry, Chemistry, Molecular Biology, Biotechnology, or related field

Master's degree in Biochemistry or related field

Tools

FPLC systems

Electronic Lab Notebooks (ELN)

Data-management platforms

Microsoft Office

Job description

Join Vylor—Powering the Future of AgricultureAt Vylor, we’re advancing agriculture through breakthrough science—combining elite germplasm, cutting-edge biotech, and next-generation expertise in gene editing and molecular breeding. Our portfolio includes trusted industry brands like Pioneer, Brevant, and Hoegemeyer, delivering performance farmers rely on.Join us to help scale innovation globally and shape what’s next in crop science.We are seeking a motivated, technically adept Senior Research Associate - Protein Biochemist to develop and execute workflows for protein expression, purification, characterization, and high-throughput screening within our Protein Engineering team. The ideal candidate is an experienced protein biochemist who independently troubleshoots challenging proteins, develops fit-for-purpose strategies, and collaborates across discovery teams.What You’ll Do:Develop, optimize, and scale protein expression, purification, characterization, and high-throughput screening workflows for diverse protein engineering candidates.Design multi-modal chromatography strategies and independently troubleshoot expression, solubility, purification, stability, aggregation, and sample-quality challenges.Execute biochemical and biophysical characterization, including SDS-PAGE, western blotting, analytical SEC, DLS, protein quantification, and related assays.Analyze results, identify trends, recommend next steps, and communicate findings through presentations and complete, timely record keeping.Collaborate across protein engineering, screening, and discovery teams; mentor junior scientists and provide technical guidance.Evaluate and implement new technologies, instrumentation, and workflows that expand the capabilities of the Protein Engineering team.Contribute to a collaborative, respectful, and scientifically rigorous team environment.Follow all company safety policies, protocols, and procedures and actively contribute to maintaining a safe laboratory environment.What You’ll Bring:B.S. in Biochemistry, Chemistry, Molecular Biology, Biotechnology, or a related field with 3+ years of relevant protein purification experience, or a M.S. with 1+ years.Demonstrated expertise in recombinant protein expression, purification, and characterization across multiple expression systems.Hands-on experience developing chromatography methods using FPLC systems, protein concentration and buffer exchange, and multiple purification modalities.Strong proficiency with SDS-PAGE and Western blotting; analytical SEC, DLS, or additional biophysical methods preferred.Ability to design experiments, troubleshoot complex problems, interpret data, and work independently with strong attention to quality and reproducibility.Strong critical thinking, communication, and collaboration skills.Skilled to work effectively both independently and within multidisciplinary teams.Experience developing robust, reproducible, and scalable workflows and using electronic lab notebooks, data-management platforms, and Microsoft Office is necessary.**Please note there is no visa sponsorship available for this role.Benefits – How We’ll Support You:Numerous development opportunities offered to build your skillsBe part of a company with a higher purpose and contribute to making the world a better placeHealth benefits for you and your family on your first day of employmentFour weeks of paid time off and two weeks of well-being pay per year, plus paid holidaysExcellent parental leave which includes a minimum of 16 weeks for mother and fatherFuture planning with our competitive retirement savings plan and tuition reimbursement programLearn more about our total rewards package here - Vylor BenefitsCheck out life at Vylor! https://www.linkedin.com/company/vylorgenetics/Are you a good match? Apply today! We seek applicants from all backgrounds to ensure we get the best, most creative talent on our team.Vylor is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to embracing our differences to enrich lives, advance innovation, and boost company performance. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, military or veteran status, pregnancy related conditions (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), disability or any other protected status in accordance with federal, state, or local laws.