Senior Scientist I, Antibody Engineering

BigHat Biosciences; San Mateo (CA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 185,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Stock options

Benefits

Job summary

BigHat Biosciences is seeking a Senior Scientist I to lead the antibody engineering and binder generation program, driving discovery, design, optimization, and characterization with internal and external partners.

You will guide rapid, iterative optimization and leverage both experimental and computational approaches to reach high-value therapeutic antibodies while communicating progress to stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. required with at least 5+ years of industry research experience.
• Hands-on protein engineering expertise including design and optimization.
• Experience with diverse antibody formats (multispecifics, T-cell engagers, ADCs, etc.).
• Expertise in mammalian cell culture, immunoassays, and protein characterization.
• Strong data analysis, interpretation skills, and ability to communicate results.

Responsibilities

• Lead cross-functional project teams (Data Science, AI/ML, Engineering, Protein Sciences, Automation) to optimize antibodies.
• Understand target biology to design antibodies meeting candidate profiles.
• Apply antibody engineering approaches (humanization, liability remediation, affinity tuning, format engineering) to generate optimized antibodies.
• Collaborate with leadership to align strategy, research, and development.
• Perform in-depth data analysis of design cycles to leverage experimental and computational data.
• Regularly communicate results to decision makers and external partners.

Skills

Industry experience

Protein engineering

Antibody formats

Mammalian cell culture

Data analysis

Communication skills

Education

Ph.D. in biochemistry/structural biology/protein engineering

Job description

Department: Lab Science

Location: San Mateo, CA

The role

BigHat Biosciences is seeking an exceptional individual for a Senior Scientist I role on the antibody engineering & binder generation team to serve as a program team lead of therapeutic programs with external and internal partners, driving antibody discovery, design, optimization, and characterization.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead cross-functional project teams (including Data Science, AI/ML, Engineering, Protein Sciences, Automation) on the execution of rapid, iterative multi-objective optimization to identify high-value therapeutic antibodies through gold-standard assays.
• Deeply understand target biology to better design antibodies that meet our candidate profile.
• Contribute expertise in antibody engineering approaches (including humanization, liability remediation, affinity tuning, format engineering, etc) to generate and optimize novel antibodies that meet design requirements.
• Collaborate closely with BigHat leadership and other cross-functional team members to ensure a tight linkage between strategy, research, and development components.
• Lead in-depth data analysis of each design cycle to better leverage experimental and computational approaches to reach our design goals.
• Effectively and regularly communicate results to key decision makers, the broader BigHat team, and to external partners.

Skills Knowledge And Expertise

• Ph.D. in biochemistry, structural biology, protein engineering, or related fields.
• 5+ years of advanced research experience in an industry setting.
• Hands-on protein engineering expertise, including structure-guided design, affinity maturation, stability/developability optimization, and rational or computational approaches to antibody engineering.
• Experience working with diverse antibody formats such as complex multispecifics, T-cell engagers, antibody fragments, antibody-drug conjugates, etc.
• Expertise in mammalian cell culture, immunoassay, molecular techniques, cell-based assays, protein expression and characterization (e.g., kinetics, SEC).
• Exceptional written, verbal, and visual communication skills.
• Experience presenting and communicating strategy and results to internal and external partners.
• Scientific track record and publication record.
• Strong data analysis and interpretation skills. Experience working with agentic software tools is a plus.

The salary estimated for this position is $160,000 - $185,000 + bonus + options + benefits. Compensation will vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Actual compensation will be confirmed in writing at the time of the offer.