Senior Scientist

Pacer Group; South San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 200,579,000 - 234,963,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision

401(k)

Job summary

Pacer Group in South San Francisco, CA is seeking a Senior Scientist, Molecular Interactions for a six-month contract. The role provides hands-on experimental and data analysis support for active biologics discovery with emphasis on binding, kinetics, and developability.

The successful candidate will collaborate with antibody discovery, protein sciences, and computational biology teams, delivering timely, decision-enabling data and practical workflow improvements. Onsite work arrangement applies.

Qualifications

• Master's degree or PhD (preferred) in biophysics, biochemistry, chemistry, molecular biology, protein sciences, biomedical engineering, or related field.
• Master's degree with minimum 5 years hands-on experience or PhD with minimum 3 years hands-on experience.
• Strong foundation in biomolecular interactions and protein characterization.
• Hands on experience with interaction analysis platforms such as SPR, Carterra, Biacore, BLI, KinExA, or related technologies.
• Experience analyzing kinetic and affinity data for interactions between proteins.
• Ability to troubleshoot experiments, interpret complex data, and deliver high quality results within timelines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with ability to work collaboratively.

Responsibilities

• Design, execute, troubleshoot, and interpret molecular interaction studies that support hit identification and lead optimization.
• Generate and analyze binding affinity, kinetics, avidity, epitope binning, competition, and developability data for antibodies and biologics.
• Coordinate with project scientists to define assay plans, prioritize samples, and deliver results on time.
• Document methods, results, and conclusions in electronic systems and summaries.
• Communicate data, risks, and next steps clearly to teams and stakeholders.
• Operate SPR, Carterra, BLI, flow cytometry and related platforms.
• Optimize assay formats and workflows to improve throughput and data quality.
• Develop protocols and analysis workflows that can be transferred to broader team.

Skills

Biomolecular interactions

Protein characterization

Kinetic data analysis

Experimental design

Troubleshooting

Data interpretation

Written and verbal communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Advanced degree (Master's or PhD) in biophysics/biochemistry/chemistry/molecular biology/protein sciences

Tools

SPR

Carterra

Biacore

BLI

KinExA

Job description

Job Title: Senior Scientist, Molecular Interactions

Duration: 06 Months

Pay Rate: $76/hr on W2

Work Arrangement: Onsite

Employment Type: Contract

Domain: Pharmaceuticals

Application Deadline: October 16th, 2026

Description:

Senior Scientist, Molecular Interactions

Discovery Biologics, Antibody Generation, Molecular Discovery

Qualifications

Required

• Master's degree or PhD(preferred) in biophysics, biochemistry, chemistry, molecular biology, protein sciences, biomedical engineering, or a related field.
• Master's degree with minimum 5years of hands-on experience or PhD(preferred) with minimum 3years of hands-on experience.
• Strong foundation in biomolecular interactions and protein characterization.
• Hands on experience with one or more interaction analysis platforms, such as SPR, Carterra, Biacore, BLI, KinExA, or related technologies.
• Experience analyzing kinetic and affinity data for interactions between proteins.
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot experiments, interpret complex data, and deliver high quality results within defined timelines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work effectively in a collaborative, multidisciplinary environment.

Preferred

• Experience supporting therapeutic antibody, multispecific, or other biologics discovery programs in an industry setting.
• Experience with epitope binning, competition assays, cell binding characterization, receptor pharmacology, or developability assessment.
• Knowledge of antibody engineering, Fc biology, and relationships between protein structure and function.
• Familiarity with laboratory automation, high throughput screening workflows, and data analytics.
• Programming or data science experience using Python, R, Spotfire, or similar tools.
• Ability to become productive quickly in a fast paced, matrixed research environment.
• Consistent delivery of high quality molecular interaction data for prioritized discovery studies.
• Timely analysis, documentation, and communication of results, including clear conclusions and data quality assessments.
• Improvement or standardization of assay, analysis, or reporting workflows where opportunities are identified.
• Complete transfer of protocols, data packages, analysis templates, and recommendations at the conclusion of the assignment.

Success Profile

The successful contractor will be a hands on, scientifically rigorous, and collaborative researcher who can rapidly integrate into the team, independently execute well controlled studies, and deliver reliable data that support near term program decisions. Success in this assignment will be measured by quality, timeliness, reproducibility, clear communication, and effective knowledge transfer.

Position Summary

We are seeking a highly motivated scientist with a PhD for a six month contract assignment in the Molecular Interactions group within Discovery Biologics based in South San Francisco, CA. The contractor will provide hands on experimental and data analysis support for active biologics discovery programs, with an emphasis on generating timely, decision enabling data on binding, kinetics, avidity, epitopes, competition, and developability.

The successful candidate will work closely with scientists in antibody discovery, protein sciences, computational biology, developability, and project teams. This role is focused on execution and requires the ability to contribute quickly through sound experimental design, reliable assay delivery, clear data interpretation, and practical workflow improvements.

Key Responsibilities

Program and Assay Support

• Design, execute, troubleshoot, and interpret molecular interaction studies that support hit identification, lead optimization, and candidate selection.
• Generate and analyze binding affinity, kinetics, avidity, epitope binning, competition, and developability data for antibodies, bispecifics, and other biologic modalities.
• Coordinate with project scientists to define assay plans, prioritize samples, and deliver results according to program timelines.
• Document methods, results, and conclusions accurately in electronic systems, reports, and presentation ready summaries.
• Communicate data, technical risks, and recommended next steps clearly to project teams and stakeholders.

Platform and Workflow Execution

• Operate interaction analysis platforms such as SPR, high throughput SPR using Carterra, BLI, flow cytometry, and related technologies.
• Optimize established assay formats and workflows to improve throughput, robustness, data quality, and turnaround time.
• Use appropriate data analysis, visualization, and automation tools to accelerate data interpretation and reporting.
• Identify assay or instrument issues, perform routine troubleshooting, and partner with internal platform owners as needed.
• Develop protocols, templates, and analysis workflows that can be transferred to the broader team at the conclusion of the assignment.

Scientific and Team Contributions

• Apply rigorous experimental design, appropriate controls, and quantitative data interpretation to address project questions.
• Work independently on assigned studies while collaborating effectively within a multidisciplinary research environment.
• Participate in project and platform discussions and provide concise, evidence based scientific input.
• Follow all applicable laboratory, data integrity, documentation, and safety requirements.

Key Skills:

Biomolecular interaction analysis Protein characterization and protein–protein interactions SPR, Carterra, Biacore, BLI, KinExA, or similar platforms Kinetic and affinity data analysis Experimental design and troubleshooting Complex scientific data interpretation Epitope binning and competition assays Cell-binding characterization and receptor pharmacology Antibody engineering, Fc biology, and protein structure–function relationships Laboratory automation and high-throughput screening Data analytics using Python, R, Spotfire, or similar tools Strong written and verbal communication Cross-functional collaboration in a fast-paced, matrixed environment

BENEFITS

Medical | Dental | Vision | 401(k)

EEOC Compliance:

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment.

DISCLAIMER

AI Usage Policy: Pacer Group uses AI to assist in screening applications. Final hiring decisions are made by human recruiters based on qualifications and experience.