Senior Scientist, Antibody Conjugation

Initial Therapeutics, Inc.; Brisbane (CA); On-site; USD 155,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Nurix Therapeutics, Inc. seeks a hands-on antibody conjugation scientist to build a new capability from the ground up, partnering across medicinal chemistry, analytical chemistry, computation, protein biochemistry and automation to move candidates toward study-ready material.

You will develop and optimize bioconjugation methods, design automation-friendly protocols, and scale conjugations from mg to multi-mg to support pharmacology and PK/PD studies in a fast-paced, collaborative discovery

Qualifications

• PhD in chemistry, biochemistry, chemical biology, or related field; MS or BS with substantial 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.

Responsibilities

• 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.

Skills

Bioconjugation chemistry

Automation readiness

Cross-functional collaboration

Lab problem-solving

Education

PhD in chemistry/biochemistry/chemical biology

MS/BS with 8+ years bioconjugation

Tools

FPLC/AKTA

TFF

SEC

IEX

RP-HPLC/UPLC

HIC

LC-MS DAR

Job description

About the Role

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: 155K - 180K 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.

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