Senior Scientist, Antibody Conjugation

NURIX; Brisbane (CA); On-site; USD 175,000 - 185,000; Full time

Job summary

Nurix is seeking an antibody conjugation scientist to build and validate bioconjugation chemistry for bench-scale experiments and scalable workflows. The role partners with medicinal, analytical, computational chemistry, and automation teams to move candidates toward study‑ready material.

You will develop, optimize, and transfer conjugation protocols, scale up production, and help transfer methods to automated platforms while staying current with DAC/ADC methodologies.

Qualifications

• PhD in chemistry, biochemistry, chemical biology preferred; MS or BS with substantial hands‑on bioconjugation accepted.
• Direct, hands‑on antibody/protein bioconjugation chemistry experience: NHS ester, maleimide, click chemistries, site‑specific conjugation.
• Experience purifying and characterizing conjugates: FPLC/AKTA, TFF, SEC, IEX, RP‑HPLC/UPLC, HIC, LC‑MS DAR/identity.
• Experience preparing automated or semi‑automated execution protocols with liquid handlers (Hamilton/Tecan).
• Strong problem‑solving record in the lab with good judgment on study readiness.

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize antibody bioconjugation methods for attaching degrader payloads and linkers.
• Design conjugation chemistry with automation and transfer to liquid‑handling platforms.
• Execute scale‑up conjugation runs (mg to multi‑mg) for pharmacology and PK/PD studies.
• Purify conjugates via FPLC/AKTA, TFF, and chromatography; troubleshoot yield and stability.
• Write SOPs and technical reports; train automation colleagues in conjugation workflows.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally with medicinal, computational chemists and CROs/CDMOs.
• Stay current on emerging bioconjugation techniques and apply relevant methods.

Skills

Bioconjugation expertise

Scale-up to mg

Automation protocols

Analytical troubleshooting

Education

PhD in chemistry/biochemistry/chemical biology

MS/BS with 8+ years bioconjugation experience

Tools

FPLC/AKTA

TFF

SEC

IEX

RP-HPLC/UPLC

HIC

LC-MS

Job description

We are growing the team with a hands-on antibody conjugation scientist who will build this capability from the ground up by developing and validating bioconjugation chemistries that are reproducible at bench scale, sufficiently robust for transfer to automated higher-throughput synthesis workflows, and scalable for preparation campaigns supporting advanced in vivo and translational studies.

This is a lab-based role for someone who wants to build a new technical capability inside an established, highly collaborative discovery organization and partner closely with medicinal chemistry, analytical chemistry, computational chemistry, protein biochemistry, and automation to move candidates from bench to study-ready material.

What You'll Do

• Develop and optimize antibody bioconjugation methods for attaching degrader payloads and linkers to antibodies.
• Design conjugation chemistry with an eye toward automation: define protocols, reagent ratios, and process parameters in a form that can be transferred to and run reliably on liquid-handling platforms.
• Execute one-off and scale-up conjugation runs (mg to multi-mg) to produce material for pharmacology, PK/PD, and other advanced studies on program timelines.
• Purify conjugates via FPLC/AKTA, TFF, and column chromatography; troubleshoot yield, homogeneity, and stability issues as they arise.
• Write clear SOPs and technical reports; train and support automation-team colleagues in executing conjugation workflows independently.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with medicinal chemists (linker/payload design), computational chemists (site selection, modeling), and external CROs/CDMOs as needed.
• Stay current on emerging bioconjugation and DAC/ADC methodology and bring forward new techniques relevant to Nurix's pipeline.

Who You Are

• A team player who works well across disciplines (chemistry, analytical, protein biochemistry, automation/engineering) and communicates clearly with both scientists and technical staff.
• Results-oriented: you drive a method from first attempt to a robust, transferable protocol, and you personally deliver material when a study needs it.
• Comfortable owning a technical area with real autonomy in a growing capability area.

Qualifications

• PhD in chemistry, biochemistry, chemical biology, or a related field preferred; MS or BS with substantial (8+ for BS/MS) hands‑on industry bioconjugation experience will also be considered.
• Direct, hands‑on experience with antibody/protein bioconjugation chemistry: NHS ester and maleimide coupling, click chemistry (CuAAC/SPAAC/IEDDA), engineered‑cysteine or glycan/enzymatic site‑specific conjugation, or unnatural‑amino‑acid approaches.
• Experience purifying and characterizing conjugates: FPLC/AKTA, TFF, SEC, IEX, RP‑HPLC/UPLC, HIC, and LC‑MS‑based DAR/identity analysis.
• Experience preparing protocols for automated or semi‑automated execution (e.g., liquid handlers such as Hamilton or Tecan) is a strong plus, though the successful candidate may also learn this in partnership with our automation team.
• Strong record of practical problem‑solving in the lab, with the judgment to know when a result is study‑ready versus needs more optimization

Why This Role

You'll be the founding technical expert for antibody conjugation at Nurix, shaping both the science and how it's automated and scaled — with direct visibility to program leadership and a fast path from method development to real studies

Salary Range: $174,900 - $185,200 plus bonus and equity

Fit with Nurix Culture and Values

• Strong team orientation; highly collaborative
• Solutions and results‑oriented focus
• Hands‑on approach; resourceful and open to diverse points of view

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer offering a competitive salary and benefits package. Applicants should be legally entitled to work for any employer in the US.