Senior Research Scientist

ICON Strategic Solutions; Wilmington (DE); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave

Health insurance

Retirement plan

Employee assistance program

Life insurance

Flexible benefits

Job summary

ICON plc, a world-leading healthcare intelligence and clinical research organization, is seeking a Sr. Research Scientist in Wilmington, DE.

You will design and optimize recombinant proteins, perform expression in mammalian and insect systems, and drive purification workflows to support structural biology and drug discovery projects. You will lead multi-project studies, troubleshoot expression and purification challenges, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality

Qualifications

• PhD or Master’s with relevant experience in drug discovery or biotech.
• Hands-on protein chemistry, expression, purification, and biophysical tests.
• Purification of antibodies/antibody fragments with QC.
• Evaluate purity, homogeneity, stability and sample integrity.
• Proficient chromatography-based purification incl. affinity/ion-exchange/SEC.
• Experience with SEC-HPLC, DSF, BLI, SPR.
• Troubleshoot expression/purification challenges and optimize solutions.
• Support drug discovery through protein chemistry and collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Independently design and optimize recombinant protein constructs for expression and downstream applications.
• Perform transfection and expression in mammalian/insect systems; maximize yield and quality.
• Develop purification workflows using affinity, ion-exchange, HIC, and SEC.
• Purify antibodies/antibody fragments and perform QC assessments.
• Characterize proteins/antibodies by analytical SEC/HPLC, DSF, BLI, SPR.
• Establish QC criteria for samples used in structural studies and assays.
• Troubleshoot expression, purification, stability challenges to improve yields.
• Generate high-quality samples for X-ray crystallography, cryo-EM, and biophysical studies.
• Support antibody discovery with purified molecules for downstream analyses.
• Plan and execute small- and large-scale experiments; manage multiple projects.
• Maintain lab operations, improve workflows, and document results clearly.

Skills

Protein expression optimization

Antibody purification

Data analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Project management

Communication skills

Troubleshooting

Entrepreneurial mindset

Education

PhD in Biochemistry/Biophysics/Protein Chemistry/Structural Biology or related field

Master’s degree with 5+ years in drug discovery/biotech/pharma or academic lab

Tools

Chromatography systems

SEC-HPLC

DSF / thermal stability assays

BLI

SPR

Job description

Sr. Research Scientist - Wilmington, DE

ICON plc is a world-leading healthcare intelligence and clinical research organization. We’re proud to foster an inclusive environment driving innovation and excellence, and we welcome you to join us on our mission to shape the future of clinical development.

Responsibilities

• Independently design and optimize recombinant protein constructs for expression and downstream applications.
• Perform transfection of plasmids into mammalian cells, cell line maintenance, generation of baculovirus, and protein expression in insect (Sf9) and mammalian systems.
• Express recombinant proteins using bacterial expression systems and optimize conditions to maximize yield, solubility, and quality.
• Develop, optimize, and execute protein purification workflows using chromatography techniques including affinity, ion‑exchange, hydrophobic interaction, and size‑exclusion chromatography (SEC).
• Develop and execute purification strategies for antibodies, antibody fragments, and antibody‑containing complexes.
• Perform antibody purification and QC, including assessment of purity, aggregation, integrity, concentration, and overall sample quality using appropriate analytical methods.
• Characterize purified proteins and antibodies using a broad range of biochemical and biophysical techniques, including analytical SEC/HPLC, SDS‑PAGE, intact‑mass analysis where applicable, DSF/thermal shift assays, BLI, SPR, and other analytical assays.
• Establish and apply protein and antibody quality‑control criteria to ensure samples are suitable for structural studies, binding assays, biochemical assays, immunization campaigns, and other downstream applications.
• Evaluate protein and antibody stability, homogeneity, aggregation state, concentration, and batch‑to‑batch consistency; identify potential quality issues and implement appropriate corrective strategies.
• Troubleshoot recombinant protein and antibody expression, purification, and stability challenges to improve yield, purity, monodispersity, and functional quality.
• Generate high‑quality protein samples and protein complexes for X‑ray crystallography, cryo‑EM, biophysical studies, biochemical assays, and other structural biology applications.
• Support antibody discovery programs by providing purified and well‑characterized antibody molecules and complexes for downstream functional and structural characterization.
• Independently plan and execute small‑ and large‑scale expression, purification, and characterization experiments while effectively managing multiple projects and priorities.
• Contribute to the daily operations of a highly productive protein production laboratory, including maintaining equipment, improving workflows, and supporting laboratory development and technology implementation.
• Analyze and interpret experimental data, communicate results clearly, and make data‑driven recommendations that can influence program strategy and decision‑making.
• Collaborate effectively with protein engineers, structural biologists, assay scientists, computational scientists, and project teams in a highly matrixed environment.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of AI‑enabled and technology‑driven approaches to accelerate protein production, characterization, structural biology, and drug discovery workflows.
• Maintain accurate experimental records and communicate results through presentations, written reports, and cross‑functional project meetings.
• Work effectively in a fast‑paced, dynamic environment while maintaining high scientific and operational standards.

Requirements

• PhD in Biochemistry, Biophysics, Protein Chemistry, Molecular Biology, Structural Biology, or a related field with at least 2 years of relevant experience, or a Master’s degree with at least 5 years of relevant experience in drug discovery, biotechnology, pharmaceutical research, or an academic laboratory.
• Demonstrated hands‑on expertise in protein chemistry, recombinant protein expression, purification, and biophysical characterization.
• Experience with purification and characterization of antibodies and/or antibody fragments, including development and optimization of purification workflows and analytical QC.
• Demonstrated experience evaluating protein and antibody purity, homogeneity, aggregation, stability, integrity, and suitability for downstream applications.
• Proficiency with chromatography‑based purification techniques, including affinity, ion exchange, and SEC.
• Experience with analytical and biophysical techniques such as SEC‑HPLC, DSF/thermal stability assays, BLI, SPR.
• Proven ability to troubleshoot challenging protein expression and purification problems and independently develop effective solutions.
• Proven experience supporting drug discovery programs through protein chemistry.
• Ability to independently manage multiple projects, prioritize competing demands, and deliver high‑quality results on established timelines.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in cross‑functional and matrixed teams.
• Self‑driven, creative, scientifically curious, and entrepreneurial, with the ability to thrive in a fast‑paced and evolving research environment.

What ICON Can Offer You

Our success depends on the quality of our people. That’s why we’ve made it a priority to build a diverse culture that rewards high performance and nurtures talent. In addition to your competitive salary, ICON offers a range of additional benefits. Our benefits are designed to be competitive within each country and are focused on well‑being and work life balance opportunities for you and your family.

Our Benefits Examples Include

• Various annual leave entitlements
• A range of health insurance offerings to suit you and your family’s needs.
• Competitive retirement planning offerings to maximize savings and plan with confidence for the years ahead.
• Global Employee Assistance Programme, LifeWorks, offering 24‑hour access to a global network of over 80,000 independent specialized professionals who are there to support you and your family’s well‑being.
• Life assurance
• Flexible country‑specific optional benefits, including childcare vouchers, bike purchase schemes, discounted gym memberships, subsidized travel passes, health assessments, among others.

At ICON, inclusion & belonging are fundamental to our culture and values. We’re dedicated to providing an inclusive and accessible environment for all candidates. ICON is committed to providing a workplace free of discrimination and harassment. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, or in order to perform the essential functions of a position, please let us know or submit a request here