Senior Scientist - Experimental Protein Design for Target Discovery

Initial Therapeutics, Inc.; South San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee benefits package

Discretionary annual bonus program

Stock-based long-term incentives

Flexible work models

Job summary

Initial Therapeutics, Inc. is seeking a Senior Scientist in South San Francisco to lead efforts in transforming computational protein designs into validated binders and antibodies. Responsibilities include developing high-throughput platforms to generate and validate new binders for target discovery and therapeutic innovation.

The ideal candidate will have a Ph.D. in a related field, extensive protein engineering experience, and the ability to collaborate effectively within cross-functional teams.

Qualifications

• Doctorate degree (PhD or equivalent) or relevant post-doc experience required.
• Experience in expression, purification, and characterization of proteins.
• Strong organizational and communication skills needed.

Responsibilities

• Lead high-throughput workflows for binder expression and characterization.
• Develop strategies for de novo binders and analyze experimental data.
• Collaborate with molecular biology teams for construct generation.

Skills

Protein Engineering

Biochemical characterization

Flow cytometry

High-throughput experimentation

Cellular-based assays

Education

PhD in Biochemistry or related field

Masters with 3 years experience

Bachelors with 5 years experience

Tools

Flow cytometry

SPR (Surface Plasmon Resonance)

Automation platforms

Job description

Senior Scientist Experimental Protein Design for Target Discovery

What you will do

In this vital role you will build and lead high-throughput platforms for binder generation, translating computational protein designs into experimentally validated minibinders and antibodies across diverse pre-discovery targets. A key focus of this role is the production, experimental validation, and characterization of computationally designed de novo binders. You will play a central role in creating scalable binder libraries for multiplexed phenotypic screening, developing multispecific tool molecules to interrogate novel biology and providing tool reagents for early-stage target characterization.

By integrating computational design with rapid experimental validation, you will advance high-throughput binder discovery strategies and drive innovative approaches to probe emerging targets and accelerate early-stage therapeutic discovery.

Key Responsibilities

• Translate computational protein designs into experimentally testable minibinders and antibodies across multiple targets in parallel.
• Lead high-throughput workflows for binder expression, purification, and characterization, including development of cellular assays for binder-target evaluation.
• Partner with molecular biology teams to establish construct generation and binder library production workflows, enabling both individual binder characterization and scalable pooled library screening.
• Develop strategies to format de novo binders into appropriate modalities (e.g., multispecifics) to enable testing of biological hypotheses.
• Analyze and interpret experimental data to guide iterative design-build-test cycles.

What we expect of you

We are all different, yet we all use our unique contributions to serve patients. The Senior Scientist we seek is a highly motivated researcher with these qualifications.

Basic Qualifications

• Doctorate degree PhD
• OR PharmD
• OR MD [and relevant post-doc experience on Protein Engineering]
• OR Masters degree and 3 years of Protein Engineering experience
• OR Bachelors degree and 5 years of Protein Engineering experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Protein Engineering, Bioengineering, Structural Biology, or a related field plus relevant postdoctoral experience.
• Demonstrated experience in the expression, purification, and biochemical or biophysical characterization of engineered proteins, such as antibodies, minibinders, or other designed scaffolds in a high-throughput or library-based manner. Experience with different expression hosts (cell-free expression, E. coli, and mammalian) is a plus.
• Experience in binder hit validation using flow cytometry and SPR, and in developing cellular-based assays for functional characterization.
• Experience working with designed binders or protein-protein interaction engineering, with working knowledge of protein structure-function relationships.
• Experience and interest in collaborating with computational protein design teams and translating in silico designs into experimentally testable reagents.
• Experience with automation platforms and high-throughput experimentation is a plus.
• Experience supporting phenotypic screening, receptor biology, or early target characterization is a plus.
• Strong organizational and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively in cross-functional discovery teams.

What you can expect from us

The expected annual salary range for this role in the U.S. (excluding Puerto Rico) is posted. Actual salary will vary based on several factors including but not limited to, relevant skills, experience, and qualifications.

In addition to the base salary, Amgen offers a Total Rewards Plan, based on eligibility, comprising of health and welfare plans for staff and eligible dependents, financial plans with opportunities to save towards retirement or other goals, work/life balance, and career development opportunities that may include:

• A comprehensive employee benefits package, including a Retirement and Savings Plan with generous company contributions, group medical, dental and vision coverage, life and disability insurance, and flexible spending accounts
• A discretionary annual bonus program, or for field sales representatives, a sales-based incentive plan
• Stock-based long-term incentives
• Award-winning time-off plans
• Flexible work models where possible. Refer to the Work Location Type in the job posting to see if this applies.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Amgen is an Equal Opportunity employer and will consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or any other basis protected by applicable law.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation. Amgen is an Equal Opportunity employer and will consider you without regard to your race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability status.